Living Environment
Students conduct a complete study on the plant life cycle. They investigate the stages from seed germination to harvesting of new seeds.

Plant Life Cycle

• Observe and compare changes that occur during the germination of seeds
• Design experiments to answer questions about plant parts and plant needs
• Understand how bees help pollinate plants and form an appreciation for the interdependence of the plant and animal kingdoms
• Investigate the parts of a flower through dissection and determine each part’s role in reproduction

Physical Setting
Students dive into learning about the properties of water, changes in water,interactions between water and other earth materials, and how humans use water.  Through investigations in the Energy unit, students are introduced to the fundamental concepts of energy.  During the Astronomy unit, students begin with firsthand observations of the sky in day time and at night.  Through classroom activities, students begin to make sense of what they see  – phases of the moon, the change in night and day, the seasons, and the different constellations of the night sky.

Water 

• Observe and explore properties of water in liquid, solid and gaseous states
• Investigate the expansion and contraction of water and factors that influence evaporation and condensation of water
• Investigate how water can be used to do work

Energy Changes

• Observe that energy exists in many forms, including electrical, chemical, mechanical, solar, heat and light
• Conduct experiments to observe the transformation of energy
• Create a simple circuit and investigate the transfer of electrical energy

Astronomy

• Describe and model relative positions and motions of the Earth, moon, and sun that cause day and night, seasons, and moon phases
• Visit a planetarium to expand knowledge of the night sky
• Investigate the planets in the solar system and learn about their movement