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Skills available for New York fourth-grade science standards

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New York Learning Standards New York Learning Standards
New York Core Curriculum: Analysis, Inquiry, and Design New York Core Curriculum: Analysis, Inquiry, and Design
New York Core Curriculum: Information Systems New York Core Curriculum: Information Systems
New York Core Curriculum: Interconnectedness: Common Themes New York Core Curriculum: Interconnectedness: Common Themes
New York Core Curriculum: Interdisciplinary Problem Solving New York Core Curriculum: Interdisciplinary Problem Solving
New York Core Curriculum: The Living Environment New York Core Curriculum: The Living Environment
New York Core Curriculum: The Physical Setting New York Core Curriculum: The Physical Setting

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4 Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

1 Living things are both similar to and different from each other and from nonliving things.
- 1.1 Describe the characteristics of and variations between living and nonliving things.
  - 1.1a Animals need air, water, and food in order to live and thrive.
    - Body systems: digestion (4-L.5)
  - 1.1b Plants require air, water, nutrients, and light in order to live and thrive.
    - How do plants make food? (3-L.3)
    - How do plants make food? (4-M.3)
  - 1.1c Nonliving things do not live and thrive.
  - 1.1d Nonliving things can be human-created or naturally occurring.
- 1.2 Describe the life processes common to all living things.
  - 1.2a Living things grow, take in nutrients, breathe, reproduce, eliminate waste, and die.
2 Organisms inherit genetic information in a variety of ways that result in continuity of structure and function between parents and offspring.
- 2.1 Recognize that traits of living things are both inherited and acquired or learned.
  - 2.1a Some traits of living things have been inherited (e.g., color of flowers and number of limbs of animals).
  - 2.1b Some characteristics result from an individual s interactions with the environment and cannot be inherited by the next generation (e.g., having scars; riding a bicycle).
- 2.2 Recognize that for humans and other living things there is genetic continuity between generations.
  - 2.2a Plants and animals closely resemble their parents and other individuals in their species.
  - 2.2b Plants and animals can transfer specific traits to their offspring when they reproduce.
3 Individual organisms and species change over time.
- 3.1 Describe how the structures of plants and animals complement the environment of the plant or animal. Major Understandings:
  - 3.1a Each animal has different structures that serve different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction.
    - wings, legs, or fins enable some animals to seek shelter and escape predators the mouth, including teeth, jaws, and tongue, enables some animals to eat and drink
    - the mouth, including teeth, jaws, and tongue, enables some animals to eat and drink
    - eyes, nose, ears, tongue, and skin of some animals enable the animals to sense their surroundings
      - Benefits of group behavior: African wild dogs (3-K.6)
      - Body systems: perception and motion (4-L.7)
    - claws, shells, spines, feathers, fur, scales, and color of body covering enable some animals to protect themselves from predators and other environmental conditions, or enable them to obtain food
    - some animals have parts that are used to produce sounds and smells to help the animal meet its needs
      - Body systems: perception and motion (4-L.7)
    - the characteristics of some animals change as seasonal conditions change (e.g. , fur grows and is shed to help regulate body heat; body fat is a form of stored energy and it changes as the seasons change)
  - 3.1b Each plant has different structures that serve different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction.
    - roots help support the plant and take in water and nutrients
    - leaves help plants utilize sunlight to make food for the plant
    - stems, stalks, trunks, and other similar structures provide support for the plant
    - some plants have flowers
    - flowers are reproductive structures of plants that produce fruit which contains seeds
    - seeds contain stored food that aids in germination and the growth of young plants
  - 3.1c In order to survive in their environment, plants and animals must be adapted to that environment.
    - seeds disperse by a plant s own mechanism and/ or in a variety of ways that can include wind, water, and animals
    - leaf, flower, stem, and root adaptations may include variations in size, shape, thickness, color, smell, and texture
    - animal adaptations include coloration for warning or attraction, camouflage, defense mechanisms, movement, hibernation, and migration
- 3.2 Observe that differences within a species may give individuals an advantage in surviving and reproducing.
  - 3.2a Individuals within a species may compete with each other for food, mates, space, water, and shelter in their environment.
  - 3.2b All individuals have variations, and because of these variations, individuals of a species may have an advantage in surviving and reproducing.
4 The continuity of life is sustained through reproduction and development.
- 4.1 Describe the major stages in the life cycles of selected plants and animals.
  - 4.1a Plants and animals have life cycles. These may include beginning of a life, development into an adult, reproduction as an adult, and eventually death.
  - 4.1b Each kind of plant goes through its own stages of growth and development that may include seed, young plant, and mature plant.
  - 4.1c The length of time from beginning of development to death of the plant is called its life span.
  - 4.1d Life cycles of some plants include changes from seed to mature plant.
  - 4.1e Each generation of animals goes through changes in form from young to adult. This completed sequence of changes in form is called a life cycle. Some insects change from egg to larva to pupa to adult.
  - 4.1f Each kind of animal goes through its own stages of growth and development during its life span.
  - 4.1g The length of time from an animal s birth to its death is called its life span. Life spans of different animals vary.
- 4.2 Describe evidence of growth, repair, and maintenance, such as nails, hair, and bone, and the healing of cuts and bruises.
  - 4.2a Growth is the process by which plants and animals increase in size.
  - 4.2b Food supplies the energy and materials necessary for growth and repair.
    - Body systems: digestion (4-L.5)
5 Organisms maintain a dynamic equilibrium that sustains life.
- 5.1 Describe basic life functions of common living specimens (e.g., guppies, mealworms, gerbils).
  - 5.1a All living things grow, take in nutrients, breathe, reproduce, and eliminate waste.
  - 5.1b An organism's external physical features can enable it to carry out life functions in its particular environment.
- 5.2 Describe some survival behaviors of common living specimens.
  - 5.2a Plants respond to changes in their environment. For example, the leaves of some green plants change position as the direction of light changes; the parts of some plants undergo seasonal changes that enable the plant to grow; seeds germinate, and leaves form and grow.
  - 5.2b Animals respond to change in their environment, (e.g. , perspiration, heart rate, breathing rate, eye blinking, shivering, and salivating).
    - Body systems: circulation and respiration (4-L.4)
  - 5.2c Senses can provide essential information (regarding danger, food, mates, etc. ) to animals about their environment.
    - Body systems: perception and motion (4-L.7)
  - 5.2d Some animals, including humans, move from place to place to meet their needs.
  - 5.2e Particular animal characteristics are influenced by changing environmental conditions including: fat storage in winter, coat thickness in winter, camouflage, shedding of fur.
    - Animal adaptations: skins and body coverings (3-N.4)
    - Animal adaptations: skins and body coverings (4-N.4)
  - 5.2f Some animal behaviors are influenced by environmental conditions. These behaviors may include: nest building, hibernating, hunting, migrating, and communicating.
  - 5.2g The health, growth, and development of organisms are affected by environmental conditions such as the availability of food, air, water, space, shelter, heat, and sunlight.
- 5.3 Describe the factors that help promote good health and growth in humans.
  - 5.3a Humans need a variety of healthy foods, exercise, and rest in order to grow and maintain good health.
  - 5.3b Good health habits include hand washing and personal cleanliness; avoiding harmful substances (including alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs) ; eating a balanced diet; engaging in regular exercise.
6 Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment.
- 6.1 Describe how plants and animals, including humans, depend upon each other and the nonliving environment.
  - 6.1a Green plants are producers because they provide the basic food supply for them- selves and animals.
  - 6.1b All animals depend on plants. Some animals (predators) eat other animals (prey).
    - Identify roles in food chains (3-P.3)
    - Identify roles in food chains (4-Q.3)
  - 6.1c Animals that eat plants for food may in turn become food for other animals. This sequence is called a food chain.
  - 6.1d Decomposers are living things that play a vital role in recycling nutrients.
  - 6.1e An organism s pattern of behavior is related to the nature of that organism s environment, including the kinds and numbers of other organisms present, the availability of food and other resources, and the physical characteristics of the environment.
  - 6.1f When the environment changes, some plants and animals survive and reproduce, and others die or move to new locations.
- 6.2 Describe the relationship of the Sun as an energy source for living and nonliving cycles.
  - 6.2a Plants manufacture food by utilizing air, water, and energy from the Sun.
    - How do plants make food? (3-L.3)
    - How do plants make food? (4-M.3)
  - 6.2b The Sun s energy is transferred on Earth from plants to animals through the food chain.
    - Identify roles in food chains (3-P.3)
    - Identify roles in food chains (4-Q.3)
  - 6.2c Heat energy from the Sun powers the water cycle (see Physical Science Key Idea 2).
7 Human decisions and activities have had a profound impact on the physical and living environments.
- 7.1 Identify ways in which humans have changed their environment and the effects of those changes.
  - 7.1a Humans depend on their natural and constructed environments.
  - 7.1b Over time humans have changed their environment by cultivating crops and raising animals, creating shelter, using energy, manufacturing goods, developing means of transportation, changing populations, and carrying out other activities.
  - 7.1c Humans, as individuals or communities, change environments in ways that can be either helpful or harmful for themselves and other organisms.

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4 Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

1 Living things are both similar to and different from each other and from nonliving things.

1.1 Describe the characteristics of and variations between living and nonliving things.

1.1a Animals need air, water, and food in order to live and thrive.

1.1b Plants require air, water, nutrients, and light in order to live and thrive.

1.1c Nonliving things do not live and thrive.

1.1d Nonliving things can be human-created or naturally occurring.

1.2 Describe the life processes common to all living things.

1.2a Living things grow, take in nutrients, breathe, reproduce, eliminate waste, and die.

2 Organisms inherit genetic information in a variety of ways that result in continuity of structure and function between parents and offspring.

2.1 Recognize that traits of living things are both inherited and acquired or learned.

2.1a Some traits of living things have been inherited (e.g., color of flowers and number of limbs of animals).

2.1b Some characteristics result from an individual s interactions with the environment and cannot be inherited by the next generation (e.g., having scars; riding a bicycle).

2.2 Recognize that for humans and other living things there is genetic continuity between generations.

2.2a Plants and animals closely resemble their parents and other individuals in their species.

2.2b Plants and animals can transfer specific traits to their offspring when they reproduce.

3 Individual organisms and species change over time.

3.1 Describe how the structures of plants and animals complement the environment of the plant or animal. Major Understandings:

3.1a Each animal has different structures that serve different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction.

wings, legs, or fins enable some animals to seek shelter and escape predators the mouth, including teeth, jaws, and tongue, enables some animals to eat and drink

the mouth, including teeth, jaws, and tongue, enables some animals to eat and drink

eyes, nose, ears, tongue, and skin of some animals enable the animals to sense their surroundings

claws, shells, spines, feathers, fur, scales, and color of body covering enable some animals to protect themselves from predators and other environmental conditions, or enable them to obtain food

some animals have parts that are used to produce sounds and smells to help the animal meet its needs

the characteristics of some animals change as seasonal conditions change (e.g. , fur grows and is shed to help regulate body heat; body fat is a form of stored energy and it changes as the seasons change)

3.1b Each plant has different structures that serve different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction.

roots help support the plant and take in water and nutrients

leaves help plants utilize sunlight to make food for the plant

stems, stalks, trunks, and other similar structures provide support for the plant

some plants have flowers

flowers are reproductive structures of plants that produce fruit which contains seeds

seeds contain stored food that aids in germination and the growth of young plants

3.1c In order to survive in their environment, plants and animals must be adapted to that environment.

seeds disperse by a plant s own mechanism and/ or in a variety of ways that can include wind, water, and animals

leaf, flower, stem, and root adaptations may include variations in size, shape, thickness, color, smell, and texture

animal adaptations include coloration for warning or attraction, camouflage, defense mechanisms, movement, hibernation, and migration

3.2 Observe that differences within a species may give individuals an advantage in surviving and reproducing.

3.2a Individuals within a species may compete with each other for food, mates, space, water, and shelter in their environment.

3.2b All individuals have variations, and because of these variations, individuals of a species may have an advantage in surviving and reproducing.

4 The continuity of life is sustained through reproduction and development.

4.1 Describe the major stages in the life cycles of selected plants and animals.

4.1a Plants and animals have life cycles. These may include beginning of a life, development into an adult, reproduction as an adult, and eventually death.

4.1b Each kind of plant goes through its own stages of growth and development that may include seed, young plant, and mature plant.

4.1c The length of time from beginning of development to death of the plant is called its life span.

4.1d Life cycles of some plants include changes from seed to mature plant.

4.1e Each generation of animals goes through changes in form from young to adult. This completed sequence of changes in form is called a life cycle. Some insects change from egg to larva to pupa to adult.

4.1f Each kind of animal goes through its own stages of growth and development during its life span.

4.1g The length of time from an animal s birth to its death is called its life span. Life spans of different animals vary.

4.2 Describe evidence of growth, repair, and maintenance, such as nails, hair, and bone, and the healing of cuts and bruises.

4.2a Growth is the process by which plants and animals increase in size.

4.2b Food supplies the energy and materials necessary for growth and repair.

5 Organisms maintain a dynamic equilibrium that sustains life.

5.1 Describe basic life functions of common living specimens (e.g., guppies, mealworms, gerbils).

5.1a All living things grow, take in nutrients, breathe, reproduce, and eliminate waste.

5.1b An organism's external physical features can enable it to carry out life functions in its particular environment.

5.2 Describe some survival behaviors of common living specimens.

5.2a Plants respond to changes in their environment. For example, the leaves of some green plants change position as the direction of light changes; the parts of some plants undergo seasonal changes that enable the plant to grow; seeds germinate, and leaves form and grow.

5.2b Animals respond to change in their environment, (e.g. , perspiration, heart rate, breathing rate, eye blinking, shivering, and salivating).

5.2c Senses can provide essential information (regarding danger, food, mates, etc. ) to animals about their environment.

5.2d Some animals, including humans, move from place to place to meet their needs.

5.2e Particular animal characteristics are influenced by changing environmental conditions including: fat storage in winter, coat thickness in winter, camouflage, shedding of fur.

5.2f Some animal behaviors are influenced by environmental conditions. These behaviors may include: nest building, hibernating, hunting, migrating, and communicating.

5.2g The health, growth, and development of organisms are affected by environmental conditions such as the availability of food, air, water, space, shelter, heat, and sunlight.

5.3 Describe the factors that help promote good health and growth in humans.

5.3a Humans need a variety of healthy foods, exercise, and rest in order to grow and maintain good health.

5.3b Good health habits include hand washing and personal cleanliness; avoiding harmful substances (including alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs) ; eating a balanced diet; engaging in regular exercise.

6 Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment.

6.1 Describe how plants and animals, including humans, depend upon each other and the nonliving environment.

6.1a Green plants are producers because they provide the basic food supply for them- selves and animals.

6.1b All animals depend on plants. Some animals (predators) eat other animals (prey).

6.1c Animals that eat plants for food may in turn become food for other animals. This sequence is called a food chain.

6.1d Decomposers are living things that play a vital role in recycling nutrients.

6.1e An organism s pattern of behavior is related to the nature of that organism s environment, including the kinds and numbers of other organisms present, the availability of food and other resources, and the physical characteristics of the environment.

6.1f When the environment changes, some plants and animals survive and reproduce, and others die or move to new locations.

6.2 Describe the relationship of the Sun as an energy source for living and nonliving cycles.

6.2a Plants manufacture food by utilizing air, water, and energy from the Sun.

6.2b The Sun s energy is transferred on Earth from plants to animals through the food chain.