In lower elementary grades, the NGSS frames the study of living things and their environments through the core idea of "Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems." This concept is developed gradually across grade levels.
Kindergarten (K-LS1 and K-ESS3-1): The focus is on the needs of living things. Students learn that all plants and animals (including humans) have basic needs for survival (e.g., water, food, air for animals; water, light, soil for plants). They also begin to understand that humans can change their environment to meet these needs.
First Grade (1-LS1): Students explore how plant and animal parts help them survive in their environment. They learn about how behaviors of parents and offspring help young survive (e.g., a bird building a nest). This builds a foundation for understanding adaptation.
Second Grade (2-LS2 and 2-LS4-1): The focus shifts to relationships. Students investigate how plants depend on animals for pollination and seed dispersal. A key standard involves comparing the diversity of life in different habitats (e.g., a rainforest vs. a desert), introducing the concept of biodiversity.
Third Grade (3-LS2, 3-LS3, 3-LS4): Learning becomes more complex, integrating multiple ideas. Students study how animals live in groups for survival, how traits are influenced by the environment, and how fossils provide evidence of past environments. A major standard involves constructing an argument about how an animal's habitat supports its survival.
Throughout K-3, the emphasis is on hands-on observation, identifying patterns, and understanding that organisms are shaped by and depend on their surroundings for survival.
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