Search the California Content Standards

Title: K-LS1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Performance Expectation: Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive. [Clarification Statement: Examples of patterns could include that animals need to take in food but plants do not; the different kinds of food needed by different types of animals; the requirement of plants to have light; and, that all living things need water.]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms All animals need food in order to live and grow. They obtain their food from plants or from other animals. Plants need water and light to live and grow.

Science & Engineering Practices: Analyzing and Interpreting Data Use observations (firsthand or from media) to describe patterns in the natural world in order to answer scientific questions. Connections to Nature of Science:: Scientific Knowledge is Based on Empirical Evidence Scientists look for patterns and order when making observations about the world.

Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns Patterns in the natural and human designed world can be observed and used as evidence.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
Principle I The continuation and health of individual human lives and of human communities and societies depend on the health of the natural systems that provide essential goods and ecosystem services. Principle II The long-term functioning and health of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems are influenced by their relationships with human societies.

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy W.K.7: Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of books by a favorite author and express opinions about them). Mathematics K.MD.2: Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common, to see which object has “more of”/”less of” the attribute, and describe the difference. For example, directly compare the heights of two children and describe one child as taller/ shorter.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in kindergarten: N/A Articulation across grade-levels: 1.LS1.A; 2.LS2.A; 3.LS2.C; 3.LS4.B; 5.LS1.C; 5.LS2.A

Title: 1-LS1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Performance Expectation: Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.* [Clarification Statement: Examples of human problems that can be solved by mimicking plant or animal solutions could include designing clothing or equipment to protect bicyclists by mimicking turtle shells, acorn shells, and animal scales; stabilizing structures by mimicking animal tails and roots on plants; keeping out intruders by mimicking thorns on branches and animal quills; and, detecting intruders by mimicking eyes and ears.]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
LS1.A: Structure and Function All organisms have external parts. Different animals use their body parts in different ways to see, hear, grasp objects, protect themselves, move from place to place, and seek, find, and take in food, water and air. Plants also have different parts (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits) that help them survive and grow. LS1.D: Information Processing Animals have body parts that capture and convey different kinds of information needed for growth and survival. Animals respond to these inputs with behaviors that help them survive. Plants also respond to some external inputs.

Science & Engineering Practices: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions Use materials to design a device that solves a specific problem or a solution to a specific problem.

Crosscutting Concepts: Structure and Function The shape and stability of structures of natural and designed objects are related to their function(s). Connections to Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science: Influence of Engineering, Technology, and Science on Society and the Natural World Every human-made product is designed by applying some knowledge of the natural world and is built using materials derived from the natural world.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
Principle II The long-term functioning and health of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems are influenced by their relationships with human societies.

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy W.1.7: Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of “how-to” books on a given topic and use them to write a sequence of instructions).

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in first grade: N/A Articulation across grade-levels: K.ETS1.A; 4.LS1.A; 4.LS1.D; 4.ETS1.A

Title: 1-LS3 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

Performance Expectation: Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that young plants and animals are like, but not exactly like, their parents. [Clarification Statement: Examples of patterns could include features plants or animals share. Examples of observations could include leaves from the same kind of plant are the same shape but can differ in size; and, a particular breed of dog looks like its parents but is not exactly the same.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include inheritance or animals that undergo metamorphosis or hybrids.]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
LS3.A: Inheritance of Traits Young animals are very much, but not exactly like, their parents. Plants also are very much, but not exactly, like their parents. LS3.B: Variation of Traits Individuals of the same kind of plant or animal are recognizable as similar but can also vary in many ways.

Science & Engineering Practices: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions Make observations (firsthand or from media) to construct an evidence-based account for natural phenomena.

Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns Patterns in the natural world can be observed, used to describe phenomena, and used as evidence.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
N/A

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy RI.1.1: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. W.1.7: Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of “how-to” books on a given topic and use them to write a sequence of instructions). W.1.8: With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. Mathematics MP.2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively. MP.5: Use appropriate tools strategically. 1.MD.1: Order three objects by length; compare the lengths of two objects indirectly by using a third object.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in first grade: N/A Articulation across grade-levels: 3.LS3.A; 3.LS3.B

Title: 2-LS2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Performance Expectation: Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants.*

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems Plants depend on animals for pollination or to move their seeds around. ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions Designs can be conveyed through sketches, drawings, or physical models. These representations are useful in communicating ideas for a problem’s solutions to other people. (secondary to 2-LS2-2)

Science & Engineering Practices: Developing and Using Models Develop a simple model based on evidence to represent a proposed object or tool.

Crosscutting Concepts: Structure and Function The shape and stability of structures of natural and designed objects are related to their function(s).

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
Principle II The long-term functioning and health of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems are influenced by their relationships with human societies. Principle V Decisions affecting resources and natural systems are based on a wide range of considerations and decision-making processes.

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy SL.2.5: Create audio recordings of stories or poems; add drawings or other visual displays to stories or recounts of experiences when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings. Mathematics MP.4: Model with mathematics. 2.MD.10: Draw a picture graph and a bar graph (with single-unit scale) to represent a data set with up to four categories. Solve simple put-together, take-apart, and compare problems using information presented in a bar graph.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in second grade: N/A Articulation across grade-levels: K.ETS1.A; 5.LS2.A

Title: 3-LS3 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

Performance Expectation: Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms. [Clarification Statement: Patterns are the similarities and differences in traits shared between offspring and their parents, or among siblings. Emphasis is on organisms other than humans.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include genetic mechanisms of inheritance and prediction of traits. Assessment is limited to non-human examples.]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
LS3.A: Inheritance of Traits Many characteristics of organisms are inherited from their parents. LS3.B: Variation of Traits Different organisms vary in how they look and function because they have different inherited information.

Science & Engineering Practices: Analyzing and Interpreting Data Analyze and interpret data to make sense of phenomena using logical reasoning.

Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns Similarities and differences in patterns can be used to sort and classify natural phenomena.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
Principle II The long-term functioning and health of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems are influenced by their relationships with human societies.

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy RI.3.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. RI.3.2: Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea. RI.3.3: Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect. W.3.2.a–d: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. SL.3.4: Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace. a. Plan and deliver an informative/explanatory presentation on a topic that: organizes ideas around major points of information, follows a logical sequence, includes supporting details, uses clear and specific vocabulary, and provides a strong conclusion. Mathematics MP.4: Model with mathematics. MP.2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively. 3.MD.4: Generate measurement data by measuring lengths using rulers marked with halves and fourths of an inch. Show the data by making a line plot, where the horizontal scale is marked off in appropriate units—whole numbers, halves, or quarters.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in third grade: N/A Articulation across grade-levels: 1.LS3.A; 1.LS3.B; MS.LS3.A; MS.LS3.B

Title: 3-PS2 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

Performance Expectation: Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other. [Clarification Statement: Examples of an electric force could include the force on hair from an electrically charged balloon and the electrical forces between a charged rod and pieces of paper; examples of a magnetic force could include the force between two permanent magnets, the force between an electromagnet and steel paperclips, and the force exerted by one magnet versus the force exerted by two magnets. Examples of cause and effect relationships could include how the distance between objects affects strength of the force and how the orientation of magnets affects the direction of the magnetic force.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to forces produced by objects that can be manipulated by students, and electrical interactions are limited to static electricity.]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
PS2.B: Types of Interactions Electric, and magnetic forces between a pair of objects do not require that the objects be in contact. The sizes of the forces in each situation depend on the properties of the objects and their distances apart and, for forces between two magnets, on their orientation relative to each other.

Science & Engineering Practices: Asking Questions and Defining Problems Ask questions that can be investigated based on patterns such as cause and effect relationships.

Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and Effect Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified, tested, and used to explain change.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
N/A

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy RI.3.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. RI.3.3: Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect. RI.3.8: Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence). SL.3.3: Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in third grade: N/A Articulation across grade-levels: MS.PS2.B

Title: 4-PS3 Energy

Performance Expectation: Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the change in the energy due to the change in speed, not on the forces, as objects interact.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include quantitative measurements of energy.]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
PS3.A: Definitions of Energy Energy can be moved from place to place by moving objects or through sound, light, or electric currents. PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer Energy is present whenever there are moving objects, sound, light, or heat. When objects collide, energy can be transferred from one object to another, thereby changing their motion. In such collisions, some energy is typically also transferred to the surrounding air; as a result, the air gets heated and sound is produced. PS3.C: Relationship Between Energy and Forces When objects collide, the contact forces transfer energy so as to change the objects’ motions.

Science & Engineering Practices: Asking Questions and Defining Problems Ask questions that can be investigated and predict reasonable outcomes based on patterns such as cause and effect relationships.

Crosscutting Concepts: Energy and Matter Energy can be transferred in various ways and between objects.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
N/A

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy W.4.7: Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. W.4.8: Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes, paraphrase, and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in fourth grade: N/A Articulation across grade-levels: K.PS2.B; 3.PS2.A; MS.PS2.A; MS.PS3.A; MS.PS3.B; MS.PS3.C

Title: 4-PS4 Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer

Performance Expectation: Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude and wavelength and that waves can cause objects to move. [Clarification Statement: Examples of models could include diagrams, analogies, and physical models using wire to illustrate wavelength and amplitude of waves.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include interference effects, electromagnetic waves, non-periodic waves, or quantitative models of amplitude and wavelength.]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
PS4.A: Wave Properties Waves, which are regular patterns of motion, can be made in water by disturbing the surface. When waves move across the surface of deep water, the water goes up and down in place; there is no net motion in the direction of the wave except when the water meets a beach. (Note: This grade band endpoint was moved from K–2.) Waves of the same type can differ in amplitude (height of the wave) and wavelength (spacing between wave peaks).

Science & Engineering Practices: Developing and Using Models Develop a model using an analogy, example, or abstract representation to describe a scientific principle. Connections to Nature of Science: Scientific Knowledge is Based on Empirical Evidence Science findings are based on recognizing patterns.

Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns Similarities and differences in patterns can be used to sort and classify natural phenomena.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
N/A

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy SL.4.5: Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes. Mathematics MP.4: Model with mathematics. 4.G.1: Draw points, lines, line segments, rays, angles (right, acute, obtuse), and perpendicular and parallel lines. Identify these in two-dimensional figures.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in fourth grade: 4.PS3.A ; 4.PS3.B Articulation across grade-levels: MS.PS4.A

Title: 5-LS1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Performance Expectation: Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the idea that plant matter comes mostly from air and water, not from the soil.]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms Plants acquire their material for growth chiefly from air and water.

Science & Engineering Practices: Engaging in Argument from Evidence Support an argument with evidence, data, or a model.

Crosscutting Concepts: Energy and Matter Matter is transported into, out of, and within systems.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
Principle IV The exchange of matter between natural systems and human societies affects the long-term functioning of both.

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy RI.5.1: Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. RI.5.9: Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably. W.5.1.a–d: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information. Mathematics MP.2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively. MP.4: Model with mathematics. MP.5: Use appropriate tools strategically. 5.MD.1: Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system (e.g., convert 5 cm to 0.05 m), and use these conversions in solving multi-step, real world problems.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in fifth grade: 5.PS1.A Articulation across grade-levels: K.LS1.C; 2.LS2.A; MS.LS1.C

Title: 5-PS3 Energy

Performance Expectation: Use models to describe that energy in animals’ food (used for body repair, growth, and motion, and to maintain body warmth) was once energy from the sun. [Clarification Statement: Examples of models could include diagrams, and flow charts.]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):
PS3.D: Energy in Chemical Processes The energy released [from] food was once energy from the sun that was captured by plants in the chemical process that forms plant matter (from air and water). LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms Food provides animals with the materials they need for body repair and growth and the energy they need to maintain body warmth and for motion. (secondary to 5-PS3-1)

Science & Engineering Practices: Developing and Using Models Use models to describe phenomena.

Crosscutting Concepts: Energy and Matter Energy can be transferred in various ways and between objects.

California Environmental Principles and Concepts:
Principle I The continuation and health of individual human lives and of human communities and societies depend on the health of the natural systems that provide essential goods and ecosystem services. Principle II The long-term functioning and health of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems are influenced by their relationships with human societies.

California Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy RI.5.7: Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently. SL.5.5: Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.

DCI Connections:
Connections to other DCIs in fifth grade: N/A Articulation across grade-levels: K.LS1.C; 2.LS2.A; 4.PS3.A; 4.PS3.B; 4.PS3.D; MS.PS3.D; MS.PS4.B; MS.LS1.C; MS.LS2.B