Weather can be described and measured by:
• temperature;
• wind speed and direction;
• form and amount of precipitation;
• general sky conditions (cloudy, sunny, partly cloudy)
Erosion and deposition result from the interaction among air, water, and land.
• interaction between air and water breaks down earth materials;
• pieces of earth material may be moved by air, water, wind, and gravity;
• pieces of earth material will settle or deposit on land or in the water in different places;
• soil is composed of brokendown pieces of living and nonliving earth material
Measurements can be made with standard metric units and nonstandard units. (Note: Exceptions to the metric system usage are found in meteorology.)
The force of magnetism on objects decreases as distance increases.
Objects have properties that can be observed, described, and/or measured: length, width, volume, size, shape, mass or weight, temperature, texture, flexibility, reflectiveness of light.
Temperature can affect the state of matter of a substance.
Humans utilize interactions between matter and energy.
• chemical to electrical, light, and heat: battery and bulb;
• electrical to sound (e.g. doorbell buzzer);
• mechanical to sound (e.g., musical instruments, clapping);
• light to electrical (e.g., solarpowered calculator)
Some materials transfer energy better than others (heat and electricity).
Energy and matter interact: water is evaporated by the Sun’s heat; a bulb is lighted by means of electrical current; a musical instrument is played to produce sound; dark colors may absorb light, light colors may reflect light.
The force of gravity pulls objects toward the center of Earth.
Matter takes up space and has mass. Two objects cannot occupy the same place at the same time.
The material(s) an object is made up of determine some specific properties of the object (sink/float, conductivity, magnetism). Properties can be observed or measured with tools such as hand lenses, metric rulers, thermometers, balances, magnets, circuit testers, and graduated cylinders.
Living things grow, take in nutrients, breathe, reproduce, eliminate waste, and die.
Some traits of living things have been inherited (e.g., color of flowers and number of limbs of animals).
Growth is the process by which plants and animals increase in size.
Each animal has different structures that serve different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction.
• wings, legs, or fins enable some animals to seek shelter and escape predators;
• the mouth, including teeth, jaws, and tongue, enables some animals to eat and drink;
• eyes, nose, ears, tongue, and skin of some animals enable the animals to sense their surroundings;
• claws, shells, spines, feathers, fur, scales, and color of body covering enable some animals to protect themselves from predators and other environmental conditions, or enable them to obtain food;
• some animals have parts that are used to produce sounds and smells to help the animal meet its needs;
• the characteristics of some animals change as seasonal conditions change (e.g., fur grows and is shed to help regulate body heat; body fat is a form of stored energy and it changes as the seasons change)
Each plant has different structures that serve different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction.
• roots help support the plant and take in water and nutrients;
• leaves help plants utilize sunlight to make food for the plant;
• stems, stalks, trunks, and other similar structures provide support for the plant;
• some plants have flowers;
• flowers are reproductive structures of plants that produce fruit which contains seeds;
• seeds contain stored food that aids in germination and the growth of young plants
In order to survive in their environment, plants and animals must be adapted to that environment.
• seeds disperse by a plant’s own mechanism and/or in a variety of ways that can include wind, water, and animals;
• leaf, flower, stem, and root adaptations may include variations in size, shape, thickness, color, smell, and texture;
• animal adaptations include coloration for warning or attraction, camouflage, defense mechanisms, movement, hibernation, and migration
Good health habits include hand washing and personal cleanliness; avoiding harmful substances (including alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs); eating a balanced diet; engaging in regular exercise.
Each kind of plant goes through its own stages of growth and development that may include seed, young plant, and mature plant.
Animals respond to change in their environment (e.g., perspiration, heart rate, breathing rate, eye blinking, shivering, and salivating).
Some animal behaviors are influenced by environmental conditions. These behaviors may include: nest building, hibernating, hunting, migrating, and communicating.
Decomposers are living things that play a vital role in recycling nutrients.
The Sun’s energy is transferred on Earth from plants to animals through the food chain.
Humans, as individuals or communities, change environments in ways that can be either helpful or harmful for themselves and other organisms.
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