Arizona Science Standards Strand 4: Life Sciences

Performance Objectives

 met by our live animal demonstrations

Kindergarten

5 of 7

Objectives met

Concept 1: Characteristics of Organisms

PO 1.  Distinguish between living things and nonliving things.

PO 3.  Identify the five senses and their related body parts:

·         sight

·         hearing

·         smell

·         taste

·         touch

Concept 2: Life Cycles

PO 1.  Describe that most plants and animals will grow to physically resemble their parents.

Concept 3:  Organisms and Environments

PO 1.  Identify some plants and animals that exist in the local environment.

PO 2.  Identify that plants and animals need the following to grow and survive:

·         food

·         water

·         air

·         space

First grade

7 of 8 Objectives met

Concept 1: Characteristics of Organisms

PO 1.  Identify the following as characteristics of living things:

·         growth and development

·         reproduction

·         response to stimulus

PO 2.  Compare the following observable features of living things:

·         movement

·         protection

·         respiration

PO 3.  Identify observable similarities and differences (e.g., number of legs, body coverings, size) between/among different groups of animals.

Concept 2: Life Cycles

PO 2.  Identify similarities and differences between animals and their parents.

Concept 3:  Organisms and Environments

PO 1.  Identify some plants and animals that exist in the local environment.

PO 2.  Compare the habitats (e.g., desert, forest, prairie, water, underground) in which plants and animals live.

PO 3.  Describe how plants and animals within a habitat are dependent on each other.

Second grade

5 of 6 Objectives met

Concept 1: Characteristics of Organisms

PO 1.  Identify animal structures that serve different functions (e.g., sensory, defense, locomotion).

PO 3.  Describe the basic functions of the following systems:

·         digestive

·         respiratory

·         circulatory

Concept 2: Life Cycles

PO 1.  Describe the life cycles of various insects.

PO 2.  Describe the life cycles of various mammals.

PO 3.  Compare the life cycles of various organisms.

Third grade

6 of 11 Objectives met

Concept 2: Life Cycles

PO 2.  Explain how growth, death, and decay are part of the plant life cycle.

Concept 3:  Organisms and Environments

PO 3.  Explain the interrelationships among plants and animals in different environments:

·         producers

·         consumers

·         decomposers

PO 4.  Describe how plants and animals cause change in their environment.

PO 5.  Describe how environmental factors (e.g., soil composition, range of temperature, quantity and quality of light or water) in the ecosystem may affect a member organism’s ability to grow, reproduce, and thrive.

Concept 4: Diversity, Adaptation and Behavior

PO 1.  Identify adaptations of plants and animals that allow them to live in specific environments.

PO 2.  Describe ways that species adapt when introduced into new environments.

Fourth grade

5 of 8 Objectives met

Concept 1: Characteristics of Organisms

PO 1.  Compare structures in plants (e.g., roots, stems, leaves, flowers) and animals (e.g., muscles, bones, nerves) that serve different functions in growth and survival.

PO 2.  Classify animals by identifiable group characteristics:

·         vertebrates – mammals, birds,  fish, reptiles, amphibians

·         invertebrates – insects, arachnids

Concept 3:  Organisms and Environments

PO 1.  Describe ways various resources (e.g., air, water, plants, animals, soil) are utilized to meet the needs of a population.

Concept 4: Diversity, Adaptation and Behavior

PO 1.  Recognize that successful characteristics of populations are inherited traits that are favorable in a particular environment.

PO 2.  Give examples of adaptations that allow plants and animals to survive.

·         camouflage

·         mimicry

·         physical

·         mutualism

Fifth grade

3 of 4 Objectives met

Concept 1: Characteristics of Organisms

PO 1.  Identify the functions and parts of the skeletal system:

·         protection

·         support

·         movement

PO 3.  Identify the functions and parts of the nervous system:

·         control center

·         relay mechanism

·         transport messages

PO 4.  Distinguish between voluntary and involuntary responses.

Sixth grade

2 of 9 Objectives met

Concept 1: Characteristics of Organisms

PO 1.  Explain the importance of water to organisms.

PO 6.  Relate the following structures of living organisms to their functions:

Animals

·         respiration

·         digestion

·         circulation

·         locomotion

Seventh Grade

4 of 6 Objectives met

Concept 3:  Organisms and Environments

PO 1.  Compare food chains in a specified ecosystem and their corresponding food web. 

PO 2.  Explain how organisms obtain and use resources to develop and thrive in:

·         niches

·         predator/prey relationships

PO 3.  Analyze the interactions of living organisms with their ecosystems:

·         limiting factors

·         carrying capacity

PO 6.  Create a model of the interactions of living organisms within an ecosystem.

Eighth grade

6 of 9 Objectives met

Concept 4: Diversity, Adaptation and Behavior

PO 1.  Explain how an organism’s behavior allows it to survive in an environment.

PO 2.  Describe how an organism can maintain a stable internal environment while living in a constantly changing external environment.

PO 3.  Determine characteristics of organisms that could change over several generations.

PO 4.  Compare the symbiotic and competitive relationships in organisms within an ecosystem (e.g., lichen, mistletoe/tree, clownfish/sea anemone, native/non-native species).

PO 5.  Analyze the following behavioral cycles of organisms:

·         hibernation

·         migration

·         dormancy

PO 6.  Describe the following factors that allow for the survival of living organisms:

·         protective coloration

·         beak design

·         seed dispersal

·         pollination