This resource has 37 correlations with the National Standards.  
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• Life Science
  • The characteristics of organisms
    • Organisms have basic needs. For example, animals need air, water, and food; plants require air, water, nutrients, and light. (K-4)
    • Organisms can survive only in environments in which their needs can be met. (K-4)
    • Each plant or animal has different structures that serve different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction. For example, humans have distinct body structures for walking, holding, seeing, and talking. (K-4)
    • Organisms can survive only in environments in which their needs can be met. (K-4)

• Science as Inquiry
  • • The world has many different environments, and distinct environments support the life of different types of organisms. (K-4)

• Life Science
  • Life cycles of organisms
    • Plants and animals have life cycles that include being born, developing into adults, reproducing, and eventually dying. The details of this life cycle are different for different organisms. (K-4)
    • Plants and animals closely resemble their parents. (K-4)
  • Organisms and environments
    • All animals depend on plants. Some animals eat plants for food. Other animals eat animals that eat the plants.
    • When the environment changes, some plants and animals survive and reproduce, and others die or move to new locations.
    • All organisms cause changes in the environment where they live. Some of these changes are detrimental to the organism or other organisms, whereas others are beneficial.
  • Structure and function in living systems
    • Important levels of organization for structure and function include cells, organs, tissues, organ systems, whole organisms, and ecosystems (5-8)
    • All organisms are composed of cells--the fundamental unit of life (5-8)
    • Cells carry on the many functions needed to sustain life. They grow and divide, thereby producing more cells. (5-8)
  • Populations and ecosystems
    • For ecosystems, the major source of energy is sunlight. (5-8)
    • Energy entering ecosystems as sunlight is transferred by producers into chemical energy through photosynthesis. (5-8)
    • Energy passes from organism to organism in food webs (5-8)
    • Biotic parts of an ecosystem include animals, plants, and microorganisms. (5-8)
    • The number of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on the resources available and abiotic factors, such as quantity of light and water, range of temperatures, and soil composition.
    • Given adequate biotic and abiotic resources and no disease or predators, populations (including humans) increase at rapid rates. (5-8)
    • Healthy ecosystems ensure a healthy biosphere by regulating the flow of energy and the cycling of nutrients.
    • Lack of resources and other factors, such as predation and climate, limit the growth of populations in specific niches in the ecosystem. (5-8)
  • Diversity and adaptations of organisms
    • Millions of species of animals, plants, and microorganisms are alive today. (5-8)
  • Matter, energy, and organization in living systems
    • Plants capture energy by absorbing light and using it to form strong (covalent) chemical bonds between the atoms of carbon-containing (organic) molecules. These molecules can be used to assemble larger molecules with biological activity (including proteins, DNA, sugars, and fats). (9-12)

• Science as Inquiry
  • Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
    • Ask a question about objects, organisms, and events in the environment. (K-4)
    • Plan and conduct a simple investigation. (K-4)
    • Employ simple equipment and tools to gather data and extend the senses. (K-4)
    • Use data to construct a reasonable explanation.
    • Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations.
    • Design and conduct a scientific investigation.
    • Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data.
    • Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence.
  • Understandings about scientific inquiry
    • Scientific investigations involve asking and answering a question and comparing the answer with what scientists already know about the world. (K-4)
    • Scientists use different kinds of investigations depending on the questions they are trying to answer.
    • Types of investigations include describing objects, events, and organisms; classifying them; and doing a fair test (experimenting).
    • Simple instruments, such as magnifiers, thermometers, and rulers, provide more information than scientists obtain using only their senses.
    • Scientists develop explanations using observations (evidence) and what they already know about the world (scientific knowledge). Good explanations are based on evidence from investigations. (K-4)
    • Different kinds of questions suggest different kinds of scientific investigations. Some investigations involve observing and describing objects, organisms, or events; some involve collecting specimens; some involve experiments; some involve seeking more information; some involve discovery of new objects and phenomena; and some involve making models. (5-8)