NAC389.244. Kindergarten through second grade: Science.

Instruction in kindergarten through the second grade in science must be designed so that pupils meet the following standards by the completion of the second grade:

     1. For the area of science inquiry:

     (a) Understand that science is an active process of systematically examining the natural world;

     (b) Know how to make observations and provide descriptions of such observations using words, numbers and drawings;

     (c) Know that tools can be used safely to gather data and to extend the senses; and

     (d) Know that observable patterns can be used to predict future events or sort items.

     2. For the areas of science, technology and society:

     (a) Understand that many people contribute to the field of science, including, without limitation, men and women of all ages and backgrounds; and

     (b) Know that teamwork is beneficial to the study of science, including, without limitation, working and sharing findings with others.

     3. For the area of matter:

     (a) Understand that matter has observable properties;

     (b) Know that matter can exist in a solid form or liquid form;

     (c) Know that certain properties of materials can be changed by heating, freezing, mixing, cutting or bending the material;

     (d) Know that matter can be categorized by observable properties, including, without limitation, color, size, shape and weight; and

     (e) Know that different objects can be made of many different types of materials.

     4. For the areas of force and motion:

     (a) Understand that the position and motion of an object can be described;

     (b) Know that the position and motion of an object can be changed by pushing or pulling the object;

     (c) Know that an object can move:

          (1) In various manners and directions, including, without limitation, straight lines, zigzags, vibrations and circular motions; and

          (2) At various speeds, including, without limitation, fast and slow;

     (d) Know that magnets can be used to make certain objects move without being touched; and

     (e) Know that an object will fall to the ground unless something holds the object off of the ground.

     5. For the area of energy:

     (a) Understand that heat, light and sound can be produced;

     (b) Know that the sun is a source of heat and light;

     (c) Know that sound is produced through the vibration of one or more objects; and

     (d) Know that an object can be described as hot or cold in relation to another object.

     6. For the area of heredity:

     (a) Understand that living things, including, without limitation, plants and animals, pass certain characteristics to their offspring that make them resemble each other; and

     (b) Know that differences exist among individuals of the same kind of plant or animal.

     7. For the area of the structure of life:

     (a) Understand that living things have identifiable characteristics; and

     (b) Know that humans and other animals use their senses to understand and adapt to their environment.

     8. For the area of organisms and their environment:

     (a) Understand that living things live in different places and environments;

     (b) Know that plants and animals need certain resources for energy and growth;

     (c) Know that a habitat includes, without limitation, food, water, shelter and space; and

     (d) Know that living things exist almost everywhere on the earth.

     9. For the area of the diversity of life:

     (a) Understand that there are many kinds of living things on the earth;

     (b) Know that plants and animals can be distinguished by observable characteristics and behaviors; and

     (c) Know that certain plants and animals are extinct.

     10. For the areas of the atmospheric processes and the cycle of water:

     (a) Understand that changes in the weather can transform the state of water from a liquid form to a solid form or a solid form to a liquid form;

     (b) Know that the sun is a source of heat and light;

     (c) Know that the water on the earth exists in a liquid form or solid form and can transform from one form to the other form;

     (d) Know that the weather changes from day to day and from season to season; and

     (e) Know that the weather can be described in terms of certain measurements, including, without limitation, the degree of the temperature, the direction and speed of the wind, and the amount of precipitation.

     11. For the areas of the solar system and the universe:

     (a) Understand that there are objects in the sky which display patterns, including, without limitation, how they look, where they are located and how they move;

     (b) Know that the sun rises every day and the moon can rise during the day and night;

     (c) Know that the sun and moon appear to move across the sky; and

     (d) Know that the shape of the moon appears to change over the course of a month.

     12. For the area of the structure and composition of the earth:

     (a) Understand that the earth is composed of various materials, including, without limitation, rock, soil and water;

     (b) Know that rocks exist in various sizes, shapes, textures and colors;

     (c) Know that different objects are made of different types of materials; and

     (d) Know that the color and texture of soil depends upon the composition of the soil.

     (Added to NAC by Bd. of Education by R075-99, eff. 11-4-99; A by R041-05, 10-31-2005)