Kindergarten - K-ESS2 Earth's Systems

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Disciplinary Core Ideas

ESS2.D: Weather and Climate
•  Weather is the combination of sunlight, wind, snow or rain, and temperature in a particular region at a particular time. People measure these conditions to describe and record the weather and to notice patterns over time. (K-ESS2-1)

ESS2.E: Biogeology
•  Plants and animals can change their environment. (K-ESS2-2)

ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems
• Things that people do to live comfortably can affect the world around them. But they can make choices that reduce their impacts on the land, water, air, and other living things. (secondary to K-ESS2-2)

Performance Expectations Students who demonstrate understanding can:
K-ESS2-1. Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time.   [Clarification Statement: Examples of qualitative observations could include descriptions of the weather (such as sunny, cloudy, rainy, and warm); examples of quantitative observations could include numbers of sunny, windy, and rainy days in a month. Examples of patterns could include that it is usually cooler in the morning than in the afternoon and the number of sunny days versus cloudy days in different months.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment of quantitative observations limited to whole numbers and relative measures such as warmer/cooler.]
K-ESS2-2. Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals (including humans) can change the environment to meet their needs. [Clarification Statement: Examples of plants and animals changing their environment could include a squirrel digs in the ground to hide its food and tree roots can break concrete.]

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Use the Template and Resource Links to Fulfill NGSS

l. Goals:

1. Students will learn that weather is a combination of natural events happening in the outside world – temperature, wind, sunlight vs. cloud cover, and precipitation - snow, rain, and temperature in a particular region at a particular time.
2. Students will observe, measure and help record daily weather and weather changes over time.
   
3. Understand that plants and animals can change their environment.
4. Understand that things that people do to live comfortably can affect the world around them. But they can make choices that reduce their impacts on the land, water, air, and other living things.

Essential Questions:

1. What things happening outside are considered weather events?
   
2. How do people observe, measure and record the weather?
   
3. How do plants and animals affect their environment?
4. How do the lives of people affect the world's land, water, air, and other living things.

NGSS Note: Think, question, entertain ideas.

ll. Introductory Activities to Assess Prior Knowledge

ESS2.D: Weather and Climate

1. Ask students to think about how they dress differently for playing in the snow in the winter versus going to the beach in the summer. This is a discussion of temperature.
2. Ask students to think about if they have ever been caught out in the rain. What did they do? How did this affect their experience?
3. Ask students to think about digging out after a snowstorm (or cleaning up after a windstorm, hurricane, etc). How can weather affect people’s daily lives and homes? (Did they miss school, parents late for work, home or yard possessions lost or damaged?)
4. Ask students to think about how snowstorms and rainstorms may affect people driving on roads.

A. Simple Activities - that assess students’ understanding of weather patterns.

Seasons: Print-Copy-Cut-Paste
Weather – Matching

C. Brainstorming Session
Question: What are some weather patterns vs. climates you know about?
1. Break students down into groups of 3-4.
2. Ask students to generate a list of the different weather patterns vs. climates they know of and briefly decribe them.
3. Discuss

ESS2.E: Biogeology

A. Simple Activities - that assess students’ understanding of how plants and animals can change their environment.
Plants and Animals and Their Environment - Matching

ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems
How Do Humans Affect Their Environment? Critical Thinking

Examples of Models (depicts the concept expressed in the reading): Ask students to look at photos and illustrations of weather phenomenon (and environmental issues) and ask them questions to test if they've picked up knowledge.

ESS2.E: Biogeology

How Plants and Animals Affect the Environment (Kindergarten) - Reading and Poster
Ways That Plants and Animals Change Their Environment - Coloring Page
Ways That Plants and Animals Can Change Their Environment - Diagrams

ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems

Human Impacts on Earth Systems - Poster
Humans Affect Earth Systems - Coloring Page

Examples of Models (depicts the concept expressed in the reading):
Ask students to look at the models of and explain how each illustrates the concept.

How Do Humans Affect Their Environment? Critical Thinking
Humans Affect Their Environment - Poster Making Activity

V. Summarize Knowledge - Enduring Understandings

1. Weather is the combination of sunlight, wind, snow or rain, and temperature in a particular region at a particular time. People measure these conditions to describe and record the weather and to notice patterns over time..
2. Plants and animals can change their environment.
3. Things that people do to live comfortably can affect the world around them. But they can make choices that reduce their impacts on the land, water, air, and other living things.