Unit 4 How The World Works

Transdisplinary Theme: How the world works

An inquiry into the natural world and its law; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological)
and human societies; how humans use their understandings of scientific principals; the impact of scientific and
technological advances on society and on the environment.

Central Idea: All living things go through a process of change.

Key Concepts:

Change- Students will understand how living things change over their lifetime.
Connection- Students will investigate how living things grow in sequence.
Causation- Students will find factors that can influence lifecycles.

Related Concepts:

Transformation (Change) Students will understand that all living things

transform from one form to another.
Similarities and Differences (Connection) Students will understand
that there are similarities and differences in the patterns of growth in living
things.
Cycles (Causation) Students will understand why certain factors affect
certain lifecycles.

An inquiry into:

How living things change over their lifetime (linked to the concept of Change)
Patterns of growth (linked to the concept of Connection)
Factors that can influence life cycles (linked to the concept of Causation)

Vocabulary
Life cycles
Growth
Change
Influence
Pattern
Process
Living Thing

Teacher Questions:

How do living things change? (Change)

What are their similarities and differences between lifecycles? (Connection)
What are some factors that influence life cycles? (Causation)

Transdisciplinary Skills:
Social Skills: Through this unit the students will learn the skill of Group decision making, how important
it is to listen to others, discuss ideas and work towards a common goal during group activities.
Research Skills: In this unit the students during research work will learn how to Record and Organize
Data. They will be able to record and organize their data through drawings, tally charts and or writing
statements.

Thinking Skills: The students will learn to use their thinking skills by Synthesizing the information
gathered through this unit. They will use their Dialectical Thought during discussions.
Communication Skills: The students will use their viewing skills while interpreting and analyzing
visuals. They will understand that images and language interact to convey ideas.
Self-Management Skills: The students will make Informed Choices wherein they will select an
appropriate course of action based on facts and opinions on information gathered during research.

Learner Profiles:
Principled, Inquirer, Knowledgeable: Students will practice being inquirers as they investigate different
animal life cycles. They will develop the learner profile by asking questions and researching with help
various animals. The students will become knowledgeable about animal life cycles. They will learn about
being Principled during class activities as we develop proper school behavior and our roles and
responsibilities.

Attitudes:
Curiosity, Appreciation, Confidence: Students will develop the attitude of Curiosity as they ask
questions and investigate the life cycles of animals and the differences and similarities between them.
Students will learn about appreciation and how we can appreciate the different living things in our world.
They will develop their confidence throughout the term by making contributions to class discussions and
presenting their research in the summative assessment.

Summative Assessment:
Students will investigate an animal of their choice, using a template that has been modelled in class and
then present their findings to the class.
STRATEGY: Presentation and research project

TOOL: Rubric

Step 1: Students will select an animal they would like to research.

The template will include:
1. Name of Animal
2. Diagram or pictures of the stages of life (life cycle)
3. Name at least one factor that affects its growth
Step 2: Present their findings to the class

GIS Standards
Language
Reading:

Recognize and name upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet presented in class
Isolate and pronounce the initial, medial vowel and final sound in three phoneme words (CVC words)
With prompting and support ask and answer questions about key details in a text
Spell simple words phonetically drawing on knowledge of sound-letter relationships
Recognize and produce rhyming words

With prompting and support, print some upper and lower case letters
Use a combination of drawing, dictating and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked
events and tell about the events in the order in which they occurred

Writing:

With guidance and support, recall or gather information from experiences or provided resources to
answer a question
Attempt to form letter shapes conventionally and legibly
Understanding that words are separated by spaces
Participate in shared research and writing projects

Listening and Speaking:

Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges

Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is not
understood
Speak audibly and express, thoughts, feelings and ideas clearly
Add drawings or other visual displays to description as needed to provide additional detail
Illustrate their own writing and publish it in a book

Math

Compare and order numbers to 20

Count on and back from a given number between 0 and 10
Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, drawings, sounds and/or verbal
explanations
Combining two then three groups of objects, then count all of the objects
Separate/partition objects into separate groups
Sequence familiar events using language such as yesterday, today, tomorrow, next week, next month,
next year, etc.
Identify instruments used to measure length, weight, time and temperature
Recognize that 3D shapes have characteristics than can be described, sorted, and compared

Science
Strand- Living Things - Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals including humans need
to survive

Skills:
-Analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that are
best suited for an intended purpose
- Observe carefully in order to gather data (students will examine living things and observe their changes)
- Use scientific vocabulary to explain their observations and experiences (students will talk about what is observed
in living things)
- Describe what is happening using an increasing scientific vocabulary
- Identify or generate a question or problem to be explored (Ask questions or show curiosity about living things and
the changes they go through)

The students will be able to:

- Observe and explain life cycles
- Use correct terminology when describing a life cycle
- Ask age appropriate questions about living things
- Share their findings with their peers