Science for Ohio: Academic Content Standards Alignment for Science--KINDERGARTEN
www.environmentaleducationohio.org

Click here to view all Grade K-2 Benchmarks and Standards.

For a complete listing of Science for Ohio inquiries, click here.

Other Information

Note: Generally, a Science for Ohio inquiry is not included in in a grade level unless it has one or more of the Earth and Space, Life, or Physical science (content-oriented) strands. Indicator statements for these three strands are listed below under the heading Ohio Academic Standard.

Ohio Academic Standard: Describe and sort objects by one or more properties (e.g., size, color and shape).

Ohio Academic Standard:

• Describe how plants and animals usually resemble their parents.
• Investigate variations that exist among individuals of the same kind of plant or animal.
• Investigate observable features of plants and animals that help them live in different kinds of places.
• Investigate the habitats of many different kinds of local plants and animals and some of the ways in which animals depend on plants and each other in our community.

Fall Slumbers

Ohio Academic Standard:

• Explore that animals and plants cause changes to their surroundings.
• Explore that sometimes change is too fast to see and sometimes change is too slow to see.

This inquiry has primary modifications that work well for grades 1-3 as written. Grades K and 1 can modify by making the primary lesson a whole class activity center.

Ohio Academic Standard: Describe and sort objects by one or more properties (e.g., size, color and shape).

Modify the original lesson as follows:

• Direct each student to bring in one recyclable and one non-recyclable item from home.
• Conduct a whole-class sort to identify recyclable and non-recyclable objects as you discuss
• Set up a Reuse Center and a Recycle Center in your classroom

This inquiry, as written, is designed for older students, but can be modified as described after reviewing the original lesson.

Ohio Academic Standard:

• Explore differences between living and non-living things (e.g., plant, rock)
• Describe how plants and animals usually resemble their parents.
• Investigate variations that exist among individuals of the same kind of plant or animal.
• Investigate observable features of plants and animals that help them live in different kinds of places.
• Investigate the habitats of many different kinds of local plants and animals and some of the ways in which animals depend on plants and each other in our community.

Ohio Academic Standard:

• Explore differences between living and non-living things (e.g., plant-rock).
• Discover that stories (e.g., cartoons, movies, comics) sometimes give plants and animals characteristics they really do not have (e.g., talking flowers).
• Investigate observable features of plants and animals that help them live in different kinds of places.

Ohio Academic Standard:

• Observe that the sun can be seen only in the daytime, but the moon can be seen sometimes at night and sometimes during the day.
• Explore that sometimes change is too fast to see and sometimes change is too slow to see.

Modify the original lesson as follows:

• Use the Moonrise/Moonset chart (see the Related Resources section of this inquiry) identify when to observe the moon during the school day. Have students draw pictures of the moon's shape during observations.
• Assign for students to look at home for the moon in the night sky and draw pictures as appropriate. Use these pictures to make a pictograph entitled "Students Who Saw the Moon on ______ (insert date)"

This inquiry, as written, is designed for older students, but can be modified as described after reviewing the original lesson.

Ohio Academic Standard:

• Observe that the sun can be seen only in the daytime, but the moon can be seen sometimes at night and sometimes during the day.

Modify the original lesson as follows:

Use a globe and lamp to demonstrate the relationship between the Earth's counterclockwise rotation and day/night cycles.

This inquiry, as written, is designed for older students, but can be modified as described after reviewing the original lesson.

Ohio Academic Standard: Describe and sort objects by one or more properties (e.g., size, color and shape).

Modify the original lesson as follows:

• Collect an assortment of seeds prior to class and/or during a student hike around your school.
• Conduct a whole-class sorting activity to describe this variety of seeds according to their attributes (e.g., size, color, and shape)
• Involve parents by having them sort a collection of seeds with their child at home.

This inquiry, as written, is designed for older students, but can be modified as described after reviewing the original lesson.

The Water Cycle

Ohio Academic Standard: Explore that sometimes change is too fast to see and sometimes change is too slow to see.

Ohio Academic Standard: Explore differences between living and non-living things (e.g., plant-rock).

Modify the original lesson as follows:

Day 1

• Use the sorting activity at the beginning of the lesson to introduce the concepts of living and nonliving
• Take students on a hike to collect living and nonliving objects
• Complete a final sort of living and nonliving objects after the hike

Day 2

• Use the sorting activity at the beginning of the lesson to introduce the concepts of "natural" and "man-made"
• Take students on a hike to collect "natural" and "man-made" objects
• Complete a final sort of "natural" and "man-made" objects after the hike
• use the Matter Cycles pages as a guide in demonstrating via chart paper, felt board, etc. that ALL "man-made" objects can be traced back to nature

This inquiry, as written, is designed for older students, but can be modified as described after reviewing the original lesson.