Page 2 - Kind News, Jr. May/June 2021, Teacher Guide

COMMON CORE, NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS (NGSS), AND CASEL-ALIGNED ACTIVITIES

Kindergarten: NGSS K-ESS3-1. Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of
different plants and animals (including humans) and the places they live. CASEL Core Competency:
Social Awareness.
To go with Amazing World, “Pyrophytic Plants!”: After reading the article, ask students: How do they
feel about fire? Are they surprised to hear that fire can be helpful to plants? Discuss how fire’s benefits
to pine trees means that it can also be helpful to animals who eat the seeds in pine cones. Ask students
to draw a picture that shows how fire helps pine trees and animals and label at least two items, such as
the sun, the canopy, pine cones, and one animal, such as a squirrel or bird. To extend the activity, students
could create their model with three-dimensional objects or on a computer or tablet.

First grade: NGSS Disciplinary Core Idea LS1.A: Structure and Function. All organisms
have external parts. Different animals use their body parts in different ways to see, hear,
grasp objects, protect themselves, move from place to place, and seek, find, and take in
food, water, and air. Plants also have different parts (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits)
that help them survive and grow. (1-LS1-1) CASEL Core Competency: Social Awareness.

To go with Amazing World, “Pyrophytic Plants!”: After reading the article, review with students:
How does fire help pine trees? How can fire be helpful to animals who eat the seeds in pine cones?
Ask students to think about how animals’ body parts help them survive. If possible, try this activity
with students (or ask them to try it at home).

Materials: Tweezers or clothespins, a tub of dirt or sand with several “play” worms (rubber bands
or gummy worms)
• Using your tweezers or clothespin, pretend you are a bird. Get the worms! What do you notice about
how your “beak” helps you to grab worms?
What other animals or plants can they think of whose body parts help them survive? Ideas might include:
• How the spikes of porcupines, caterpillars, or cacti protect them from predators

• How ducks’ webbed feet help them swim
Second grade: NGSS 2-LS4-1. Make observations of plants and animals to
compare the diversity of life in different habitats.
To go with “Jobs with Animals: Entomologist”: After reading the article,
ask students: How do they feel about insects? Why do they feel this
way? Ask them to think about insects that come into their homes.
What have they observed about them? If possible, take students outside
to observe insects, or show videos of insects in their natural habitats.
If in a virtual learning environment, ask students to perform their insect
observations from home and observe insects both indoors and outdoors.
Post the below questions for students to use during their observations.
After the observations are completed, ask: Have your feelings about insects
changed? Why or why not?
Observation questions: What insects do you see? Choose one insect to watch.

• How does it look? What are its habitat and surroundings like?
• What is it doing? Why do you think it is doing this?
• What questions do you have about the insect? Try to think of three or more.
If possible, students can take photos of the insects and upload them to
apps such as iNaturalist or Bug Hunter.
Where’s Raja?
RAJA IS HIDING ON PAGE 3!