The objectives listed under The Nature of Scientific Inquiry are meant to be taught throughout the school year as the domains of life science, earth science, and physical science are being taught. In other words, The Nature of Scientific Inquiry objectives will be integrated into the teaching of the science disciplines. The Nature of Scientific Inquiry 1. Identifies interesting scientific problems and asks questions he or she would like to answer about them (*2-1.2) 2. Explains why it is important to describe things and events in science accurately (*2-1.2, 2-1.4) 3. Recognizes that scientists around the world use the metric system when they measure things (*2-1.4) 4. Participates willingly and cooperatively in group classroom and field investigations 5. Restates a scientific question as a hypothesis to be tested in an experiment 8. Describes safety procedures for classroom and field investigations 9. Predicts that the results should be about the same when an experiment is repeated (e.g., What do you think will happen if we do this experiment again?) (*2-1.1) 10. Organizes simple scientific data into a logical format (e.g., chart, graph) 11. Makes inferences from data and data displays (e.g., Look at this graph showing how many days it took for the green tomatoes to turn red in a paper bag and out of a paper bag. What do you think caused these results?) 12. Makes predictions from data and data displays (e.g., Look at this graph showing how many days it took for the green tomatoes to turn red in a paper bag and out of a paper bag. What do you think would happen if we put a green tomato in a heavier paper bag?) 13. Compares the results of investigations with what is known about the world 14. Identifies multiple ways to group a set of objects or organisms (e.g., a set of liquids that could be grouped by color, volume, or temperature) 15. Collaborates in scientific discussions (*2-1.5) 16. Uses scientific tools (e.g., thermometers, meter sticks, rulers, magnifiers, clocks, measuring cups, balances, computers) (*2-1.3) April, 2002 1
17. Compares and contrasts things (animals, plants, and/or inanimate objects) in terms of number, size, texture, shape, weight, color, and motion 18. Believes it is important to care for the natural world as information is gathered from it 19. Recognizes that change is always happening in both the natural and physical worlds as a result of both natural and physical causes (e.g., seasonal changes, growth changes, population changes) 20. Describes different ways that things change (e.g., slow or fast; part by part or all at once; in some ways, but not in others; in size, color, weight, or movement) 21. Describes what to do when opinions about the same scientific information differ (e.g., try a new experiment, make some new observations, avoid arguing) 22. Explains why it is important to reach his or her own conclusions about scientific information, even when working on a team 23. Recognizes that when studying a large number of similar things, it is usually necessary to study only a few of them (e.g., to learn about a large flock of geese, a scientist can study the habits of only a few of those geese) 24. Recognizes that some things in science can be predicted easily, while others cannot 25. Explains why certain events can be predicted accurately (e.g., there is a lot of information about them; they have been tried before) 26. Gives examples of scientific contributions made by both men and women from a variety of cultures (e.g., George Washington Carver, Elizabeth Blackwell) (*2-1.4, 2-3.2) 27. Recognizes that scientists study different things because they have different interests and motivations (e.g., astronomy, oceanography, botany) (*2-2.3) Zoology 1. Defines an extinct animal as one that has no living members anywhere and gives examples of extinct animals that lived on the earth a long time ago (*2-10.2) 2. Compares and contrasts the characteristics of several types of dinosaurs (e.g., tyrannosaurus had a large head and sharp teeth, was meat eating, stood on hind feet; stegosaurus had a small head and a double row of pointed bony plates along its back, was plant eating) (*2-9.6) 3. Classifies dinosaurs, according to habitat and feeding habits (e.g., bog dweller, forest dweller; meat eater, plant eater) (*2-9.5) 4. States some theories about why dinosaurs became extinct April, 2002 2
5. 4.Describes the work a paleontologist does in studying dinosaurs and fossils 6. 5.Describes how warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals differ (*1-9.6) 7. Names the characteristics of reptiles (e.g., have backbones; are cold blooded; have rough skin, hard shells, or scales; breathe with lungs; lay eggs) (*2-9.4) 8. Lists examples of reptiles (e.g., turtles, snakes, lizards) 9. Describes what reptiles do during each season (e.g., snakes hibernate in winter) 10. Describes work that herpetologists do in studying reptiles (e.g., how they live, how varied they are) 11. Identifies the habitats of dinosaurs and reptiles (*2-9.6) 12. Describes how some animals alive today are both similar to and different from animals that are now extinct (e.g., reptiles today and extinct dinosaurs) (*3-10.2) 13. Names the characteristics of insects (e.g., have external skeletons instead of backbones, are cold blooded, have three pairs of legs and three body parts, breathe through holes in their sides, lay eggs) (*2-9.4) 14. Lists examples of insects (e.g., ants, flies, butterflies) 15. Describes the work that entomologists do in studying insects (e.g., how they live, how they work together) 16. Defines metamorphosis as a complete change in the form of an insect or animal 17. Describes the life cycle of a butterfly: egg, larva, pupa, and adult (*3-10.5) 18. Recognizes that every kind of animal completes a life cycle: it is born; it goes through changes; and it becomes an adult and reproduces (*3-9.4, 3-10.5) 19. Locates and identifies butterflies in his or her community 20. Explains what mimicry is and gives examples of organisms that rely on it (e.g., the tasty viceroy butterfly that looks like the bad-tasting monarch butterfly) (*3-11.2) 21. Recognizes that many animals have specialized sensory organs to help them cope in their environment (*3-9.6) 22. Compares and contrasts corresponding parts of animals (e.g., the body covering of several reptiles, the wings of various butterflies) (*2-9.6) April, 2002 3
Botany 1. Identifies reasons why soil is important to plants (e.g., as a source of nutrients, for anchoring) 2. Identifies things that decay in the soil (e.g., dead plants, dead animals, paper) and things that do not decay in the soil (e.g., aluminum cans, bubble gum, car oil) 3. Describes the contributions of George Washington Carver (e.g., his work on crop rotation, his discovery of many uses for peanuts and sweet potatoes) 4. Describes careers related to the care and uses of plants (e.g., landscaper, greenhouse worker, farmer) 5. Describes the work that agriculturists do in studying the growth and protection of plants Ecology 1. Defines an organism as any one living thing, a habitat as the area where an organism lives, and a population as all the members of one kind of plant or animal that live together in one place 2. Gives examples of populations in an area (e.g., ducks at a pond, snakes in a field) 3. Describes the most suitable environment for various populations (*2-11.1) 4. Identifies examples of variation within a population (e.g., all people have fingerprints, but each person s are different; all beans have heart-shaped leaves on their stems, but some grow faster than others) 5. Recognizes that some changes in an organism s habitat are helpful, while others are harmful 6. Gives reasons why habitats are destroyed (e.g., fire, overpopulation, construction, pollution, deforestation, recreation) 7. Describes how an organism s needs (e.g., food, water, space, shelter) are provided for by its habitat (*5-11.4) 8. Describes how and why populations disperse (e.g., to find more food or shelter) (*5-11.4) April, 2002 4
Geology and Earth Dynamics 1. Explains how soil is formed from tiny pieces of weathered rock and decaying plants and animals (*3-5.2) 2. Describes how wind and water can move and change earth materials (*1-8.3) 3. Recognizes that soil contains living organisms (*3-5.2) 4. Identifies the three basic components of soil (sand, clay, and humus) by conducting simple tests 5. Describes the characteristics of soils: color, texture, water-holding capacity, and ability to support plant growth 6. Classifies soils in his or her community, according to their characteristics: color, texture, water-holding capacity, and ability to support plant growth Astronomy 1. Recognizes that night occurs for the half of the earth that is shaded from the sun 2. Recognizes that the moon reflects light from the sun and revolves around the earth about once every month (*2-4.4) 3. Recognizes that the sun can be seen only during the day, while the moon can be seen either at night or during the day (*2-4.2) 4. Recognizes that the sun, moon, and stars all appear to move across the sky because the earth rotates (*2-4.3) 5. Recognizes that the moon appears to change shape in a predictable monthly pattern (*2-4.4) 6. Recognizes that the moon cannot support life 7. Recognizes that the craters on the moons surface were caused by the impact of rocks from space. 8. Compares lunar soil to earth soil 9. Recognizes that the earth s solar system includes the sun and eight planets that revolve around it and that we live on a planet called earth 10. Describes the work that astronauts do in traveling in space to study the earth and the moon and in exploring space beyond the earth s atmosphere (*2-4.5) 11. Names U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong as the first person to walk on the moon (*2-4.5) April, 2002 5
12. Defines a star as a huge ball of very hot gas and names the sun as the star closest to the earth 13. Explains why looking directly at the sun may severely hurt the eyes 14. Recognizes that there are more stars than he or she can count (*1-4.1) 15. Recognizes that stars are not all the same distance apart and are not the same size (*1-4.1) 16. Recognizes that stars vary in brightness (or color) (*1-4.1) 17. Explains why the sun appears very large, while other stars appear very tiny and look like points of light (*3-4.5) 18. Recognizes that the sun warms the earth s surface, its water, and its air 19. Recognizes the relative distances from the earth s surface of the clouds, moon, sun, and stars (e.g., clouds are much closer than the moon; stars are much farther away than the sun) 20. Recognizes that telescopes magnify the appearance of distant objects in the sky Physics 1. Recognizes that objects on or near the earth s surface are pulled toward it by a force called gravity (*2-16.3) 2. Recognizes that all objects need pushes or pulls to be moved (*2-16.1) 3. Gives examples of pushes and pulls that result in starts, stops, or changes in direction (e.g., start pulling a wagon; stop trapping a rolling soccer ball with his or her foot; change in direction hitting a baseball with a bat) (*2-16.1) 4. Describes how the size and weight of an object as well as the strength of the push or pull affects the motion of the object (*2-16.1) 5. Describes the relative speed of various objects and the paths they take when in motion (e.g., straight line, zigzag, vibrating, circular) (*2-16.2) 6. Predicts what will happen when pushes or pulls are applied to a variety of objects (*2-16.1) 7. Explains that simple machines can be used to help people do work (*2-16.4) 8. Describes and gives examples of inclined planes (*2-16.3) 9. Describes and gives examples of levers (*2-16.3) 10. Describes and gives examples of pulleys (*2-16.3) April, 2002 6
11. Describes and gives examples of screws (*2-16.3) 12. Describes and gives examples of wedges (*2-16.3) 13. Describes and gives examples of wheels and axles (*2-16.3) Greenwich Science Objectives 14. Measures and records the changes in position and the direction of the motion when using simple machines (*2-16.3) 15. Recognizes that energy sources can be used to run machines 16. Predicts how simple machines will work when small changes are made (e.g., when the slant of an inclined plane is changed, when a lever is made longer) (*2-16.3) 17. Identifies the simple machines used in a complex machine (e.g., levers and wheels and axles in a bicycle) (*2-16.3) 18. Recognizes that the motion of an object can be described as a change in the position of the object relative to another object or to a background (*2-16.2) 19. Recognizes that the movement of one object across another causes friction 20. Recognizes the changes that friction causes (e.g., heat, wearing down of materials) 21. Appreciates the importance of machines in our daily lives 22. Describes the contributions of Robert Fulton (e.g., his design and building of the first successful steamboat) Science and Technology 1. Describes technology as providing the tools used in scientific investigations 2. Names ways that technology has improved his or her life (*2-3.2) 3. Recognizes that measuring instruments are used in designing and constructing things so that they will work properly (*3-1.6) 4. Proposes more than one solution to a scientific problem (e.g., thinks of several ways to slow a ball rolling down a ramp) 5. Recognizes that there are usually factors that affect the development of a scientific invention (e.g., time, space, cost, knowledge) 6. Proposes an improvement in the design of a scientific invention 7. Names scientific inventions that have improved the lives of many individuals (*2-3.2) April, 2002 7