Hitchcock Center for the Environment’s School Programs Meet Massachusetts Curriculum Standards Small Animals and the Practice of Science Grade Levels: K-‐2 Program Description: Children are naturally drawn to animals and our programs foster this curiosity and wonder while teaching respect for all living things. Children will have the opportunity to watch a box turtle crawl on their classroom floor and to observe a variety of other live animals up close. Working as scientists in a live animal lab, students will make observations and record them through drawing and writing. Our selection of live animals does change periodically, but we currently have Speedy the Box Turtle, land snails, Thailand Walking Sticks, and various other arthropods. Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Framework: Strand: Life Science Characteristics of Living Things •
Grades PreK-‐2 Life Science #1: Animals and plants are living things that grow, reproduce, & need food, air, & water. Ecology •
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Grades PreK-‐2 Life Science #6: People and other animals interact with the environment through their senses. Grades PreK-‐2 Life Science #8: An organism’s habitat provides for its basic needs. Strand: Technology/Engineering Engineering Design •
Grades Pre-‐K-‐2 Technology/Engineering #2.2: Describe how human beings use parts of the body as tools (e.g., teeth for cutting), and compare their use with the ways in which animals use those parts of their bodies. Skills of Inquiry, Experimentation, and Design Grades PreK-‐2 •
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Ask questions about objects, organisms, and events in the environment. Name and use simple equipment and tools (e.g., hand lenses) to gather data and extend the senses. Record observations and data with pictures, numbers, or written statements. Discuss observations with others. Hitchcock Center for the Environment 525 South Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01002 www.hitchcockcenter.org | 413-‐256-‐6006