Implementing District Standards
This unit will address the following Connecticut state standards for the Pre–K– second grade for scientific inquiry and literacy:
A INQ.1: Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and the environment.
Students will learn about animals and the environments they live in, with plenty of time for questioning and seeking answers in books and online.
A INQ.3: Make predictions based on observed patterns.
Students will notice patterns among different animal species and begin to categorize them.
A INQ.4: Read, write, listen and speak about observations of the natural world.
Students will use journals to write their observations throughout the unit, and will be given numerous opportunities to read about animals, as well as participate in class conversations to share knowledge.
A INQ.5: Seek information in books, magazines and pictures.
The teacher will provide many resources for students to engage in learning.
A INQ.6: Present information in words and drawings.
Science journals will be used to collect information and document learning through writing and drawing. The final project will incorporate drawings and written explanations to demonstrate understanding.
This unit will also address the following Common Core standards for second grade literacy (informational texts):
RI.2.3. Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.
Students will connect knowledge of vertebrate skeletal systems across animal kingdoms and species.
RI.2.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.
Students will frequently identify and define new vocabulary in informational texts related to the topic of skeletal anatomy.
RI.2.7. Explain how specific images (e.g., a diagram showing how a machine works) contribute to and clarify a text.
Students will frequently read and create their own images to learn and demonstrate knowledge.