Chapter 112. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for
Science
Subchapter A. Elementary
Statutory Authority: The provisions of this Subchapter A issued under the Texas Education Code, §28.002, unless otherwise noted.
§112.1. Implementation of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science, Elementary.
The provisions of this subchapter shall be implemented by school districts beginning September 1, 1998, and at that time shall supersede §75.28(a)-(f) of this title (relating to Science).
Source: The provisions of this §112.1 adopted to be effective September 1, 1998, 22 TexReg 7647.
§112.2. Science, Kindergarten.
(a) Introduction.
(1) In Kindergarten, science introduces the use of simple classroom and field investigations to help students develop the skills of asking questions, gathering information, communicating findings, and making informed decisions. Using their own senses and common tools such as a hand lens, students make observations and collect information. Students also use computers and information technology tools to support their investigations.
(2) As students learn science skills, they identify components of the natural world including rocks, soil, and water. Students observe the seasons and growth as examples of change. In addition, Kindergarten science includes the identification of organisms and objects and their parts. Students learn how to group living organisms and nonliving objects and explore the basic needs of living organisms.
(3) Science is a way of learning about the natural world. Students should know how science has built a vast body of changing and increasing knowledge described by physical, mathematical, and conceptual models, and also should know that science may not answer all questions.
(4) A system is a collection of cycles, structures, and processes that interact. Students should understand a whole in terms of its components and how these components relate to each other and to the whole. All systems have basic properties that can be described in terms of space, time, energy, and matter. Change and constancy occur in systems and can be observed and measured as patterns. These patterns help to predict what will happen next and can change over time.
(5) Investigations are used to learn about the natural world. Students should understand that certain types of questions can be answered by investigations, and that methods, models, and conclusions built from these investigations change as new observations are made. Models of objects and events are tools for understanding the natural world and can show how systems work. They have limitations and based on new discoveries are constantly being modified to more closely reflect the natural world.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Scientific processes. The student participates in classroom and field investigations following home and school safety procedures. The student is expected to:
(A) demonstrate safe practices during classroom and field investigations; and
(B) learn how to use and conserve resources and materials.
(2) Scientific processes. The student develops abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry in the field and the classroom. The student is expected to:
(A) ask questions about organisms, objects, and events;
(B) plan and conduct simple descriptive investigations;
(C) gather information using simple equipment and tools to extend the senses;
(D) construct reasonable explanations using information; and
(E) communicate findings about simple investigations.
(3) Scientific processes. The student knows that information and critical thinking are used in making decisions. The student is expected to:
(A) make decisions using information;
(B) discuss and justify the merits of decisions; and
(C) explain a problem in his/her own words and propose a solution.
(4) Scientific processes. The student uses age-appropriate tools and models to verify that organisms and objects and parts of organisms and objects can be observed, described, and measured. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and use senses as tools of observation; and
(B) make observations using tools including hand lenses, balances, cups, bowls, and computers.
(5) Science concepts. The student knows that organisms, objects, and events have properties and patterns. The student is expected to:
(A) describe properties of objects and characteristics of organisms;
(B) observe and identify patterns including seasons, growth, and day and night and predict what happens next; and
(C) recognize and copy patterns seen in charts and graphs.
(6) Science concepts. The student knows that systems have parts and are composed of organisms and objects. The student is expected to:
(A) sort organisms and objects into groups according to their parts and describe how the groups are formed;
(B) record observations about parts of plants including leaves, roots, stems, and flowers;
(C) record observations about parts of animals including wings, feet, heads, and tails;
(D) identify parts that, when separated from the whole, may result in the part or the whole not working, such as cars without wheels and plants without roots; and
(E) manipulate parts of objects such as toys, vehicles, or construction sets that, when put together, can do things they cannot do by themselves.
(7) Science concepts. The student knows that many types of change occur. The student is expected to:
(A) observe, describe, and record changes in size, mass, color, position, quantity, time, temperature, sound, and movement;
(B) identify that heat causes change, such as ice melting or the Sun warming the air and compare objects according to temperature;
(C) observe and record weather changes from day to day and over seasons; and
(D) observe and record stages in the life cycle of organisms in their natural environment.
(8) Science concepts. The student knows the difference between living organisms and nonliving objects. The student is expected to:
(A) identify a particular organism or object as living or nonliving; and
(B) group organisms and objects as living or nonliving.
(9) Science concepts. The student knows that living organisms have basic needs. The student is expected to:
(A) identify basic needs of living organisms;
(B) give examples of how living organisms depend on each other; and
(C) identify ways that the Earth can provide resources for life.
(10) Science concepts. The student knows that the natural world includes rocks, soil, and water. The student is expected to:
(A) observe and describe properties of rocks, soil, and water; and
(B) give examples of ways that rocks, soil, and water are useful.
Source: The provisions of this §112.2 adopted to be effective September 1, 1998, 22 TexReg 7647.
(a) Introduction.
(1) In Grade 1, the study of science includes simple classroom and field investigations to help students develop the skills of asking questions, gathering information, making measurements using non-standard units, with tools such as a thermometer to extend their senses, constructing explanations, and drawing conclusions. Students also use computers and information technology tools to support their investigations.
(2) As students learn science skills, they identify components of the natural world including rocks, soil, and natural resources. Students observe that heat from the Sun or friction, is an example of something that causes change. In addition, students identify basic needs of living things, explore ways that living things depend on each other, and separate living organisms and nonliving things into groups. Students identify parts that can be put together with other parts to do new things.
(3) Science is a way of learning about the natural world. Students should know how science has built a vast body of changing and increasing knowledge described by physical, mathematical, and conceptual models, and also should know that science may not answer all questions.
(4) A system is a collection of cycles, structures, and processes that interact. Students should understand a whole in terms of its components and how these components relate to each other and to the whole. All systems have basic properties that can be described in terms of space, time, energy, and matter. Change and constancy occur in systems and can be observed and measured as patterns. These patterns help to predict what will happen next and can change over time.
(5) Investigations are used to learn about the natural world. Students should understand that certain types of questions can be answered by investigations, and that methods, models, and conclusions built from these investigations change as new observations are made. Models of objects and events are tools for understanding the natural world and can show how systems work. They have limitations and based on new discoveries are constantly being modified to more closely reflect the natural world.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Scientific processes. The student conducts classroom and field investigations following home and school safety procedures. The student is expected to:
(A) demonstrate safe practices during classroom and field investigations; and
(B) learn how to use and conserve resources and materials.
(2) Scientific processes. The student develops abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry in the field and the classroom. The student is expected to:
(A) ask questions about organisms, objects, and events;
(B) plan and conduct simple descriptive investigations;
(C) gather information using simple equipment and tools to extend the senses;
(D) construct reasonable explanations and draw conclusions; and
(E) communicate explanations about investigations.
(3) Scientific processes. The student knows that information and critical thinking are used in making decisions. The student is expected to:
(A) make decisions using information;
(B) discuss and justify the merits of decisions; and
(C) explain a problem in his/her own words and identify a task and solution related to the problem.
(4) Scientific processes. The student uses age-appropriate tools and models to verify that organisms and objects and parts of organisms and objects can be observed, described, and measured. The student is expected to:
(A) collect information using tools including hand lenses, clocks, computers, thermometers, and balances;
(B) record and compare collected information; and
(C) measure organisms and objects and parts of organisms and objects, using non-standard units such as paper clips, hands, and pencils.
(5) Science concepts. The student knows that organisms, objects, and events have properties and patterns. The student is expected to:
(A) sort objects and events based on properties and patterns; and
(B) identify, predict, and create patterns including those seen in charts, graphs, and numbers.
(6) Science concepts. The student knows that systems have parts and are composed of organisms and objects. The student is expected to:
(A) sort organisms and objects according to their parts and characteristics;
(B) observe and describe the parts of plants and animals;
(C) manipulate objects such as toys, vehicles, or construction sets so that the parts are separated from the whole which may result in the part or the whole not working; and
(D) identify parts that, when put together, can do things they cannot do by themselves, such as a working camera with film, a car moving with a motor, and an airplane flying with fuel.
(7) Science concepts. The student knows that many types of change occur. The student is expected to:
(A) observe, measure, and record changes in size, mass, color, position, quantity, sound, and movement;
(B) identify and test ways that heat may cause change such as when ice melts;
(C) observe and record changes in weather from day to day and over seasons; and
(D) observe and record changes in the life cycle of organisms.
(8) Science concepts. The student distinguishes between living organisms and nonliving objects. The student is expected to:
(A) group living organisms and nonliving objects; and
(B) compare living organisms and nonliving objects.
(9) Science concepts. The student knows that living organisms have basic needs. The student is expected to:
(A) identify characteristics of living organisms that allow their basic needs to be met; and
(B) compare and give examples of the ways living organisms depend on each other for their basic needs.
(10) Science concepts. The student knows that the natural world includes rocks, soil, and water. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and describe a variety of natural sources of water including streams, lakes, and oceans;
(B) observe and describe differences in rocks and soil samples; and
(C) identify how rocks, soil, and water are used and how they can be recycled.
Source: The provisions of this §112.3 adopted to be effective September 1, 1998, 22 TexReg 7647.
(a) Introduction.
(1) In Grade 2, the study of science includes planning and conducting simple classroom and field investigations to help students develop the skills of making measurements using standard and non-standard units, using common tools such as rulers and clocks to collect information, classifying and sequencing objects and events, and identifying patterns. Students also use computers and information technology tools to support their investigations.
(2) As students learn science skills, they identify components and processes of the natural world including the water cycle and the use of resources. They observe melting and evaporation, weathering, and the pushing and pulling of objects as examples of change. In addition, students distinguish between characteristics of living organisms and nonliving objects, compare lifelong needs of plants and animals, understand how living organisms depend on their environments, and identify functions of parts of plants and animals.
(3) Science is a way of learning about the natural world. Students should know how science has built a vast body of changing and increasing knowledge described by physical, mathematical, and conceptual models, and also should know that science may not answer all questions.
(4) A system is a collection of cycles, structures, and processes that interact. Students should understand a whole in terms of its components and how these components relate to each other and to the whole. All systems have basic properties that can be described in terms of space, time, energy, and matter. Change and constancy occur in systems and can be observed and measured as patterns. These patterns help to predict what will happen next and can change over time.
(5) Investigations are used to learn about the natural world. Students should understand that certain types of questions can be answered by investigations, and that methods, models, and conclusions built from these investigations change as new observations are made. Models of objects and events are tools for understanding the natural world and can show how systems work. They have limitations and based on new discoveries are constantly being modified to more closely reflect the natural world.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Scientific processes. The student conducts classroom and field investigations following home and school safety procedures. The student is expected to:
(A) demonstrate safe practices during classroom and field investigations; and
(B) learn how to use and conserve resources and dispose of materials.
(2) Scientific processes. The student develops abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry in the field and the classroom. The student is expected to:
(A) ask questions about organisms, objects, and events;
(B) plan and conduct simple descriptive investigations;
(C) compare results of investigations with what students and scientists know about the world;
(D) gather information using simple equipment and tools to extend the senses;
(E) construct reasonable explanations and draw conclusions using information and prior knowledge; and
(F) communicate explanations about investigations.
(3) Scientific processes. The student knows that information and critical thinking are used in making decisions. The student is expected to:
(A) make decisions using information;
(B) discuss and justify the merits of decisions; and
(C) explain a problem in his/her own words and identify a task and solution related to the problem.
(4) Scientific processes. The student uses age-appropriate tools and models to verify that organisms and objects and parts of organisms and objects can be observed, described, and measured. The student is expected to:
(A) collect information using tools including rulers, meter sticks, measuring cups, clocks, hand lenses, computers, thermometers, and balances; and
(B) measure and compare organisms and objects and parts of organisms and objects, using standard and non-standard units.
(5) Science concepts. The student knows that organisms, objects, and events have properties and patterns. The student is expected to:
(A) classify and sequence organisms, objects, and events based on properties and patterns; and
(B) identify, predict, replicate, and create patterns including those seen in charts, graphs, and numbers.
(6) Science concepts. The student knows that systems have parts and are composed of organisms and objects. The student is expected to:
(A) manipulate, predict, and identify parts that, when separated from the whole, may result in the part or the whole not working, such as flashlights without batteries and plants without leaves;
(B) manipulate, predict, and identify parts that, when put together, can do things they cannot do by themselves, such as a guitar and guitar strings;
(C) observe and record the functions of plant parts; and
(D) observe and record the functions of animal parts.
(7) Science concepts. The student knows that many types of change occur. The student is expected to:
(A) observe, measure, record, analyze, predict, and illustrate changes in size, mass, temperature, color, position, quantity, sound, and movement;
(B) identify, predict, and test uses of heat to cause change such as melting and evaporation;
(C) demonstrate a change in the motion of an object by giving the object a push or a pull; and
(D) observe, measure, and record changes in weather, the night sky, and seasons.
(8) Science concepts. The student distinguishes between living organisms and nonliving objects. The student is expected to:
(A) identify characteristics of living organisms; and
(B) identify characteristics of nonliving objects.
(9) Science concepts. The student knows that living organisms have basic needs. The student is expected to:
(A) identify the external characteristics of different kinds of plants and animals that allow their needs to be met; and
(B) compare and give examples of the ways living organisms depend on each other and on their environments.
(10) Science concepts. The student knows that the natural world includes rocks, soil, water, and gases of the atmosphere. The student is expected to:
(A) describe and illustrate the water cycle; and
(B) identify uses of natural resources.
Source: The provisions of this §112.4 adopted to be effective September 1, 1998, 22 TexReg 7647.
(a) Introduction.
(1) In Grade 3, the study of science includes planning and implementing simple classroom and field investigations to develop the skills of collecting information using tools such as a microscope, making inferences, communicating conclusions, and making informed decisions. Students also use computers and information technology tools to support scientific investigations.
(2) As students learn science skills, they identify the importance of components of the natural world including rocks, soils, water, and atmospheric gases. They observe the direction and position of objects as they are pushed and pulled, and movement of the Earth's surface as examples of change caused by a force. Students investigate magnetism and gravity. In addition, students explore organisms' needs, habitats, and competition with other organisms within their ecosystem.
(3) Science is a way of learning about the natural world. Students should know how science has built a vast body of changing and increasing knowledge described by physical, mathematical, and conceptual models, and also should know that science may not answer all questions.
(4) A system is a collection of cycles, structures, and processes that interact. Students should understand a whole in terms of its components and how these components relate to each other and to the whole. All systems have basic properties that can be described in terms of space, time, energy, and matter. Change and constancy occur in systems and can be observed and measured as patterns. These patterns help to predict what will happen next and can change over time.
(5) Investigations are used to learn about the natural world. Students should understand that certain types of questions can be answered by investigations, and that methods, models, and conclusions built from these investigations change as new observations are made. Models of objects and events are tools for understanding the natural world and can show how systems work. They have limitations and based on new discoveries are constantly being modified to more closely reflect the natural world.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Scientific processes. The student conducts field and laboratory investigations following home and school safety procedures and environmentally appropriate and ethical practices. The student is expected to:
(A) demonstrate safe practices during field and laboratory investigations; and
(B) make wise choices in the use and conservation of resources and the disposal or recycling of materials.
(2) Scientific processes. The student uses scientific inquiry methods during field and laboratory investigations. The student is expected to:
(A) plan and implement descriptive investigations including asking well-defined questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting and using equipment and technology;
(B) collect information by observing and measuring;
(C) analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence;
(D) communicate valid conclusions; and
(E) construct simple graphs, tables, maps, and charts to organize, examine and evaluate information.
(3) Scientific processes. The student knows that information, critical thinking, and scientific problem solving are used in making decisions. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze, review, and critique scientific explanations, including hypotheses and theories, as to their strengths and weaknesses using scientific evidence and information;
(B) draw inferences based on information related to promotional materials for products and services;
(C) represent the natural world using models and identify their limitations;
(D) evaluate the impact of research on scientific thought, society, and the environment; and
(E) connect Grade 3 science concepts with the history of science and contributions of scientists.
(4) Scientific processes. The student knows how to use a variety of tools and methods to conduct science inquiry. The student is expected to:
(A) collect and analyze information using tools including calculators, microscopes, cameras, safety goggles, sound recorders, clocks, computers, thermometers, hand lenses, meter sticks, rulers, balances, magnets, and compasses; and
(B) demonstrate that repeated investigations may increase the reliability of results.
(5) Science concepts. The student knows that systems exist in the world. The student is expected to:
(A) observe and identify simple systems such as a sprouted seed and a wooden toy car; and
(B) observe a simple system and describe the role of various parts such as a yo-yo and string.
(6) Science concepts. The student knows that forces cause change. The student is expected to:
(A) measure and record changes in the position and direction of the motion of an object to which a force such as a push or pull has been applied; and
(B) identify that the surface of the Earth can be changed by forces such as earthquakes and glaciers.
(7) Science concepts. The student knows that matter has physical properties. The student is expected to:
(A) gather information including temperature, magnetism, hardness, and mass using appropriate tools to identify physical properties of matter; and
(B) identify matter as liquids, solids, and gases.
(8) Science concepts. The student knows that living organisms need food, water, light, air, a way to dispose of waste, and an environment in which to live. The student is expected to:
(A) observe and describe the habitats of organisms within an ecosystem;
(B) observe and identify organisms with similar needs that compete with one another for resources such as oxygen, water, food, or space;
(C) describe environmental changes in which some organisms would thrive, become ill, or perish; and
(D) describe how living organisms modify their physical environment to meet their needs such as beavers building a dam or humans building a home.
(9) Science concepts. The student knows that species have different adaptations that help them survive and reproduce in their environment. The student is expected to:
(A) observe and identify characteristics among species that allow each to survive and reproduce; and
(B) analyze how adaptive characteristics help individuals within a species to survive and reproduce.
(10) Science concepts. The student knows that many likenesses between offspring and parents are inherited from the parents. The student is expected to:
(A) identify some inherited traits of plants; and
(B) identify some inherited traits of animals.
(11) Science concepts. The student knows that the natural world includes earth materials and objects in the sky. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and describe the importance of earth materials including rocks, soil, water, and gases of the atmosphere in the local area and classify them as renewable, nonrenewable, or inexhaustible resources;
(B) identify and record properties of soils such as color and texture, capacity to retain water, and ability to support the growth of plants;
(C) identify the planets in our solar system and their position in relation to the Sun; and
(D) describe the characteristics of the Sun.
Source: The provisions of this §112.5 adopted to be effective September 1, 1998, 22 TexReg 7647.
(a) Introduction.
(1) In Grade 4, the study of science includes planning and implementing field and laboratory investigations using scientific methods, analyzing information, making informed decisions, and using tools such as compasses to collect information. Students also use computers and information technology tools to support scientific investigations.
(2) As students learn science skills, they identify components and processes of the natural world including properties of soil, effects of the oceans on land, and the role of the Sun as our major source of energy. In addition, students identify the physical properties of matter and observe the addition or reduction of heat as an example of what can cause changes in states of matter.
(3) Students learn the roles of living and nonliving components of simple systems and investigate differences between learned characteristics and inherited traits. They learn that adaptations of organisms that lived in the past may have increased some species' ability to survive.
(4) Science is a way of learning about the natural world. Students should know how science has built a vast body of changing and increasing knowledge described by physical, mathematical, and conceptual models, and also should know that science may not answer all questions.
(5) A system is a collection of cycles, structures, and processes that interact. Students should understand a whole in terms of its components and how these components relate to each other and to the whole. All systems have basic properties that can be described in terms of space, time, energy, and matter. Change and constancy occur in systems and can be observed and measured as patterns. These patterns help to predict what will happen next and can change over time.
(6) Investigations are used to learn about the natural world. Students should understand that certain types of questions can be answered by investigations, and that methods, models, and conclusions built from these investigations change as new observations are made. Models of objects and events are tools for understanding the natural world and can show how systems work. They have limitations and based on new discoveries are constantly being modified to more closely reflect the natural world.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Scientific processes. The student conducts field and laboratory investigations following home and school safety procedures and environmentally appropriate and ethical practices. The student is expected to:
(A) demonstrate safe practices during field and laboratory investigations; and
(B) make wise choices in the use and conservation of resources and the disposal or recycling of materials.
(2) Scientific processes. The student uses scientific inquiry methods during field and laboratory investigations. The student is expected to:
(A) plan and implement descriptive investigations including asking well-defined questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting and using equipment and technology;
(B) collect information by observing and measuring;
(C) analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence;
(D) communicate valid conclusions; and
(E) construct simple graphs, tables, maps, and charts to organize, examine, and evaluate information.
(3) Scientific processes. The student uses critical thinking and scientific problem solving to make informed decisions. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze, review, and critique scientific explanations, including hypotheses and theories, as to their strengths and weaknesses using scientific evidence and information;
(B) draw inferences based on information related to promotional materials for products and services;
(C) represent the natural world using models and identify their limitations;
(D) evaluate the impact of research on scientific thought, society, and the environment; and
(E) connect Grade 4 science concepts with the history of science and contributions of scientists.
(4) Scientific processes. The student knows how to use a variety of tools and methods to conduct science inquiry. The student is expected to:
(A) collect and analyze information using tools including calculators, safety goggles, microscopes, cameras, sound recorders, computers, hand lenses, rulers, thermometers, meter sticks, timing devices, balances, and compasses; and
(B) demonstrate that repeated investigations may increase the reliability of results.
(5) Science concepts. The student knows that complex systems may not work if some parts are removed. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and describe the roles of some organisms in living systems such as plants in a schoolyard, and parts in nonliving systems such as a light bulb in a circuit; and
(B) predict and draw conclusions about what happens when part of a system is removed.
(6) Science concepts. The student knows that change can create recognizable patterns. The student is expected to:
(A) identify patterns of change such as in weather, metamorphosis, and objects in the sky;
(B) illustrate that certain characteristics of an object can remain constant even when the object is rotated like a spinning top, translated like a skater moving in a straight line, or reflected on a smooth surface; and
(C) use reflections to verify that a natural object has symmetry.
(7) Science concepts. The student knows that matter has physical properties. The student is expected to:
(A) observe and record changes in the states of matter caused by the addition or reduction of heat; and
(B) conduct tests, compare data, and draw conclusions about physical properties of matter including states of matter, conduction, density, and buoyancy.
(8) Science concepts. The student knows that adaptations may increase the survival of members of a species. The student is expected to:
(A) identify characteristics that allow members within a species to survive and reproduce;
(B) compare adaptive characteristics of various species; and
(C) identify the kinds of species that lived in the past and compare them to existing species.
(9) Science concepts. The student knows that many likenesses between offspring and parents are inherited or learned. The student is expected to:
(A) distinguish between inherited traits and learned characteristics; and
(B) identify and provide examples of inherited traits and learned characteristics.
(10) Science concepts. The student knows that certain past events affect present and future events. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and observe effects of events that require time for changes to be noticeable including growth, erosion, dissolving, weathering, and flow; and
(B) draw conclusions about "what happened before" using fossils or charts and tables.
(11) Science concepts. The student knows that the natural world includes earth materials and objects in the sky. The student is expected to:
(A) test properties of soils including texture, capacity to retain water, and ability to support life;
(B) summarize the effects of the oceans on land; and
(C) identify the Sun as the major source of energy for the Earth and understand its role in the growth of plants, in the creation of winds, and in the water cycle.
Source: The provisions of this §112.6 adopted to be effective September 1, 1998, 22 TexReg 7647.
(a) Introduction.
(1) In Grade 5, the study of science includes planning and implementing field and laboratory investigations using scientific methods, analyzing information, making informed decisions, and using tools such as nets and cameras to collect and record information. Students also use computers and information technology tools to support scientific investigations.
(2) As students learn science skills, they identify structures and functions of Earth systems including the crust, mantle, and core and the effect of weathering on landforms. Students learn that growth, erosion, and dissolving are examples of how some past events have affected present events. Students learn about magnetism, physical states of matter, and conductivity as properties that are used to classify matter. In addition, students learn that light, heat, and electricity are all forms of energy.
(3) Students learn that adaptations can improve the survival of members of a species, and they explore an organism's niche within an ecosystem. Students continue the study of organisms by exploring a variety of traits that are inherited by offspring from their parents and study examples of learned characteristics.
(4) Science is a way of learning about the natural world. Students should know how science has built a vast body of changing and increasing knowledge described by physical, mathematical, and conceptual models, and also should know that science may not answer all questions.
(5) A system is a collection of cycles, structures, and processes that interact. Students should understand a whole in terms of its components and how these components relate to each other and to the whole. All systems have basic properties that can be described in terms of space, time, energy, and matter. Change and constancy occur in systems and can be observed and measured as patterns. These patterns help to predict what will happen next and can change over time.
(6) Investigations are used to learn about the natural world. Students should understand that certain types of questions can be answered by investigations, and that methods, models, and conclusions built from these investigations change as new observations are made. Models of objects and events are tools for understanding the natural world and can show how systems work. They have limitations and based on new discoveries are constantly being modified to more closely reflect the natural world.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Scientific processes. The student conducts field and laboratory investigations following home and school safety procedures and environmentally appropriate and ethical practices. The student is expected to:
(A) demonstrate safe practices during field and laboratory investigations; and
(B) make wise choices in the use and conservation of resources and the disposal or recycling of materials.
(2) Scientific processes. The student uses scientific methods during field and laboratory investigations. The student is expected to:
(A) plan and implement descriptive and simple experimental investigations including asking well-defined questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting and using equipment and technology;
(B) collect information by observing and measuring;
(C) analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence;
(D) communicate valid conclusions; and
(E) construct simple graphs, tables, maps, and charts using tools including computers to organize, examine, and evaluate information.
(3) Scientific processes. The student uses critical thinking and scientific problem solving to make informed decisions. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze, review, and critique scientific explanations, including hypotheses and theories, as to their strengths and weaknesses using scientific evidence and information;
(B) draw inferences based on information related to promotional materials for products and services;
(C) represent the natural world using models and identify their limitations;
(D) evaluate the impact of research on scientific thought, society, and the environment; and
(E) connect Grade 5 science concepts with the history of science and contributions of scientists.
(4) Scientific processes. The student knows how to use a variety of tools and methods to conduct science inquiry. The student is expected to:
(A) collect and analyze information using tools including calculators, microscopes, cameras, sound recorders, computers, hand lenses, rulers, thermometers, compasses, balances, hot plates, meter sticks, timing devices, magnets, collecting nets, and safety goggles; and
(B) demonstrate that repeated investigations may increase the reliability of results.
(5) Science concepts. The student knows that a system is a collection of cycles, structures, and processes that interact. The student is expected to:
(A) describe some cycles, structures, and processes that are found in a simple system; and
(B) describe some interactions that occur in a simple system.
(6) Science concepts. The student knows that some change occurs in cycles. The student is expected to:
(A) identify events and describe changes that occur on a regular basis such as in daily, weekly, lunar, and seasonal cycles;
(B) identify the significance of the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles; and
(C) describe and compare life cycles of plants and animals.
(7) Science concepts. The student knows that matter has physical properties. The student is expected to:
(A) classify matter based on its physical properties including magnetism, physical state, and the ability to conduct or insulate heat, electricity, and sound;
(B) demonstrate that some mixtures maintain the physical properties of their ingredients;
(C) identify changes that can occur in the physical properties of the ingredients of solutions such as dissolving sugar in water; and
(D) observe and measure characteristic properties of substances that remain constant such as boiling points and melting points.
(8) Science concepts. The student knows that energy occurs in many forms. The student is expected to:
(A) differentiate among forms of energy including light, heat, electrical, and solar energy;
(B) identify and demonstrate everyday examples of how light is reflected, such as from tinted windows, and refracted, such as in cameras, telescopes, and eyeglasses;
(C) demonstrate that electricity can flow in a circuit and can produce heat, light, sound, and magnetic effects; and
(D) verify that vibrating an object can produce sound.
(9) Science concepts. The student knows that adaptations may increase the survival of members of a species. The student is expected to:
(A) compare the adaptive characteristics of species that improve their ability to survive and reproduce in an ecosystem;
(B) analyze and describe adaptive characteristics that result in an organism's unique niche in an ecosystem; and
(C) predict some adaptive characteristics required for survival and reproduction by an organism in an ecosystem.
(10) Science concepts. The student knows that likenesses between offspring and parents can be inherited or learned. The student is expected to:
(A) identify traits that are inherited from parent to offspring in plants and animals; and
(B) give examples of learned characteristics that result from the influence of the environment.
(11) Science concepts. The student knows that certain past events affect present and future events. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and observe actions that require time for changes to be measurable, including growth, erosion, dissolving, weathering, and flow;
(B) draw conclusions about "what happened before" using data such as from tree-growth rings and sedimentary rock sequences; and
(C) identify past events that led to the formation of the Earth's renewable, non-renewable, and inexhaustible resources.
(12) Science concepts. The student knows that the natural world includes earth materials and objects in the sky. The student is expected to:
(A) interpret how land forms are the result of a combination of constructive and destructive forces such as deposition of sediment and weathering;
(B) describe processes responsible for the formation of coal, oil, gas, and minerals;
(C) identify the physical characteristics of the Earth and compare them to the physical characteristics of the moon; and
(D) identify gravity as the force that keeps planets in orbit around the Sun and the moon in orbit around the Earth.
Source: The provisions of this §112.7 adopted to be effective September 1, 1998, 22 TexReg 7647.