Science Standards covered in the programs at Emerald Bay and Two Harbors.  Upon request a more detailed description of the class and how the standards are met can be provided to teachers.

California Science Standards page.
California State Board of Education:    www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/scmain.asp

Kindergarten

Life Sciences
Different types of plants and animals inhabit the earth. As a basis for understanding this concept:

a. Students know how to observe and describe similarities and differences in the appearance and behavior of plants and animals (e.g., seed-bearing plants, birds, fish, insects). This concept will be introduced to kindergarteners through learning four categories of birds.  During the sight survey, students will observe and talk about the similarities and differences of the birds they see and what appearances and behaviors would place them in each category.

c. Students know how to identify major structures of common plants and animals (e.g., stems, leaves, roots, arms, wings, legs). Students will learn about major structures of birds, specifically feathers and hollow bones.

Earth Sciences
Earth is composed of land, air, and water. As a basis for understanding this concept:

a. Students know characteristics of mountains, rivers, oceans, valleys, deserts, and local landforms. Students will be introduced to the basic characteristics and importance of watersheds, specifically Upper Newport Bay.

b. Students know changes in weather occur from day to day and across seasons, affecting Earth and its inhabitants. Students will learn that tides and seasons affect the birds in UNB.

c. Students know how to identify resources from Earth that are used in everyday life and understand that many resources can be conserved. Students will learn the definition and importance of an ecological reserve.  They will also be introduced to how human activities in UNB's watershed affect the bay.

Investigation and Experimentation
Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept and addressing the content in the other three strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:

a. Observe common objects by using the five senses.

b. Describe the properties of common objects.

c. Describe the relative position of objects by using one reference (e.g., above or below).

d. Compare and sort common objects by one physical attribute (e.g., color, shape, texture, size, weight).

e. Communicate observations orally and through drawings. Students will observe and describe different species of birds, further telling of their position in the bay (flying above the water; standing beside the marsh plants, etc…).  They will compare birds according to color, shape, or size.  Kindergarteners will also record drawings of their observations in their field journals.

a. Students know different plants and animals inhabit different kinds of environments and have external features that help them thrive in different kinds of places. Students will learn about estuary environments and why the Upper Newport Bay is an ideal environment for birds. Students will also learn about hollow bones and feathers that help birds thrive.

b. Students know both plants and animals need water, animals need food, and plants need light.

c. Students know animals eat plants or other animals for food and may also use plants or even other animals for shelter and nesting. Students will learn that the waters and plants of the UNB provide food, shelter, and place for birds to nest.

Earth Sciences
Weather can be observed, measured, and described. As a basis for understanding this concept:

b. Students know that the weather changes from day to day but that trends in temperature or of rain (or snow) tend to be predictable during a season. Students will learn that tides and seasons affect which birds they will observe at UNB.  Students will be briefly introduced to the concept that tides can be predicted and charted.

Investigation and Experimentation
Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept and addressing the content in the other three strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:

a. Draw pictures that portray some features of the thing being described.

b. Record observations and data with pictures, numbers, or written statements.

c. Record observations on a bar graph.

d. Describe the relative position of objects by using two references (e.g., above and next to, below and left of).

e. Make new observations when discrepancies exist between two descriptions of the same object or phenomenon. Students will observe and describe different species of birds, further telling of their position in the bay (flying above the water near the shore; standing in the shallow water beside the marsh plants, etc…). Students in first grade will also record drawings of their observations, quantities of birds observed, and brief written descriptions of their behavior and appearance.

a. Students know that organisms reproduce offspring of their own kind and that the offspring resemble their parents and one another.

c. Students know many characteristics of an organism are inherited from the parents. Some characteristics are caused or influenced by the environment.

d. Students know there is variation among individuals of one kind within a population. Students will observe different species of birds and their offspring.

e. Students know light, gravity, touch, or environmental stress can affect the germination, growth, and development of plants. Students will learn how environmental stress affects the plants and animals in Upper Newport Bay.

Earth Sciences
Earth is made of materials that have distinct properties and provide resources for human activities. As a basis for understanding this concept:

c. Students know that soil is made partly from weathered rock and partly from organic materials and that soils differ in their color, texture, capacity to retain water, and ability to support the growth of many kinds of plants.

e. Students know rock, water, plants, and soil provide many resources, including food, fuel, and building materials, that humans use. Students will be introduced to the basic characteristics and importance of watersheds, specifically Upper Newport Bay.  As the tides change, they expose mud flats that are an extremely important to bird populations here.

Investigation and Experimentation
Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept and addressing the content in the other three strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:

a. Make predictions based on observed patterns and not random guessing.

c. Compare and sort common objects according to two or more physical attributes (e.g., color, shape, texture, size, weight).

d. Write or draw descriptions of a sequence of steps, events, and observations.

g. Follow oral instructions for a scientific investigation. Students will predict what birds they will see using information learned during lecture.  They will observe and describe different species of birds, classifying them according to color, shape, and size.  Students will record sketches of their observations, quantities of birds observed, and written descriptions of their behavior and appearance.  Students will write a conclusion, explaining the sequence of what they did during the sight survey.

a. Students know plants and animals have structures that serve different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction. Students will learn about hollow bones and feathers, characteristics unique to birds. They will further investigate how these structures help them function.

b. Students know examples of diverse life forms in different environments, such as oceans, deserts, tundra, forests, grasslands, and wetlands.

c. Students know living things cause changes in the environment in which they live: some of these changes are detrimental to the organism or other organisms, and some are beneficial.

d. Students know when the environment changes, some plants and animals survive and reproduce; others die or move to new locations. Students will learn of the importance of wetlands, ecological reserves, and estuaries in the conservation of plants and animals, including the birds of Upper Newport Bay.  They will also be introduced to how the activities of humans and other animals in UNB's watershed affect the environment of the bay.

Investigation and Experimentation
Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept and addressing the content in the other three strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:

a. Repeat observations to improve accuracy and know that the results of similar scientific investigations seldom turn out exactly the same because of differences in the things being investigated, methods being used, or uncertainty in the observation.

b. Differentiate evidence from opinion and know that scientists do not rely on claims or conclusions unless they are backed by observations that can be confirmed.

c. Use numerical data in describing and comparing objects, events, and measurements.

d. Predict the outcome of a simple investigation and compare the result with the prediction.

e. Collect data in an investigation and analyze those data to develop a logical conclusion. Students will predict what birds they will see using information learned during lecture and then compare the results of their sight survey to recorded observations of what species of birds are common to UNB. Students will record sketches of their observations, quantities of birds observed, and written descriptions of their behavior and appearance. Students will write a conclusion, explaining the sequence of what they did during the sight survey, detailing what they learned, and use their observations to  form a scientific theory that could be investigated or tested by observation.