Students explore the characteristics of guppies, snails and aquatic plants in classroom aquaria. By observing those organisms in their environment, the students learn about what organisms need to survive. They recognize that the structures of the organisms serve specific functions that enable them to survive in their environments. Then, they investigate the characteristics and behaviors of gerbils and isopods. They recognize that an animal's behavior and structures enable it to meet its needs and that animals can survive only in environments in which they can meet their needs.
Students investigate the materials from which objects are made.
They discover that all materials have properties, such as color, hardness, transparency and absorbency, and that people select a material for a certain purpose according to the properties of the material. They compare structures that are made of different materials and explain why certain structures are made of specific materials. They represent the position of objects on self-made maps and relate their maps to those of city streets and of stores in the shopping mall. Students use their senses and tools, such as thermometers, rain gauges and wind speed indicators, to describe the weather conditions around them. From their observations and data, students identify patterns, such as seasonal changes, and changes in the weather over time.