Kindergarten Science, Quarter 3, Unit 3.1 Force and Motion Overview Number of instructional days: 5 (1 day = 20 30 minutes) Content to be learned Observe objects that are or are not attracted to magnets. Sort objects that are or are not attracted to magnets. Show how pushing or pulling moves or does not move an object. Predict the direction an object will or will not move if a force is applied to it. Essential questions How can you use magnets to sort objects? Why do some objects move and other objects do not move when they are pushed or pulled? Science processes to be integrated Describe, compare, and sort to classify objects using physical properties. Use simple tools to explore physical properties. Observe and describe how forces affect objects. How can you predict the direction an object will or will not move if a force is applied to it? 17
Kindergarten Science, Quarter 3, Unit 3.1 Force and Motion (5 days) Written Curriculum Grade-Span Expectations PS 3 - The motion of an object is affected by forces. PS3 (K-4) INQ+ SAE 8 Use observations of magnets in relation to other objects to describe the properties of magnetism (i.e., attract or repel certain objects or has no effect) PS3 (K-2) 8 Students demonstrate an understanding of (magnetic) force by 8a observing and sorting objects that are and are not attracted to magnets. PS3 (K-4)-INQ+SAE 7 Use data to predict how a change in force (greater/less) might affect the position, direction of motion, or speed of an object (e.g., ramps and balls). PS3 (K-2) 7 Students demonstrate an understanding of motion by 7a showing how pushing/pulling moves or does not move an object. 7b predicting the direction an object will or will not move if a force is applied to it. Clarifying the Standards Prior Learning According to the Rhode Island Early Learning Standards (www.ride.ri.gov/els/science.asp), preschoolers had opportunities to collect, describe, and record information using their senses, scientific tools, discussions, drawings, and charts. They also investigated changes in materials and cause-effect relationships, based on everyday experiences. Current Learning In kindergarten, students develop an understanding of force and motion by observing and sorting objects that are and are not attracted to magnets. Students show how pushing and pulling moves or does not move an object, and they predict the direction that an object will or will not move if a force is applied to it. These concepts are new to students and should be taught at the developmental level of instruction. To develop a conceptual understanding of pushes, pulls, and magnetism, kindergarteners use simple tools to explore the physical property of magnetism. Students describe, compare, sort, and classify objects using physical properties, and they observe and describe the effect of forces on various objects. During this unit, students need multiple opportunities to observe how forces affect objects. Students should use magnets to observe and describe how they interact with objects and to identify, compare, and sort objects. Students may be given a wide variety of objects and a magnet to explore which objects are attracted to the magnet. These investigations may happen both in the whole group and small groups. Students may sort items into groups of objects based on the physical property of magnetism. They may 18
Kindergarten Science, Quarter 3, Unit 3.1 Force and Motion (5 days) notice that many metal objects are attracted to a magnet (e.g., paperclips) and some are not (e.g., coins). Further, students may notice that some objects are never attracted (e.g., paper, wood). Students should also have multiple opportunities to show how pushing/pulling moves or does not move an object (e.g., pushing the wall versus pushing a chair). Students may use balls and blocks to predict how and in which direction each object will/will not move when a force is applied. They may notice that a ball rolls and a block slides and that a ball keeps rolling and a block stops more quickly. Students may also explore with ramps, and they may notice how the height of the ramp affects how far a ball (or toy car) travels. Throughout this unit, students should participate in a variety of whole-group activities and should be actively engaged in observing, identifying, comparing, and sorting objects based on their interaction with forces. Future Learning In grade 1, students will demonstrate an understanding of (magnetic) force by observing and sorting objects that are and are not attracted to magnets. They will demonstrate an understanding of motion by showing how pushing/pulling moves or does not move an object as well as predicting the direction an object will or will not move if a force is applied to it. Students will demonstrate an understanding of force by showing that different objects fall to Earth unless something is holding them up. In grade 2, students will demonstrate an understanding of motion by showing how pushing/pulling moves or does not move an object as well as predicting the direction an object will or will not move if a force is applied to it. Students will demonstrate an understanding of force by showing that different objects fall to Earth unless something is holding them up. In grades 3 and 4, students will predict the direction and describe the motion of objects of different weights, shapes, and sizes if a force is applied to it, and they will describe a change in position relative to other objects or background. Students will investigate and explain that different amounts of force can change direction and/or speed of an object in motion, and they will conduct experiments to demonstrate that different objects fall to Earth unless something is holding them up. Students will use prior knowledge and investigating to predict whether an object will be attracted to a magnet. Students will describe what happens when like and opposite poles of a magnet are placed near each other, and they will explore relative properties of magnets. Additional Findings According to National Science Education Standards, when students manipulate objects by pushing and pulling, they begin to focus on the position and the motion of the objects. They describe location as up, down, in front, or behind, discovering the various kinds of motion and the forces required to control objects. Students also begin to understand that pushing or pulling can change the position and/or motion of objects. By experimenting with magnetism, students begin to understand that phenomena can be observed, measured, and controlled in various ways. During the elementary years, students learn that an object s motion can be described by tracing and measuring its position over time. They learn that the position and motion of objects can be changed by pushing or pulling and that the size of the change is related to the strength of the push or pull. With regard to magnetic force, students learn that magnets attract and repel each other and that they attract objects with certain physical properties (pp. 126 and 127). 19
Kindergarten Science, Quarter 3, Unit 3.1 Force and Motion (5 days) In grades K 2, students should observe, describe, and discuss all kinds of moving things (e.g., themselves, birds, trees, doors, swings), keeping notes, drawing pictures to suggest their motion, and raising questions (e.g., Do they move in a straight line? Is their motion fast or slow? How can you tell?). Students should gain a variety of experiences in getting things to move or not move and in changing the direction or speed of things that are already in motion. The focus should be on motion and encouraging children to be observant about when and how things seem to move or not move. They should notice that things fall to the ground if not held up. Students should observe motion everywhere, making lists of different kinds of motion and what things move that way. Even in the primary years, students should use magnets to get things to move without touching them, thereby learning that forces can attract at a distance with no perceivable substance in between. By the end of grade 2, they should know that things move in many ways and the way to change how something is moving is to give it a push or pull. Things near Earth fall to the ground unless something holds them up, and magnets can be used to make some things move without being touched (Benchmarks for Science Literacy, pp. 89 and 94). According to Making Sense of Secondary Science, when first working with magnets, students generally lack the understanding that repulsion (pushing) is distinct from attraction (pulling). In a study by Selman, et al., children between the ages of 3 and 9 had two different levels of conception of magnetism. At the first level, students only linked observable events such as magnets being attracted or not attracted to certain objects. At the second, more-sophisticated level, the notion of an unseen force began to emerge, and students described magnets as pulling on things. Lack of knowledge about magnets causes students to believe that magnets stick to objects. They also believe that big magnets are stronger than little magnets. In addition, research shows that students are inclined to link magnetism with gravity. They sometimes account for gravity in terms of a magnetic force drawing objects toward Earth. Conversely, students have been found to account for the way magnets act by calling magnetism a type of gravity (pp. 126 and 127). Some suggestions for countering these misconceptions include using vocabulary such as attract and pull as well as repel and push interchangeably. Also, be mindful to address misconceptions regarding magnets sticking to objects. Students need varied experiences to begin to understand that magnets actually attract (or pull), rather than stick, to objects. 20
Kindergarten Science, Quarter 3, Unit 3.2 The Sun and Moon Overview Number of instructional days: 5 (1 day = 20 30 minutes) Content to be learned Observe that the sun can only be seen in the daytime. Observe that the moon can be seen sometimes at night and sometimes during the day. Identify the sun as a source of heat energy. Essential questions How is the daytime sky similar to the nighttime sky? How does sunlight affect objects? Science processes to be integrated Use inquiry skills to make observations. Make comparisons based on observations. Record observations using pictures and words. How is the daytime sky different from the nighttime sky? 21
Kindergarten Science, Quarter 3, Unit 3.2 The Sun and Moon (5 days) Written Curriculum Grade-Span Expectations ESS2 - The earth is part of a solar system, made up of distinct parts that have temporal and spatial interrelationships. No further targets for EK ESS2 at the K-4 Grade Span ESS2 (K-2) 7 Students demonstrate an understanding of temporal or positional relationships between or among the Earth, sun, and moon by 7a observing that the sun can only be seen in the daytime, but the moon can be seen sometimes at night and sometimes during the day. PS 2 - Energy is necessary for change to occur in matter. Energy can be stored, transferred, and transformed, but cannot be destroyed. PS2 (K-4) SAE -4 Given a specific example or illustration (e.g., simple closed circuit, rubbing hands together), predict the observable effects of energy (i.e., light bulb lights, a bell rings, hands warm up (e.g., a test item might ask, what will happen when? ). PS2 (K-2)-4 Students demonstrate an understanding of energy by 4c identifying the sun as a source of heat energy. Clarifying the Standards Prior Learning According to the Rhode Island Early Learning Standards (www.ride.ri.gov/els/science.asp), preschoolers had opportunities to collect, describe, and record information using their senses, scientific tools, discussions, drawings, and charts. They also investigated changes in materials and cause-effect relationships, based on everyday experiences. Current Learning In kindergarten, students develop an understanding of Earth as part of a solar system by observing that the sun can only be seen in the daytime, but the moon can be seen sometimes at night and sometimes during the day. In addition, they demonstrate an understanding of energy by identifying the sun as a source of heat energy. These concepts are new to students and should be taught at the developmental level of instruction. When learning about the sun and moon, students need multiple opportunities to make direct observations about the daytime and nighttime sky and should use drawings and words (if possible) to record their observations. This should be accomplished through school-time as well as home-based observations. Students need guidance in learning to record their observations using pictures, and both parents and students need guidance for observations of the night sky that are done at home. Teachers may want to send a letter home to parents giving instructions about what students are to observe and how they should 22
Kindergarten Science, Quarter 3, Unit 3.2 The Sun and Moon (5 days) record their observations. In addition, a recording sheet is helpful. Once students have had the opportunity to collect data from actual observations of the daytime and nighttime sky, books, Internet sources, and various media provide additional sources of information for the content in this unit. Students are then prepared to discuss what they observed about the objects in the sky. Students should also predict the observable effects of sunlight on an object. For example, an object left in the sun may feel warmer than an object left in the shade. Throughout this unit, students should participate in a variety of whole-group activities and should be actively engaged in observing, comparing observations, and making predictions. Future Learning In Unit 3.3, students will demonstrate an understanding of energy when a shadow is created using sunny versus cloudy days. In grade 1, students will demonstrate an understanding of temporal or positional relationships between or among the Earth, sun, and moon by observing that the sun can only been seen in the daytime, but the moon can be seen sometimes at night and sometimes during the day. Students will observe that the sun and moon appear to move to move slowly across the sky and that the moon looks slightly different from day to day. In grade 2, students will observe that the sun and moon appear to move to move slowly across the sky and that the moon looks slightly different from day to day. Students will also observe that there are more stars in the sky than can easily be counted, but they are not scattered evenly and are not all the same in brightness. In grades 3 and 4, students will observe that the sun, moon, and stars appear to move slowly across the sky. Students will observe that the moon looks slightly different from day to day but looks the same again in about four weeks, and they will recognize that the rotation of Earth on its axis every 24 hours produces the day/night cycle. Students will recognize that the sun is the center of our solar system, Earth is one of several planets that orbit the sun, and the moon orbits Earth. They will recognize that it takes approximately 365 days for Earth to orbit the sun and that throughout history people have identified patterns of stars called constellations. Additional Findings During grades K 2, learning about objects in the sky should be entirely observational and qualitative because young children are far from ready to understand the magnitudes (time, space) involved or make sense out of explanations. The priority is to get children noticing and describing how the sky looks to them at different times. For example, they should observe how the moon appears to change its shape, but it is too soon to name all the moon s phases and much too soon to explain them. (Benchmarks for Science Literacy, p. 62) Young children are naturally interested in everything they see around them, including the sun, moon, and stars. During the first years of school, students should be encouraged to observe closely the objects and materials in their environment. As students become more familiar with their world, they can be guided to observe changes, including cyclical changes such as night and day and the seasons. By observing the night sky regularly, children in grades K 4 learn to identify sequences of changes and look for patterns in these changes. As students observe changes such as the movement of an object s shadow during the course of a day and the positions of the sun and the moon, they find the patterns in those movements. 23
Kindergarten Science, Quarter 3, Unit 3.2 The Sun and Moon (5 days) They can draw the moon s shape for each evening on a calendar and then determine the pattern in the shapes over several weeks. These understandings should be confined to observations, descriptions, and finding patterns. Attempting to extend this understanding into explanations using models is limited by the inability of young children to understand that Earth is approximately spherical. Fundamental concepts include the sun, moon, stars, and clouds all have properties, locations, and movements that can be observed and described. Objects in the sky, including the sun, moon, stars, and clouds, have patterns of movement. For example, the sun appears to move across the sky in the same way every day, but its path changes slowly over the seasons. The moon appears to move across the sky on a daily basis, much like the sun appears to move, and the observable shape of the moon changes from day to day in a cycle that lasts about one month. (National Science Education Standards, pp. 130 and 134) Children form misconceptions early on. These misconceptions are often logical, rational, and firmly based in evidence and experience. Although their experience may not be deep or broad enough and their thinking capacity may not be enough to formulate what you call a scientific theory, the process at which children formulate these ideas is very scientific. For example, some children believe the moon can only be seen at night. To make sense of the relationships between the sun, moon, and Earth and the concept of day and night, you have to accept that Earth spins around every 24 hours, Earth is always halfway lit up by the sun and the other half is in darkness, and the moon has an orbit around Earth so it is sometimes visible in the daytime sky. (www.scribd.com/doc/14207212/children-misconception-in-science) Research studies show that children have misconceptions about why it gets dark at night, suggesting that children s thinking develops with age, from more directly observable reasons to those involving the movements of Earth. Many younger children believe that the sun is an animate object (i.e., the sun hides, goes to sleep, turns off, goes out, is on the ground, hides behind the trees, goes behind the hills). Some children believe that at night the sun is covered by clouds, the moon, or darkness. Even after children develop an understanding of the movements of the bodies in the solar system, including the rotation of Earth, misconceptions continue. (Making Sense of Secondary Science, pp. 169 and 170) 24
Kindergarten Science, Quarter 3, Unit 3.3 Shadows Overview Number of instructional days: 5 (1 day = 20 30 minutes) Content to be learned Demonstrate when a shadow will be created using sunny versus cloudy days. Science processes to be integrated Use scientific processes, including observing, predicting, and describing. Essential questions When would you see a shadow? Why? 25
Kindergarten Science, Quarter 3, Unit 3.3 Shadows (5 days) Written Curriculum Grade-Span Expectations PS 2 - Energy is necessary for change to occur in matter. Energy can be stored, transferred, and transformed, but cannot be destroyed. PS2 (K-4) SAE 5 Use observations of light in relation to other objects/substances to describe the properties of light (can be reflected, refracted, or absorbed). PS2 (K-2)-5 Students demonstrate an understanding of energy by 5a demonstrating when a shadow will be created using sunny versus cloudy days. Clarifying the Standards Prior Learning According to the Rhode Island Early Learning Standards (www.ride.ri.gov/els/science.asp), preschoolers had opportunities to collect, describe, and record information using their senses, scientific tools, discussions, drawings, and charts. They also investigated changes in materials and cause-effect relationships, based on everyday experiences. Students may have had opportunities to ask and pursue their questions through simple investigations. They may have had opportunities to make simple observations, predictions, explanations, and generalizations based on real-life experiences. Current Learning During this unit of study, students demonstrate when a shadow will be created using sunny versus cloudy days, which should be taught at the developmental level of instruction. Students can develop an understanding of shadows through hands-on explorations with various objects, materials, and light sources. For example, students may create shadow puppets using an overhead projector. Students can put objects made of various materials in front of a flashlight to create shadows. They may experiment with proximity of the light source to a surface of the object in order to change the size and clarity of shadows. These types of activities help students begin to understand that when light interacts with some objects, a shadow is created if the light does not pass through the object. After these types of experiences, students need additional opportunities to make observations of shadows created when the sun s light interacts with objects. Students should learn that they will see their shadows on sunny days, but will not be able to see them on cloudy days when outdoors. This further reinforces the concept that shadows are created when light interacts with objects. Students can trace shadows of a variety of objects, including other students, with sidewalk chalk. If time permits, kindergarteners can begin to explore the changing shape of a shadow throughout the day. Throughout this unit, students should participate in a variety of whole-group activities and should be given opportunities to discuss their observations. 26
Kindergarten Science, Quarter 3, Unit 3.3 Shadows (5 days) Future Learning In grade 1, students will continue to develop an understanding of shadows by demonstrating when a shadow will be created using sunny versus cloudy days. In grade 4, students will investigate observable effects of light using a variety of light sources (e.g., light travels in a straight line until it interacts with an object, blocked light rays produce shadows), and they will predict, describe, and investigate how light rays are reflected, refracted, or absorbed. Additional Findings During their early years, children s natural curiosity leads them to explore the world by observing and manipulating common objects and materials in their environment. Children compare, describe, and sort as they begin to form explanations of the world. Developing a subject-matter knowledge base to explain and predict the world requires many experiences over a long period. Young children bring experiences, understanding, and ideas to school; teachers provide opportunities to continue children s explorations in focused settings with other children using simple tools such as magnifiers and measuring devices. During the K 4 grade span, students learn that light travels in a straight line until it strikes an object. Light can be reflected by a mirror, refracted by a lens, or absorbed by the object. (National Science Education Standards, pp. 123 and 127) When learning about light, the majority of elementary students and some middle school students who have not received any systematic instruction about light tend to identify light with its source (e.g., light is in the bulb) or its effects (e.g., patch of light). They do not have a notion of light as something that travels from one place to another. As a result, these students have difficulties explaining the direction and formation of shadows, and the reflection of light by objects. For example, some students simply note the similarity of shape between the object and the shadow or say that the object hides the light. (Benchmarks for Science Literacy, pp. 338 and 339) Many students also believe that shadows do not appear on cloudy days because the sun is not bright enough. According to the Science Hobbyist website, shadows appear when an object blocks a light source. The shape of the shadow is created by the shape of the opaque object and by the shape of the light source. On a cloudy day, the whole sky acts as a light source, and a person s shadow spreads out and becomes a dim fuzzy patch that surrounds the person on the ground on all sides. The shadow is so spread out that it seems absent entirely. When the sun is visible, the same shadow is concentrated in one specific place and becomes easy to see. However, even the shadows made by sunlight have fuzzy borders, since the sun is a small disk rather than a tiny dot. On cloudy days, the fuzzy borders of your body s shadow become much larger than the shadow itself, so that the shadow seems to vanish. (www.msu.edu/user/boswort9/cep817web/amasci/scimis.htm#brite). 27
Kindergarten Science, Quarter 3, Unit 3.3 Shadows (5 days) 28
Kindergarten Science, Quarter 3, Unit 3.4 Living and Nonliving Overview Number of instructional days: 3 (1 day = 20 30 minutes) Content to be learned Distinguish between living and nonliving things. Sort living things using similar and different characteristics. Classify living things using similar and different characteristics. Science processes to be integrated Describe, compare, and sort to classify objects using characteristics. Essential questions How do you know if something is living? How do you know if something is nonliving? 29
Kindergarten Science, Quarter 3, Unit 3.4 Living and Nonliving (3 days) Written Curriculum Grade-Span Expectations LS1 - All living organisms have identifiable structures and characteristics that allow for survival (organisms, populations, and species). LS1 (K-4) - INQ+POC 1 Sort/classify different living things using similar and different characteristics. Describe why organisms belong to each group or cite evidence about how they are alike or not alike. LS1 (K-2) 1 Students demonstrate an understanding of classification of organisms by 1a distinguishing between living and non-living things. Clarifying the Standards Prior Learning According to the Rhode Island Early Learning Standards (www.ride.ri.gov/els/science.asp), preschoolers had opportunities to collect, describe, and learn to record information through discussion, drawings, and charts. They may have used tools and their senses to make observations, gather and record information, and make predictions about what is living and nonliving. Current Learning During this unit, students distinguish between living and nonliving things, and they sort and classify living things using similar and different characteristics. To accomplish this, kindergarteners learn that the basic characteristics of living things include living things grow and change over time, reproduce, and have basic needs (e.g. food, water, air) that must be met to survive. Movement, however, should not be listed as a characteristic of living organisms because some nonliving things such as water move. All concepts in this unit should be taught at the developmental level of instruction. Throughout this unit, students should explore some of the basic, natural processes of living organisms (e.g., growing and adapting to the environment). Young students can make simple observations of living organisms. For example, students may observe how a plant moves toward the sun when placed in a sunny location, or students may observe fish, worms, or other small animals in their natural environment. They should make predictions, formulate explanations, and make generalizations about living and nonliving things. Students can cut out pictures of living and nonliving things from magazines and sort them accordingly. There should also be time to engage in whole- and small-group discussions in which students explain how they distinguished between living and nonliving things. Future Learning In grade 1, students will continue to distinguish between living and nonliving things. They will identify and sort based on similar and different external features and will observe and record the external features that make up plants (e.g., roots, stems, leaves, flowers). 30
Kindergarten Science, Quarter 3, Unit 3.4 Living and Nonliving (3 days) In grade 2, students will identify and sort organisms based on similar and different external features, and they will observe and record external features that make up animals (e.g., legs, antennae, tail, shell). Additional Findings During the elementary grades, children build understanding of biological concepts through direct experience with living things and their habitats. These experiences emerge from the sense of wonder and natural interests of children. An understanding of the characteristics of organisms, life cycles of organisms, and the complex interactions among all components of the natural environment begins with children s questions and with their understanding of how individual organisms maintain and continue life. Making sense of the way organisms live in their environments develops some understanding of the diversity of life and how all living organisms depend on the living and nonliving environment for survival. Because children s world in grades K 4 is closely associated with the home, school, and the immediate environment, the study of organisms should include observations and interactions within the natural world of the child. The experiences and activities in grades K 4 provide a concrete foundation for the progressive development in later grades of major biological concepts. (National Science Education Standards, pp. 127 and 128) Children s ideas about the characteristics of organisms develop from basic concepts of living and nonliving. For instance, Piaget noted that young children give anthropomorphic (i.e., human characteristics) to organisms. In lower elementary grades, many children associate life with any objects that are active in any way. This view of life develops into one in which movement become the defining characteristic. Eventually, children incorporate other concepts such as eating, breathing, and reproducing to define life. As students have a variety of experiences with organisms and subsequently develop a knowledge base in the life sciences, their anthropomorphic attributions should decline. (National Science Education Standards, p. 128) Piaget observed that children tend to regard many inanimate objects as capable of sensations, emotions, and intentions. He called this view animism. He observed that young children said that such things as the sun, cars, wind, clocks, and fires know where they are and could feel a pinprick. When asked what is and is not alive, they judged these same objects to be alive. In addition, children ages 6 to 7 thought that things that are active in any way, including falling or making a noise, are deemed alive. Students may use commonly used words such as living, dead, and animal to label different concepts. Most children overextend the scientifically accepted concept of living. This usually results from the use of only one or a few critical attributes (e.g., A cloud is living because it moves. ). Some children consider that an item such as a bicycle could be living at some times and nonliving at other times. Many pupils may be unsure of their categorizations. (Making Sense of Secondary Science, pp. 17 19) Furthermore, another study of children ages 5 to 16 found that almost all children recognized animal examples as living, but only 30 percent of 6-year-olds and 70 to 80 percent of 12- to 15-year-olds regarded particular plants as living. Almost all children attributed growth to plants, but apparently did not consider this a prerequisite of life. All 8- to 11-year-olds stated that plants grow, but only 69 percent regarded plants as living. It has also been found that there was no significant difference with age in children s ability to classify 16 pictures as living or nonliving. Over 99 percent of the children studied classified all the animal pictures as living, and 82 percent correctly classified the plant illustrations as living. (Making Sense of Secondary Science, p. 19) This supports the conclusion that children better understand animals as living things than they do plants. Furthermore, the research supports the critical importance of addressing misconceptions at an early age. 31
Kindergarten Science, Quarter 3, Unit 3.4 Living and Nonliving (3 days) 32