Earthkeepers® Education Programs : Butterflies, Bugs & Botany
Concepts:
Concepts: Social Studies Extension
Pass-along plants - how they influenced our settlers and our gardens today.
Elements of a map.
Historical buildings and landmarks.
Using primary and secondary sources.
Program Objectives:
At the conclusion of the program, participants will be able to:
Program Objectives: Social Studies Extension
At the conclusion of the program, participants will be able to:
Discuss the changing role of gardening in rural and urban settings in our recent local history.
Describe the influences from the Portland Cement House on today’s homes. (The Portland Cement House is a home built for the 1936 Texas Centennial and was heralded as the "House of the Future" for all of it's modern design features.)
Recognize and utilize symbols on a map to locate landmarks.
Program 'Pack' Contents:
TEKS Correlation:
Please read below for detailed information on how our Butterflies, Bugs and Botany program has been designed to meet Grades 1-6 TEKS Science and Math goals. Social Studies TEKS correlations will be posted shortly.
SCIENCE
112.3. Science, Grade 1.
(1.1) Scientific processes. The student conducts classroom and field investigations following home and school safety procedures. The student is expected to:
(A) Practice safety while using investigative tools and when touching soil, plants and animals.
(1.2) 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 while observing animals and plants.
(C) Gather and analyze information while observing animals and associated plants.
(D,E) Communicate valid conclusions about the interaction of animals and plants.
(1.4) 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 while using tools such as trowels, rulers and magnifying glasses.
(1.6) Science concepts. The student knows that systems have parts and are composed of organisms and objects. The student is expected to:
(A) Sort organisms according to their parts and characteristics.
(B) Observe and describe the parts of plants and animals.
(1.8) Science concepts. The student distinguishes between living organisms and nonliving objects. The student is expected to:
(A) Identify characteristics of living organisms.
(1.9) Science concepts. The student knows that living organisms have basic needs. The student is expected to:
(A) Identify the habitat elements of various gardens.
(B) Compare garden animals with similar needs and gain an understanding of how they compete with one another for resources (nectar).
112.4. Science, Grade 2.
(2.1) Scientific processes. The student conducts classroom and field investigations following home and school safety procedures. The student is expected to:
(A) Practice safety while using investigative tools and when touching plants and animals.
(2.2) 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 while observing plants and animals in the gardens.
(E) Gather and analyze information while observing plants and animal interactions.
(F) Communicate valid conclusions about garden habitats and how the plants and animals interact within the various garden environment.
(2.4) 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 while using tools such as trowels, rulers and magnifying glasses.
(2.5) Science concepts. The student knows that organisms, objects, and events have properties and patterns. The student is expected to:
(A) Classify and sequence a simple system such as the butterfly life cycle.
(2.8) Science concepts. The student distinguishes between living organisms and non-living objects. The student is expected to:
(A) Identify characteristics of living organisms.
(2.9) Science concepts. The student knows that living organisms have basic needs. The student is expected to:
(A) Identify the habitat requirements for pollinating insects.
(B) Compare insects (and other animals) with similar needs and gain an understanding of how they compete with one another for nectar resources.
(C) Describe how the environmental changes of the four seasons determine the relationship of insects and flowering plants.
112.5. Science, Grade 3.
(3.1) 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) Practice safety while using investigative tools and when touching live animals.
(3.2) Scientific processes. The student uses scientific inquiry methods during field and laboratory investigations. The student is expected to:
(B, C) Gather and analyze information while observing insects and other arthropods.
(D) Communicate valid conclusions about insects (butterflies and bees) and how they interact with their environment, especially in the process of pollination.
(3.4) 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 while using tools such as trowels, collecting jars, insect nets and magnifying glasses.
(3.5) Science concepts. The student knows that systems exist in the world. The student is expected to:
(A) Observe and identify simple system such as a flowering plant.
(B) Observe and describe the physical characteristics of an insect/arthropod and how its needs are met in a garden habitat.
(3.8) 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) Describe the habitat requirements for living plants and small animals (insects and other arthropods).
(B) Identify insects with similar needs and gain an understanding of how they compete with one another for resources.
(C) Describe how the environmental changes of the four seasons determine how insects and other arthropods survive.
(D) Describe how insects such as bees build a hive to meet their needs for a home.
(3.9) 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, B) Observe and analyze how adapted characteristics help a particular insect species survive and reproduce.
(3.10) Science concepts. The student knows that many likenesses between offspring and parents are inherited from the parents. The student is expected to:
(A, B) Identify some inherited traits of plants and animals.
(3.11) Science concepts. The student knows that the natural world includes earth materials and objects in the sky. The student is expected to:
(B) Identify properties of soils such as color and texture, capacity to retain water, and ability to support the growth of plants.
112.6. Science Grade 4.
(4.1) 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) Practice safety while using investigative tools and when investigating the gardens..
(B) Make wise choices in the use and conservation of resources and the disposal and recycling of materials.
(4.2) 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 the right equipment and technology in order to examine the interrelationships of insects and plants.
(B,C) Collect and analyze information about the importance of pollinators by observing insects and flowering plants.
(D) Communicate valid conclusions about pollinators and how they interact with flowers in their environment.
(E) Construct simple graphs, tables, maps, and charts to organize, examine and evaluate information in the classroom by observing the processes occurring in the gardens.
(4.3) Scientific processes. The student uses critical thinking and scientific problem solving to make informed decisions. The student is expected to:
(F) Represent the natural world using a model, such as a flower and its pollinator, and identify its limitations.
(4.4) 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 while using tools such as nets, jars, rulers and magnifying glasses.
(4.5) Scientific 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 different insects and other animals in a garden.
(B) Predict and draw conclusions about what happens when one or more the elements are removed from the compost.
(4.6) Scientific concepts. The student knows that change can create recognizable patterns. The student is expected to:
(A) Identify patterns of change in a life cycle (metamorphosis).
(C) Use reflections to verify that a butterfly has symmetry.
(4.8) 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, B) Observe and analyze how adapted characteristics help an pollinators obtain nectar and reproduce.
(4.9) Science concepts. The student knows that many likenesses between offspring and parents are inherited from the parents. The student is expected to:
(B) Identify some inherited traits of arthropods or plants.
(4.10) 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 such as the rate of growth of a plant, or emergence of butterfly from a chrysalis.
(4.11) 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 gardens such as temperature or amount of sunlight to evaluate its capacity to support a wide variety of pollinating species such as bees, beetles or butterflies.
(C) Identify the Sun as the major source of energy for the Earth and understand its role in the growth of plants.
112.7. Science, Grade 5.
(5.1) 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) Practice safety while using investigative tools and when touching live animals.
(B) Make wise choices in the use and conservation of resources and the disposal or recycling of materials.
(5.2) Scientific processes. The student uses scientific inquiry methods during field and laboratory investigations.
(A) Plan and implement descriptive investigations about insects by asking well-defined questions and selecting and using the proper equipment.
(B, C) Gather and analyze information while observing insects and other arthropods.
(D) Communicate valid conclusions about insects (butterflies and bees) and how they interact with their environment, especially in the process of pollination.
(5.4) Scientific processes. The student knows how to use a variety of tools and methods to conduct science inquiry.
(A) Collect and analyze information while using tools such as thermometers, trowels, collecting jars, insect nets and magnifying glasses.
(5.5) 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 structures that are found in insects and plants.
(B) Describe how insects and plants interact in a garden.
(5.6) Science concepts. The student knows that change occurs in cycles. The student is expected to:
(A) Describe changes in plants and insects that occur on a regular cycle such as growth and metamorphosis.
(C) Describe and compare life cycles of plants and insects.
(5.9) Science concepts. The student knows that adaptations may increase the survival of members of a species
(A) Compare the adaptive characteristics that help a particular insect species survive and reproduce in an ecosystem.
(B) Analyze and describe adaptive characteristics that result in an arthropods unique niche in an ecosystem.
(C) Predict some adaptive characteristics required for survival and reproduction by an arthropod in an ecosystem.
(5.10) Science concepts. The student knows that likenesses between offspring and parents can be inherited from the parents. The student is expected to:
(A) Identify some inherited traits of plants and arthropods.
(5.11) 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 insect growth or metamorphosis.
112.22. Science Grade 6.
(6.1) 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) Practice safety while using investigative tools and when touching live insects or plants.
(B) Make wise choices in the use and conservation of resources and the disposal and recycling of materials.
(6.2) 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 the right equipment and technology to examine pollinators in the garden.
(B,C) Collect and analyze information about the needs of plants by observing the plants in the outside gardens.
(D) Communicate valid conclusions about insects and how they interact with plants in their environment.
(E) Construct simple graphs, tables, maps, and charts to organize, examine and evaluate information in the classroom by observing the processes occurring in the garden habitats.
(6.3) Scientific processes. The student uses critical thinking and scientific problem solving to make informed decisions. The student is expected to:
(C) Represent the natural world using a model, such as a flower and a pollinator, and identify its limitations.
(6.4) 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 while using tools such as jars, thermometers, rulers and magnifying glasses.
(6.5) Science concepts. The student knows that systems may combine with other systems to form a larger system. The student is expected to:
(A) Identify and describe a system, such as the pollination syndrome, resulting from the combination of plants, and insects.
(B) Describe how the properties of a garden habitat differ from the properties of its parts.
(6.10) Science concepts. The student knows the relationship between structure and function in living systems. The student is expected to:
(A) Differentiate between structures and their functions in various pollinating insects.
(B) Determine that pollinators possess specialized cells that carry on functions to sustain life.
(6.12) Science concepts. The student knows that the responses of organisms are caused by internal or external stimuli. The student is expected to:
(A) Identify components of an ecosystem to which insects may respond.
MATHS
111.15. Mathematics, Grade 3.
(3.9) Geometry and spatial reasoning. The student recognizes congruence and symmetry. The student is expected to:
(A) Observe and identify the congruent shapes in butterfly wings.
(B) Observe and identify lines of symmetry in butterflies and other arthropods.
(3.15) Underlying processes and mathematical tools. The student applies Grade 3 mathematics to solve problems connected to everyday experiences and activities in and outside of school. The student will:
(A,C) Use mathematics when identifying the differences between insects and other arthropods by counting legs and other body parts.