Category: NGSS
Showing 29 topics.
2-ESS2-2: Maps of Land and Water — Developing Models to Represent Earth’s Surface
Students develop a model to represent the shapes and kinds of land and bodies of water in an area. From hand-drawn classroom maps to interpretations of satellite imagery, this standard builds foundational spatial literacy and scientific modeling skills, connecting earth science, geography, and the nature of scientific representation.
1-ESS1-2: Daylight and Seasons – How the Amount of Daylight Changes Through the Year
Students make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to time of year, discovering through data that winter has the fewest hours of daylight and summer has the most. This standard develops longitudinal observation skills, introduces seasonal data comparison, and plants the seeds of understanding Earth's annual cycle around the sun.
1-ESS1-1: Sun, Moon, and Stars – Observing and Predicting Patterns in the Sky
Students use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted. This standard develops students' capacity to observe, record, and make sense of the most visible and ancient astronomical patterns - the daily arc of the sun, the changing shape of the moon, and the appearance of stars only at night.
K-ESS2-1: Weather Patterns – Observing and Describing Local Weather
Students use daily weather observations to identify patterns over time - including temperature, cloud cover, wind, and precipitation. This standard anchors the kindergarten science program in observation, data recording, and pattern recognition using real-world local data.
K-ESS2-2: Earth’s Land and Water – Using Maps to Represent Earth’s Surface
Students construct and use simple maps to identify and represent land and water on Earth's surface, developing foundational geographic and systems thinking. This standard develops spatial reasoning and introduces the concept that models can represent the real world.
K-ESS3-1: Natural Resources – What Living Things Need from the Earth
Students use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of plants and animals - including humans - and the local environments where they live, developing foundational understanding of natural resources, ecosystems, and human dependence on Earth's systems.
K-ESS3-2: Natural Hazards – Understanding and Preparing for Severe Weather
Students ask questions about the purpose of weather forecasting to prepare for, and respond to, severe weather. This standard empowers young learners with practical knowledge about natural hazards, weather safety, and the societal value of scientific forecasting.
K-ESS3-3: Human Impact – How Humans Share and Change Earth’s Resources
Students communicate solutions to reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and living things around them. This standard introduces environmental stewardship as a core dimension of scientific citizenship, empowering young learners to see themselves as agents of positive change.
K-PS3-1: Sunlight and Earth’s Surface – How Solar Energy Warms Our World
Students make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth's surface, discovering that the sun is the primary energy source driving temperature differences across land, water, sand, soil, and rocks - and that this principle connects directly to weather patterns and life's energy needs.