STANDARD 5.5    (CHARACTERISTICS OF LIFE)   ALL STUDENTS WILL GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE STRUCTURE, CHARACTERISTICS, AND BASIC NEEDS OF ORGANISMS AND WILL INVESTIGATE THE DIVERSITY OF LIFE.

 

Descriptive Statement:  The study of science must include the diversity, complexity, and interdependence of life on Earth. Students should know how organisms evolve, reproduce, and adapt to their environments.

 

Cumulative Progress Indicators

 

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 4, students will:

 

A.     Matter, Energy and Organization in Living Systems

 1.         Identify the roles that organisms may serve in a food chain.

 2.         Differentiate between the needs of plants and those of animals.

 3.         Recognize that plants and animals are composed of different parts performing different functions and working together for the well being of the organism.

 4.         Describe the basic functions of the major systems of the human body including, but not limited to:

·        digestive system

·        circulatory system

·        respiratory system

·        nervous system

·        skeletal system

·        muscular system

·        reproductive system

 

 

B.     Diversity and Biological Evolution

 1.         Develop a simple classification scheme for grouping organisms.

 2.         Recognize that individuals vary within every species, including humans.

 

C.     Reproduction and Heredity

 1.         Identify different stages in the lives of various organisms.

 

 

Link to Standard 5.5 Grade K-2

 

Link to Standard 5.5 Grade 5-6

 

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