Grade Level Performance Indicator Progression for Science

Correlation of Kids Invent curriculum to benchmarks

Benchmarks Grades 4-5

Fast & Furious

Spin & Soar

Chase & Challenge

Chemical Tour

Optics & Action

Air & Crafting

Building Bonanza

Examples of class activities

SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY

Explain how questions or problems arose and develop hypothesis

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Inventing aims to solve problems

Design and conduct simple investigations to answer questions

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Building and testing an invention

Collect and organize data for analysis using simple tools and equipment

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Building and testing an invention

Use appropriate models to summarize data and construct conclusions

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Models are available for reference

Communicate investigations and results to an audience

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Presentations to class, if time allows

Defend or revise conclusions based on evidence

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Interaction with instructors

LIVING THE VALUES, ATTITUDES, COMMITMENTS OF INQUIRING MIND

Report observations accurately (HONESTY)

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Evaluating results of an invention

Acknowledge work by others (HONESTY)

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Evaluating inventions of classmates

Evaluate multiple sources of information to support research (CRITICAL-MINDEDNESS)

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Science concepts introduced

Consider many perspectives and solutions of a question or problem (OBJECTIVITY)

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Models stimulate different solutions

Acknowledge that ideas, conclusions, expectations may change (OPEN-MINDEDNESS)

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Evaluating results of invention tests

Ask questions to clarify and expand on ideas (QUESTIONING)

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Developed in inventing process

Plan and carry out tasks as an individual and member of a group (SELF-DIRECTED)

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Both individual and team inventions

Ask and describe how science explains what happens around us (VALUE SCIENCE)

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Science concepts introduced

USING UNIFYING CONCEPTS AND THEMES

Observe and describe how parts influence one another in a system (SYSTEM)

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Invention is a system of created parts

Identify patterns of change in things using data as evidence (CHANGE)

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Testing inventions

Measure things that are difficult to measure because of size (SCALE)

Use geometric figures, graphs, diagrams and other representations (MODEL)

SAFETY

Apply school, classroom, laboratory, field trip rules for safe learning environment

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Applied in the classroom

Identify potentially unsafe conditions prior to activity

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Applied in the classroom

Conduct authorized science activities with teacher present

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Applied in the classroom

Use supplies, chemicals and equipment as instructed

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Applied in the classroom

Document and apply appropriate safety protocols when conducting scientific activities

Applied in the classroom, not documented

RELATING NATURE OF TECHNOLOGY TO SCIENCE

Identify and state a problem

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Inventing starts with problem to solve

Collect, organize analyze information from various sources and identify alternative solutions

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Evaluating problem and way to solve

Make inferences for each alternative solution and select a tentative solution

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Interaction with teacher

Test the solution and document the results

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Testing, but not documenting

Analyze the results and propose recommendations or modifications of the solution

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Interaction with instructors

UNDERSTANDING SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY AND CHARACTER OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE

Describe scientific inquiry, including questions, investigation, answers (SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY)

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Discussion about science/inventions

Explain how scientism methods for understanding are not perfect (SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY)

Explain how knowledge is acquired through scientific investigation (SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE)

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Inventing based on science knowledge

Describe events/people making contributions to science/technology  (SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE)

INTERDEPENDENCE OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

Examine how technology influenced the economy, demography, environment

Analyze how technology changed nature of work and affected economy, environment

Explain how technology provides clues to improve medical treatment of people

"MALAMA I KA'AINA" SUSTAINABILITY

Explore how agriculture technology affects humans and environment

Examine why there is need to conserve natural resources

UNITY AND DIVERSITY

Explain how different organisms need specific environmental conditions in order to survive.

Explain the relationship between structure and function in living things.

INTERDEPENDENCE

Identify how plants and animals depend on each other, with oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients.

Explain how organisms respond to a constantly changing environment.

CYCLE OF MATTER AND ENERGY FLOW

Diagram how animals’ food can be traced back to plants.

Explain how “energy” is needed for all organisms to stay alive and grow.

Give examples where organisms are reproducing, growing, dying, and decaying.

BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION

Compare fossils to one another and to living organisms, and explain similarities/differences.

Explain how certain organisms are more likely to survive and reproduce than others.

HEREDITY

Explain how inheritance determines the characteristics of the organism.

Explain how cultivated plants and domestic animals resulted from selective breeding for traits.

CELLS, TISSUES, AND ORGANS

Explain how living things have basic parts that work together to sustain life.

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Compare/contrast development (i.e., time) of the human embryo with other species.

Explain the major stages in physical and mental development in human beings.

WELLNESS

HUMAN BODY FUNCTIONS - Explain how people obtain energy and materials for survival.

PHYSICAL HEALTH - Explain the need for proper diet and exercise to maintain a healthy body.

PHYSICAL HEALTH - Explain how a healthy body can fight germs that get inside the body.

MENTAL HEALTH - Give examples to show physical health can affect emotional well-being.

LEARNING AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR

LEARNING - Express that learning makes sense out of new experiences, not just storing data.

LEARNING - Explain and demonstrate how repetition and practice can make a skill automatic.

BEHAVIOR - Identify group situations where people do/say things they would not on their own.

BEHAVIOR - Compare human behavior in the various cultural groups.

NATURE OF MATTER

Describe how materials can change from one state to another by heating or cooling.

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Changes by chemical reaction

Give examples of how properties of a material can predict how that material will behave.

ENERGY, ITS TRANSFORMATION AND MATTER

Explain how heat is produced and how it differs from light.

Explain how energy goes from more useful to less useful forms.

FORCES, MOTION, SOUND, AND LIGHT

MOTION AND FORCES - Explain how force/mass can change speed or direction of an object.

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Discussion of force, friction, motion, etc.

MOTION AND FORCES - Use time to describe motion.

ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION - Explain light travels in a straight line until it strikes an object.

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In work with stroboscopes, zoetropes

UNIVERSE

Identify the source of light/heat necessary to maintain the Earth’s temperature to support life.

Describe what constitutes the solar system of which Earth is a part.

Describe the tools used to gather information about the solar system.

FORCES OF THE UNIVERSE

Describe how the Earth’s gravity pulls any object toward it without touching it.

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Working with gravity concepts

Describe how a magnet pulls on iron and either pushes or pulls on other magnets.

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Magnets used to create games

Explain that electrically charged materials pull on other charged and non-charged materials.

EARTH IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Illustrate the water cycle and its relationship to weather and climactic patterns.

Explain the phases of the moon and eclipses.

Describe the Earth’s daily rotation and annual revolution.

FORCES THAT SHAPE THE EARTH

Conclude that rock is composed of different combinations of minerals and/or living things.

Give examples of how waves, wind, water, ice shape and reshape the Earth’s land surface.

Explain the causes and effects of earthquakes and volcanoes.