K - 5 – Kindergarten

High Priority Standards (Missouri Learning Standards, National, CREDE, etc.)

Missouri Learning Standard K.ESS2.D.1

Learning Goal
Students can use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time.

Proficiency Scale
4: Student demonstrates advanced application and understanding of weather and climate.

3: Student demonstrates mastery with the learning goal as evidenced by:

• organizing data from given observations (firsthand or from media) about local weather conditions using graphical displays (pictures, charts, etc.).
• describing patterns and sharing that:
  • certain months have more days of some kinds of weather than do other months.
  • the differences in relative temperature over the course of a day are directly related to the time of day.

2: Student demonstrates he/she is nearing proficiency by:

• organizing data with guidance and support.
• identifying in the data:
  • the change in the relative temperature over the course of a day.
  • the relative number of days of different types of weather conditions in a month.

1: Student demonstrates limited understanding of weather and climate.

Learning Targets  -  Weather and Climate Unit

Science and Engineering Practice
Analyze observations (data points).

Disciplinary Core Idea
Make relevant local weather observations that include noticing the amount of sunlight, wind, snow/rain, and temperature, both throughout a day and/or across multiple days.

Cross Cutting Concept
Identify general patterns in the local weather data collected over a period of time.

High Priority Standards (Missouri Learning Standards, National, CREDE, etc.)

Missouri Learning Standard 1.PS3.A.1

Learning Goal
Students can identify the source of energy that causes an increase in the temperature of an object.

Proficiency Scale
4: Student demonstrates advanced application and understanding of energy.

3: Student demonstrates mastery with the learning goal as evidenced by:

• identifying a source of energy and explaining how the source can cause an increase in the temperature of an object
• describing, using evidence, that the Sun is a source of energy that can increase temperature

2: Student demonstrates he/she is nearing proficiency by:

• identifying a source of energy
• understanding that energy can increase the temperature of objects.

1: Student demonstrates limited understanding of energy

Learning Targets - Weather and Climate Unit

Science and Engineering Practices

• Ask questions based on observations to find out more information about the natural and/or designed world. 
• Ask and/or identify questions that can be answered by an investigation. 
• Use information from observations to construct an evidence-based account for natural phenomena.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

• Energy sources that increase the temperature of objects (e.g., sun, stove, flame, light bulb, oven) 
• The sun is the primary source of energy on Earth. 
• Temperature is a measure of hot or cold.

Cross Cutting Concepts

• Energy can cause the temperature of an object to increase. 
• Events have causes that generate observable patterns. 
• Simple tests can be designed to gather evidence to support or refute student ideas about causes.

High Priority Standards (Missouri Learning Standards, National, CREDE, etc.)

Missouri Learning Standard K.LS1.C.1

Learning Goal
Students can use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive.

Proficiency Scale
4: Student demonstrates advanced application and understanding of plants and animals.

3: Student demonstrates mastery with the learning goal as evidenced by:

• organizing data from given observations (firsthand or from media) using graphical displays (pictures, charts, etc.).
• describing the patterns identified in the data provided to show evidence that:
  • plants and animals need light and water to live and grow.
  • animals get their food from plants, other animals, or both.

2: Student demonstrates he/she is nearing proficiency by:

• organizing data with guidance and support.
• identifying patterns in the data including:
• all animals eat food.
  • all animals drink water.
  • plants cannot live or grow if there is no water or light.

1: Student demonstrates limited understanding of plants and animals.

Learning Targets - Plants and Animals Unit

Science and Engineering Practices

• Collect observations and information on the needs of various plants and animals. 
• Organize or classify collected observations into like survival categories (e.g., food sources, water sources, shelter, air).

Disciplinary Core Ideas

• Understand the basic food source needs of animals. 
• Understand that plants need water and light to live and grow.

Cross Cutting Concept
Make a generalization about the similar needs of all plants and similar needs of all animals and describe that pattern in the natural world.

High Priority Standards (Missouri Learning Standards, National, CREDE, etc.)

Missouri Learning Standard K.ESS2.E.1

Learning Goal
Students can construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals (including humans) can change the environment to meet their needs.

Proficiency Scale
4: Student demonstrates advanced application and understanding of plants and animals.

3: Student demonstrates mastery with the learning goal as evidenced by:

• making a claim to be supported by evidence that plants and animals (including humans) can change the environment to meet their needs.
• supporting the claim and presenting an argument connecting various needs of plants and animals to show evidence about how plants/animals change their environments to meet their needs.
• The argument includes:
  • examples of how plants affect other parts of their system by changing their environments to meet their needs.
  • examples of how animals affect other parts of their systems by changing their environments to meet their needs.

2: Student demonstrates he/she is nearing proficiency by:

• making and supporting a claim with guidance and support.
• identifying and describing:
• examples of plants changing their environments.
  • examples of animals (including humans) changing their environments.
  • examples of plant and animal needs.

1: Student demonstrates limited understanding of plants and animals.

Learning Targets

Science and Engineering Practices

• Engage in an argument. 
• Use relative evidence to support a claim.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

• Describe how plants and animals change their environment (e.g., squirrel digs in the ground, ants build anthills). 
• Identify ways humans have altered the natural environment and recognize how plants and animals have changed the environment to meet their needs (e.g., tree roots break concrete, vines grow around fences, birds use some human-made materials to build nests). 

Cross Cutting Concept
Describe the relationship (system) between plants and animals and their environment (natural or human-made).

High Priority Standards (Missouri Learning Standards, National, CREDE, etc.)

Missouri Learning Goal K.ESS3.A.1

Learning Goal

Students can use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants or animals (including humans) and the places they live.

Proficiency Scale

4: Student demonstrates advanced application and understanding of plants and animals.

3: Student demonstrates mastery with the learning goal as evidenced by:

●      using a given model to represent and describe the relationships between the components including:

o   the relationships between the different plants and animals and the materials they need to survive.

o   the relationship between places where different plants and animals live and the resources those places provide.

o   the relationships between specific plants and animals and where they live.

●      using a given model to describe that plants and animals, the places in which they live, and the resources found in those places are each part of a system, and that these parts of systems work together and allow living things to meet their needs.

2: Student demonstrates he/she is nearing proficiency by:

●      identifying and describing the components in a given model representing:

o   different plants and animals (including humans).

o   the places where the different plants and animals live.

o   the things that plants and animals need.

●      describing the relationship between the components with guidance and support

1: Student demonstrates limited understanding of plants and animals.

Learning Targets

Science and Engineering Practices

●      Use a model. 

●      Relate a model to relationships in nature.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

●       Describe the needs of living things, both plants and animals (including humans). 

●      Identify that living things use their environment to meet their needs. 

●      Understand that humans use natural resources daily.

Cross Cutting Concept

Identify the mutual relationship between living things and their natural environment (i.e., deer eat buds and leaves and are therefore often found in forest, grasses need sun and are therefore often found in meadows).

High Priority Standards (Missouri Learning Standards, National, CREDE, etc.)

Missouri Learning Goal K.ESS3.C.1

Learning Goal
Students can communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.

Proficiency Scale
4: Student demonstrates advanced application and understanding of plants and animals.

3: Student demonstrates mastery with the learning goal as evidenced by:

• communicating information clearly about solutions in oral and/or written form.
• communicating information about solutions that reduce the negative effects of humans on the local environment, including:
  • examples of things that people do to live comfortably and how those things can cause changes to the land, water, air, and/or living things in the local environment.
  • examples of choices that people can make to reduce negative impacts and the effects those choices have on the local environment.

2: Student demonstrates he/she is nearing proficiency by:

• communicating information, with guidance and support, about solutions in oral and/or written form
• describing information about:
  • how people affect the land, water, air, and/or living things in the local environment in positive and negative ways.
  • solutions that reduce the negative effects of humans on the local environment.

1: Student demonstrates limited understanding of plants and animals.

Learning Targets

Science and Engineering Practices
Communicate solutions with others in oral and/or written forms, using models and/or drawings that provide detail about scientific ideas.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

• Understand that humans impact the world around them. 
• Create sketches, drawings, or physical models to communicate ideas for a problem’s solutions. 
• Identify ways to reduce human impact on land, water, air, and other living things.

Cross Cutting Concept
Identify the impact of human choices on the environment and the general observable patterns that are formed.