Content Standards:
New Jersey State Department of Education Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards:
Science:
- 5.1.3 Use basic science terms (e.g., observe, predict, experiment) and topic-related science vocabulary (e.g., words related to living things [fur, fins, feathers, beak, bark, trunk, stem]; weather terms [breezy, mild, cloudy, hurricane, shower, temperature]; vocabulary related to simple machines [wheel, pulley, lever, screw, inclined plane]; words for states of matter [solid, liquid]; names of basic tools [hammer, screwdriver, awl, binoculars, stethoscope, magnifier]).
- 5.1.5 Represent observations and work through drawing, recording data, and “writing” (e.g., drawing and “writing” on observation clipboards, making rubbings, charting the growth of plants).
- 5.2.1 Observe, manipulate, sort, and describe objects and materials (e.g., water, sand, clay, paint, glue, various types of blocks, collections of objects, simple household items that can be taken apart, or objects made of wood, metal, or cloth) in the classroom and outdoor environment based on size, shape, color, texture, and weight.
- 5.3.1 Investigate and compare the basic physical characteristics of plants, humans, and other animals (e.g., observing and discussing leaves, stems, roots, body parts; observing and drawing different insects; sorting leaves by shape; comparing animals with fur to those with feathers).
- 5.3.2 Observe similarities and differences in the needs of living things, and differences between living and nonliving things (e.g., observing and discussing similarities between animal babies and their parents; discussing the differences between a living thing, such as a hermit crab, and a nonliving thing, such as a shell).
- 5.3.3 Observe and describe how natural habitats provide for the basic needs of plants and animals with respect to shelter, food, water, air, and light (e.g., digging outside in the soil to investigate the kinds of animal life that live in and around the ground or replicating a natural habitat in a classroom terrarium).
- 5.3.4 Observe and record change over time and cycles of change that affect living things (e.g., monitoring the life cycle of a plant, using children’s baby photographs to discuss human change and growth, using unit blocks to record the height of classroom plants).
- 5.4.1 Explore and describe characteristics of soil, rocks, water, and air (e.g., sorting rocks by shape and/or color, observing water as a solid and a liquid, noticing the wind’s effect on playground objects).
- 5.4.2 Explore the effects of sunlight on living and nonliving things (e.g., growing plants with and without sunlight, investigating shadows that occur when the sun’s light is blocked by objects).
Visual and Performing Arts:
- 1.4.1 Demonstrate the safe and appropriate use and care of art materials and tools.
- 1.4.2 Create two- and three-dimensional works of art while exploring color, line, shape, form, texture, and space.
- 1.4.5 Demonstrate planning, persistence, and problem-solving skills while working independently, or with others, during the creative process.
English Language Arts:
- RL.PK.10= Actively participate in read aloud experiences using age appropriate literature in individual, small and large groups.
- RI.PK.1= With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key elements in a familiar text.
- RI.PK.2= With prompting and support, recall important facts from a familiar text.
- RI.PK.3= With prompting and support, make a connection between pieces of essential information in a familiar text.