KINDERGARTEN Unit 7: Exploring Characteristics and Basic Needs of Living Organisms 2010 TEKS 1998 TEKS Curriculum and Instruction Considerations K.2 The student develops abilities to ask questions and seek answers in classroom and outdoor investigations. K.2 A Ask questions about organisms, objects, and events observed in the natural world. Ask QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NATURAL WORLD K.2 The student develops abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry in the field and the classroom. K.2 A Ask questions about organisms, objects, and events. Key Understandings: Things can be classified as living organisms and non-living objects. Living organisms can be identified by specific characteristics, including basic needs. Non-living objects can be identified by properties. K.2B organisms objects events Plan and conduct simple descriptive investigations such as ways objects move. Plan, Conduct SIMPLE DESCRIPTIVE INVESTIGATIONS ways objects move K.2 C Collect data and make observations using simple equipment such as hand lenses, primary balances, and nonstandard measurement tools. Collect data, Make observations USING SIMPLE EQUIPMENT K.2B Plan and conduct simple descriptive investigations. K.2 C Gather information using simple equipment and tools to extend the senses. Performance Indicator: Use a graphic organizer, such as a T-chart, to differentiate between living organisms and nonliving objects. Include information, in the form of pictures or words, about the basic needs of organisms and the ability to produce offspring. A third category of once living may also be included. (K.9A) Lesson Bridge: Engage: Distribute a piece of paper to each student. Ask them to fold it in half horizontally. Including, but not limited to hand lenses primary balances 2010, TESCCC 12/01/10 page 1 of 10
nonstandard measurement tools Say There are living organisms and nonliving objects all around us. In the top half of K.2 D Record and organize data and observations using pictures, numbers, and words. Record, Organize K.2 D your papers draw three living organisms and in the bottom half of your paper draws three non-living objects. Label your pictures. Save these pictures as a check for understanding or as an indicator of the starting point of your students DATA AND OBSERVATIONS K.2E pictures real objects or pictures numbers words Communicate observations with others about simple descriptive investigations. Communicate OBSERVATIONS Investigations about living organisms K.4 The student uses age-appropriate tools and models to investigate the natural world. K.4 A Collect information using tools, including computers, hand lenses, primary balances, cups, bowls, magnets, collecting nets and notebooks; timing devices, including clocks and timers; non-standard measuring items such as paper clips and clothespins; weather instruments such as demonstration thermometers and a wind socks, and materials to support observations of habitats of organisms such as terrariums and aquariums. K.2E Communicate findings about simple investigations. K.4 The student uses age-appropriate tools and models to verify that organisms and objects and parts of organisms and objects can be observed, described, and measured. K.4 B Make observations using tools including hand lenses, balances, cups, bowls, and computers. Explore: Use the Explore activity from Grade 2 Unit 08 lesson 01. Do only numbers 1-3 Continue with numbers 7-10. You may want to modify this activity by using a digital camera to record observations or by having students make the observations and the teacher record on the Our Nature Walk recording sheet. Explain: Use the Explain activity from Grade 2 Unit 08 lesson 01. Students do not need color copies of the book, but should each have a copy of the book so they can follow along as the teacher reads the information. Elaborate: Take students on a living/nonliving scavenger hunt. Pair students up. Give each pair 1 plastic bag. It is to collect a non-living object. Give each pair a small (@3 X3 ) piece of paper and a pencil. Student pairs must find one nonliving object and draw one living object they find outside. Note-remind students of safety rules when outside. Set the boundaries for where the students may go. Gather back in the classroom to discuss how we differentiate between living and nonliving. 2010, TESCCC 12/01/10 page 2 of 10
K.4B Collect INFORMATION USING TOOLS Including, but not limited to hand lenses nonstandard measuring items paper clips clothespins primary balances cups bowls notebooks safety goggles Use senses as a tool of observation to identify properties and patterns of organisms, objects, and events in the environment. Use K.4A TRANSITION DOCUMENT KINDERGARTEN Identify and use senses as tools of observation. Student pairs can bring their objects and pictures to sorting mats (teachers can put these wherever there is room). Read the Look All Around You story attached to this unit. Allow students time to decide if they need to move their object or picture on the sorting mat. Review one more time how to decide if an item is living or nonliving. Evaluate: Performance Indicator- Use a graphic organizer, such as a T-chart, to differentiate between living organisms and nonliving objects. Include information, in the form of pictures or words, about the basic needs of organisms and the ability to produce offspring. A third category of once living may also be included. (K.9A) SENSES AS A TOOL OF OBSERVATION senses sight taste smell touch hearing identify properties and patterns of organisms movement outer covering size mass identify properties and patterns organisms objects size Key Understandings: Living organisms have basic needs that must be met in order to survive. Performance Indicator: Create a picture or a poster to inform others about the basic needs of a plant and the basic needs of an animal. Include pictures and words. (A word bank may be provided for all students.) (K.9 B) Lesson Bridge: Engage: Bring in a plant (or take students outside to look at a plant or a tree) and ask them what they think the plant needs to survive. [Plants need air, water and nutrients- and some botanists also include space as a need. 2010, TESCCC 12/01/10 page 3 of 10
shape color texture events in the environment K.9 The student knows that plants and animals have basic needs and depend on the living and nonliving things around them for survival. K.9A Differentiate between living and non living things based upon whether they have basic needs and produce offspring. Differentiate BETWEEN LIVING AND NON LIVING THINGS TRANSITION DOCUMENT KINDERGARTEN K.6 The student knows that systems have parts and are composed of organisms and objects. K.8 The student knows the difference between living organisms and non-living objects. K.9 The student knows that living organisms have basic needs. K.6A Sort organisms and objects into groups according to their parts and describe how the groups are formed. Sort OBJECTS sorting living organisms from non-living objects Plants do not need soil to grow.] Record student responses. Ask if they can justify their thinking- perhaps a why do you think the plant needs that? question. Discuss some reasons plants may grow differently. Explore: As a whole class experiment: set up a descriptive investigation where students can observe what happens to a plant when it does not get water or sunlight. You will need 3 plants. One will get sunlight and water, one will get sunlight but no water, and one will get water but no sunlight. Students should be able to draw what they think will happen to each plant. A tri-fold template could be provided. Water & light Light & no water Water, & no light sort living organisms from non-living objects whether they have basic needs whether they produce offspring K.8A K.8B Identify a particular organism or object as living or non-living. Identify PARTICULAR ORGANISM OR OBJECT living organisms non-living objects Group organisms and objects as living or non-living. Explore/Explain: Observe the plants over about a week period. Read a story about seeds growing such as, but not limited to: The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle, From Seed to Plant, by Alan Fowler, A Seed is Sleepy by Hutts-Astor, How Plants Grow by Angela Royston, From Seed to Plant, by Gail Gibbons, The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds: A Book About How Living Things Grow by Joanna Cole, How Do Plants Grow? By Melissa Stewart 2010, TESCCC 12/01/10 page 4 of 10
K.9B Examine evidence that living organisms have basic needs such as food, water, and shelter for animals, and air, water, nutrients, sunlight, and space for plants. Examine EVIDENCE THAT LIVING ORGANISMS HAVE BASIC NEEDS plants air water sunlight space nutrients animals air water food shelter K.9A TRANSITION DOCUMENT KINDERGARTEN Group ORGANISMS AND OBJECTS animals themselves (people) plants toys furniture books rocks classroom items Identify basic needs of living organisms. Identify BASIC NEEDS OF LIVING ORGANISMS basic needs for living organisms air food water shelter light Review the basic needs of plants. Engage: This is a two part activity, so a T-chart might want to be set up prior to this activity. Now that you have talked about what plants need to grow and stay healthy, ask the students what they need to grow and stay healthy. List all the basic needs. Some students may say things like TV, video games, toys. Write everything down, but then go through each item and cross off things that are wants. The items left should be air, water, food and shelter. ( Clothing would also be acceptable as well at this level). Now ask students what an animal needs to survive. Record these responses on the remaining side of the T-chart. Ask students what they observe about the two lists. Explore: Ask students who they think would know a lot of information about what animals need to survive. Some possible responses might include veterinarians, pet store employees, zoo workers, trainers at places such as Sea World or aquariums. Write a class letter to one of these experts in order to examine evidence about the basic needs of animals. (Logically we would not want to conduct an experiment with animals similar to the one done for plants as we would not want harm to come to any living animal.) Explain: Read a story about the basic needs of animals, such as but not limited to, Living Things Need Water by Bobbie Kalman, Basic 2010, TESCCC 12/01/10 page 5 of 10
Needs by Jean Feldman, What Plants and Animals Need by Nancy Leber, Animal Needs by Sue Barraclough, What Do I Need? By Bobbie Kalman. Elaborate (optional) http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclip s/ages/5_6/growing_plants.shtml An interactive site where children can see what happens when a plant is (or is not) given water. Evaluate: Performance Indicator: Create a picture or a poster to inform others about the basic needs of a plant and the basic needs of an animal. Include pictures and words. (A word bank may be provided for all students.) (K.9 B) 2010, TESCCC 12/01/10 page 6 of 10
Take a look inside. Take a look outside. Look all around you. What do you see? 2010, TESCCC 12/01/10 page 7 of 10
When you look around outside, or inside, you see thousands of things. Everything we see can be divided into two groups: living organisms or nonliving objects. How do you know? Look for clues to help you decide. 2010, TESCCC 12/01/10 page 8 of 10
All living organisms share certain characteristics. Do you remember what they are? Living organisms all need food, air and water. These are called basic needs. They need food, air and water so they can grow. Living organisms also have the ability to move. Plants cannot walk around, but they can move their leaves to face the sun. Do you remember why? Plants need sunlight to make their own food. Living organisms reproduce. They have the ability to produce a new living organism. 2010, TESCCC 12/01/10 page 9 of 10
Nonliving objects do not need air, water or food. They do not reproduce. They do not grow. Sometimes it might look like an object is growing, such as an icicle. But icicles are frozen water and are not alive. Sometimes it might look like an object is moving, such as a swing. But a swing cannot move on its own. Nonliving objects are things that are not alive. 2010, TESCCC 12/01/10 page 10 of 10