Erosion and Earth’s Surface | Sept- Dec | If you floated down a river, where would you end up?
Why is there sand at the beach?
Where do flash floods happen?
What's strong enough to make a canyon? | In this unit, students explore how water shapes the Earth's surface. Students construct and use models of mountains to demonstrate that water flows downhill, and in the process, transforms huge rocks into the tiny grains of sand we find at the beach. Students also construct and use model hills to determine the causes of erosion, and to design solutions to problems caused by erosion. |
Material Properties | Jan-Mar | What materials are waterproof? Absorbent?
Why do objects melt?
Can you build a tower out of paper?
| In this unit, students explore the properties of materials and matter! They describe and classify different types of materials by properties like hardness, flexibility, and absorbency, and they investigate how those properties are useful in meeting basic human needs (such as clothing and cooking). They also investigate how heating and cooling affect the properties of materials. |
Living Things | April-June | How did a tree travel halfway around the world?
Could a plant survive without light?
Why are there so many types of flowers?
How many different kinds of animals are there?
Why would a wild animal visit a playground? | In this unit, students explore the needs of plants through hands-on investigations. They explore how and why plants disperse their seeds, what those seeds need in order to grow, and what the adult plants need in order to survive and thrive. Also, students begin to develop an understanding of the world's animal biodiversity. They explore animal classification and the traits that define each group. Students then turn their focus to habitats and how the surrounding environment affects what organisms live in a particular environment. |
