Associated Academic Content Standards - Science

Toledo Botanical Garden Growing Science Programs

Kindergarten - Grade Two

1. Discover that there are living things, non-living things and pretend things and describe the basic needs of living things.
2. Explain how organisms function and interact with their physical environment.
3. Describe similarities and differences that exist among individuals of the same kind of plant and animals.

1. Discover that many objects are made of parts that have different characteristics. Describe these characteristics and recognize ways an object may change.
3. Recognize sources of energy and their uses.

2. Recognize the importance of respect for all living things.

3. Gather and communicate information from careful observations and simple investigations through a variety of methods.

Grade Three - Grade Five

3. Describe Earth’s resources including rocks, soil, water, air, animals and plants and the ways in which they can be conserved.

1. Differentiate between the life cycles of different plants and animals.
2. Analyze plant and animal structures and functions needed for survival and describe the flow of energy through a system that all organisms use to survive.
3. Compare changes in an organism’s ecosystem/habitat that affect its survival.

1. Use appropriate instruments safely to observe, measure and collect data when conducting a scientific investigation.
2. Organize and evaluate observations, measurements and other data to formulate inferences and conclusions.

Academic Content Standards - Science

Toledo Botanical Garden Program: Beaks and Blooms

Kindergarten

• Explore that animals and plants cause changes to their surroundings.

• Investigate observable features of plants and animals that help them live in different kinds of places.
• Investigate the habitats of many different kinds of local plants and animals and some of the way in which animals depend on plants and each other in our community.
• Describe that stories sometimes give plants and animals characteristics they really do not have.

• Interact with living things and the environment in ways that promote respect.

Grade One

• Identify that resources are things that we get from the living and nonliving environment and that resources are necessary to meet the needs and wants of a population.
• Explain that all organisms cause changes in the environment where they live; the changes can be very noticeable or slightly noticeable, fast or slow.

Grade Two

• Explain that animals, including people, need air, water, food, living space and shelter: plants need air, water, nutrients (e.g., minerals) living space and light to survive.
• Investigate different structures of plants and animals that help them live in different environments.
• Compare the habitats of many different kinds of Ohio plants and animals and some of the ways animals depend on plants and each other.

Grade Three

• Relate animal structures to their specific survival functions.
• Describe how changes in an organism’s habitat are sometimes beneficial and sometimes harmful.

Grade Four

• Describe how organisms interact with one another in various ways (e.g., many plants depend on animals for carrying pollen or dispersing seeds).
• Relate plant structures to their specific functions.

Grade Five

• Support how an organism’s patterns of behavior are related to the nature of that organism’s ecosystem, including the kinds and numbers of other organisms present, the availability of food and resources, and the changing physical characteristics of the ecosystem.

Toledo Botanical Garden Program: Nature Profiler

Kindergarten

• Investigate observable features of plants and animals that help them live in different kinds of places.
• Investigate the habitats of many different kinds of local plants and animals and some of the way in which animals depend on plants and each other in our community.
• Explore differences in living and non-living things.
• Describe how plants and animals usually resemble their parents.
• Describe that stories sometimes give plants and animals characteristics they really do not have.

• Describe and sort objects by one or more properties.
• Describe that objects are made of parts.

• Explore that objects can be sorted as "natural" or "man-made".

• Make new observations when people give different descriptions for the same thing.
• Use the five senses to make observations about the natural world.

• Interact with living things and the environment in that that promote respect.

Grade One

• Identify that resources are things that we get from the living and nonliving environment and that resources are necessary to meet the needs and wants of a population.

• Investigate that animals eat plants and or other animals for food and may also use plants or other animals for shelter and nesting.

• Classify objects according to the materials they are made of and their physical properties.
• Work in a small group to complete and investigation and then share findings with others.
• Describe things as accurately as possible and compare with the observations of others.

Grade Two

• Explain that animals, including people, need air, water, food, living space and shelter: plants need air, water, nutrients (e.g., minerals) living space and light to survive.
• Investigate the different structures of plants and animals that help them live in different environments.
• Identify that there are many distinct environments that support different kinds of organisms.
• Compare similarities and differences among individuals of the same kind of plants and animals including people.
• Explain that food is a basic need of plants and animals and is important because it is a source of energy.

Grade Three

• Communicate scientific findings to others through a variety of methods (e.g., recorded observations, oral).
• Discuss observations and measurements made by other people.

• Classify animals according to their characteristics.

• Describe different kinds of investigations that scientists use depending on the questions they are trying to answer.

Grade Four

• Describe how organisms interact with one another in various ways (e.g., many plants depend on animals for carrying pollen or dispersing seeds).
• Compare the life cycles of different plants including germination, maturity, reproduction and death.
• Relate plant structures to their specific functions.
• Classify common plants according to their characteristics.

• Describe objects by the properties of the materials from which they are made and that theses properties can be used to separate or sort a group of objects.

• Differentiate fact from opinion and explain that scientists do not rely on claims or conclusions unless they are backed by observations that can be confirmed.
• Record the results and data from an investigation and make a reasonable explanation.
• Explain why keeping records of observations and investigations is important.

Grade Five

• Summarize that organisms can survive only in ecosystems in which their needs can be met.
• Support how an organism’s patterns of behavior are related to the nature of that organism’s ecosystem, including the kinds and numbers of other organisms present, the availability of food and resources, and the changing physical characteristics of the ecosystem.

• Evaluate observations and measurements made by other people and identify reasons for any discrepancies.
• Use evidence and observations to explain and communicate the results of investigations.
• Explain why results of an experiment are sometimes different (e.g., because of unexpected differences in what is being investigated, unrealized differences in the methods used or in the circumstances in which the investigation was carried out, and because of errors in observations).

• Develop descriptions, explanations and models using evidence to defend / support findings.
• Keep records of investigations and observations that are understandable weeks and months later.

Toledo Botanical Garden Program: Pond & Beyond

Grade One

• Explore that organisms, including people, have basic needs which include air, water, food, living space and shelter.
• Recognize that seasonal changes can influence the health survival or activities of organisms.

• Use appropriate safety procedures when completing scientific investigation.
• Work in a small group to complete an investigator and then share findings with others.
• Create individual conclusions about group findings.
• Describe things as accurately as possible and compare with the observations of others.

• Discover that when a science investigation is done the same way multiple times, one can expect to get very similar results each time it is performed.

Grade Two

• Explain that animals, including people, need air, water, food, living space and shelter: plants need air, water, nutrients (e.g., minerals) living space and light to survive.
• Investigate different structures of plants and animals that help them live in different environments.
• Identify that there are many distinct environments that support different kinds of organisms.

• Use appropriate safely procedures when completing scientific investigations.
• Use evidence to develop explanations of scientific investigations.
• Recognize that explanations are generated in response to observations, events and phenomena.
• Use appropriate tools and simple equipment/instruments to safely gather scientific data.
• Use whole numbers to order, count, identify, measure and describe things and experiences.

• Demonstrate that in science it is helpful to work with a team and share findings with others.

Grade Three

• Compare the life cycles of different animals including birth to adulthood, reproduction and death.
• Classify animals according to their characteristics.
• Describe how changes in an organism’s habitat are sometimes beneficial and sometimes harmful.

• Communicate scientific findings to others through a variety of methods (e.g., recorded observations, oral)
• Discuss observations and measurements made by other people.

• Describe different kinds of investigations that scientists use depending on the questions they are trying to answer.

Grade Four

• Identify how water exists in the air in different forms (e.g., in clouds, fog, rain, snow and hail).
• Investigate how water changes from one state to another (e.g., freezing, melting, condensation and evaporation).

• Identify characteristics of a simple physical change (e.g., heating or cooling can change water from one state to another and the change is reversible).

• Differentiate fact from opinion and explain that scientists do not rely on claims or conclusions unless they are backed by observations that can be confirmed.
• Record the results and data from an investigation and make a reasonable explanation.

Grade Five

• Investigate ways Earth’s renewable resources (e.g., fresh water) can be maintained.

• Explain how almost all kinds of animals’ food can be traced back to plants.
• Trace the organization of simple food chains and food webs.
• Support how an organism’s patterns of behavior are related to the nature of that organism’s ecosystem, including the kinds and numbers of other organisms present, the availability of food and resources, and the changing physical characteristics of the ecosystem.

• Select and safely use the appropriate tools to collect data when conducting investigations and communicating finding to others.
• Evaluate observations and measurements made by other people and identify reasons for any discrepancies.
• Explain why results of experiments are sometimes different.

• Explain why an experiment must be repeated by different people or at different times or places and yield consistent results before the results are accepted.
• Identify how scientists use different kinds of ongoing investigations depending on the questions they are trying to answer (e.g., observations of things or events in nature, data collections and controlled experiments).

Toledo Botanical Garden Program: Worm's Eye View

Kindergarten

• Explore that animals and plants cause changes to their surroundings.

• Investigate observable features of plants and animals that help them live in different kinds of places.

• Describe and sort objects by one or more properties.

• Interact with living things and the environment in that that promote respect.

Grade One

• Identify that resources are things we get from the living and nonliving environment and that resources are necessary to meet the needs and wants of a population.
• Explain that all organisms cause changes in the environment where they live; the changes can be very noticeable or slightly noticeable, fast or slow.

• Explore that organisms, including people have basic needs which include air, water, food, living space and shelter.
• Investigate that animals eat plants and other animals for food and may also use plants or other animals for shelter and nesting.

• Explore changes that greatly change the properties of an object (e.g., burning paper) and changes that leaves the properties largely unchanged (e.g., tearing paper).
• Investigate a variety of ways to make things move and what causes them to change speed, direction and/or stop.

• Use appropriate safety procedures when completing scientific investigations.
• Use appropriate tools and simple equipment/instruments to safely gather scientific data.
• Make estimates to compare familiar lengths, weights and time intervals.

• Discover that when a science investigation is done the same way multiple times one can expect to get very similar results each time it is performed.

Grade Two

• Explain that animals, including people, need air, water, food, living space and shelter: plants need air, water, nutrients (e.g., minerals) living space and light to survive.
• Investigate different structures of plants and animals that help them live in different environments.
• Identify that there are many distinct environments that support different kinds of organisms.
• Explain why organisms can survive only in environments that meet their needs.

• Use appropriate safety procedures when completing scientific investigations.
• Use evidence to develop explanations of scientific investigations.
• Use appropriate tools and simple equipment/instruments to safely gather scientific data.
• Use whole numbers to order, count, identify, measure and describe things and experiences.
• Share explanations wit others to provide opportunities to ask questions, examine evidence and suggest alternative explanations.

• Describe that scientific investigations generally work the same way under the same conditions.
• Demonstrate that in science it is helpful to work with a team and share findings with others.

Grade Three

• Observe and describe the composition of soil (e.g., small pieces of rock and decomposed pieces of plants and animals and products of plants and animals).
• Investigate the properties of soil (e.g., color, texture, capacity to retain water, ability to support plant growth).
• Investigate that soils are often found in layer and can be different from place to place.

• Describe how changes in an organism’s habitat are sometimes beneficial and sometimes harmful.

• Communicate scientific findings to others through a variety of methods (e.g., recorded observations, oral)
• Discuss observations and measurements made by other people.

• Describe different kinds of investigations that scientists use depending on the questions they are trying to answer.

Grade Four

• Explain the importance of keeping conditions the same in an experiment.
• Describe how comparisons may not be fair when some conditions are not kept the same between experiments.

• Differentiate fact from opinion and explain that scientists do not rely on claims or conclusions unless they are backed by observations that can be confirmed.
• Record the results and data from an investigation and make a reasonable explanation.

Grade Five

• Investigate ways the Earth’s renewable resources (e.g., fresh water, air, wildlife and trees) can be maintained.

• Explain how almost all kinds of animals’ food can be traced back to plants.
• Trace the organization of simple food chains and food webs.
• Support how an organism’s patterns of behavior are related to the nature of that organism’s ecosystem, including the kinds and numbers of other organisms present, the availability of food and resources, and the changing physical characteristics of the ecosystem.

• Explain why results of experiments are sometimes different.
• Identify one or tow variables in a simple experiment.
• Use evidence and observations to explain and communicate the results of investigations.
• Evaluate observations and measurements made by other people and identify reasons form any discrepancies.
• Select and safely use the appropriate tools to collect data when conducting investigations and communicating findings to others.

• Explain why an experiment must be repeated by different people or at different times or places and yield consistent results before the results are accepted.

Associated Academic Content Standards - Social Studies

Toledo Botanical Garden Pioneer Living Programs

Kindergarten - Grade Two Benchmarks

• Compare daily life in the past and present demonstrating and understanding that while basic human needs remain the same, they are met in different ways in different times and places.

Kindergarten

• Use vocabulary associated with time to distinguish broad categories of historical time such as long ago, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Grade One

• Distinguish among past, present and future.
• Raise questions about how families lived in the past and use photographs, letters, artifacts and books to clarify what is known and what is unknown.
• Compare past and present, near and far, with emphasis on daily life including:
  1. The roles of men, women and children;
  2. The identification of basic human needs.
  3. Various ways people meet human needs.

Grade Two

• Use historical artifacts, photographs, biographies, maps, diaries and folklore to answer questions about daily life in the past.
• Identify the work that people performed to make a living in the past and explain how jobs in the past are similar and/or different from those of today.
• Identify and describe examples of how science and technology have changed the daily lives of people and compare:
  1. Forms of communication from the past and present;
  2. Forms of transportation form the past and present.

Grade Three

• Describe changes in the community over time including changes in:
  1. Businesses;
  2. Architecture;
  3. Physical features;
  4. Employment;
  6. Transportation;
  9. Recreation.

Grade Four

• Describe the cultural practices and products of various groups who have settled in Ohio over time:
  3. European immigrants