kindergarten science teks content guide...kindergarten science content guide page 2 teks: k.5 a –...

Kindergarten Science Content Guide

Introduction:

The TEKS Content Guides are a teacher tool designed to aide the teacher in navigating the content within the

science TEKS. Within the Content guide, the teacher will find three sections for every set of TEKS. The first

section is a listing of the actual wording from the science TEKS. The second section is a content explanation

for the teacher to help the teacher better understand the content they are about to teach. The third and final

section is a listing of tips for the teacher to use when instructing the content to their students.

Section 1: TEKS Statements

The TEKS found in this section are taken directly from TEA’s listing of TEKS. The TEKS in this document have

been grouped according to TEA’s grouping (number order) in the official TEKS document. The order of the

TEKS in this document has no significance and teachers should refer to the curriculum documents for pacing

and sequence of TEKS.

Section 2: Content Explanation for the Teacher

It is important to note that the explanations for teachers below are not necessarily what students must know,

but show where future learning will take the students in later years. They are included here in an effort to

help prevent misconceptions from being formed as well as to help teachers see why some of the tips for

instruction are given the way they are. The content explanations should be used for teacher background

knowledge and not used as a guide for what to teach students.

Section 3: Tips for Instruction

Unlike the content explanations, this section is for use with students. The tips included in this section are

designed to help teachers meet all aspects of the TEKS. These tips take into consideration the content and the

performance standard (verb) of the TEKS. An effort has been made to create example investigations in this

section to aide the teacher in meeting the investigation requirements of the new 2010 TEKS. An effort has

also been made to align process skills TEKS and the Tools TEKS to the content. This is not an exhaustive list of

ideas but a starting point for the teacher.

Kindergarten Science TEKS Content Guide


TEKS:

K.5 A – Observe and record properties of objects, including relative size and mass (such as bigger or smaller

and heavier or lighter), shape, color, and texture.

K.5 B – Observe, record, and discuss how materials can be changed by heating or cooling.

Content Explanation for the Teacher:

All objects can be identified by their specific and unique properties. The idea is to be able to tell different

objects apart, based on these properties. Mass is a measurement of the amount matter (substance) in an

object. Mass is different from weight in that weight is a measurement of the amount of gravity that pulls

down on an object. Students use a scale to measure weight while a balance is used to measure mass. The

word relative in the TEKS refers to comparing one object to another object.

Some properties of objects can be changed by heating and cooling. Students can observe this change and

record the outcome. The changes occur by adding or removing heat energy from the object. When heat is

added to an object you are heating the object but when heat is removed from the object you are cooling the

object. A misconception that students develop is that cooling is the addition of cold while in actuality cooling

is the removal of heat.

Tips for Instruction:

Gather similar objects like varying pieces of fruit or different size, shape and color balls. Ask students to

examine the objects and make observation statements about the properties of the objects. Use cups and

bowls to sort objects of varying size, shape, color, mass, or texture.

Give each student an ice cube in a cup. Ask them to draw the “before” picture of the ice cube. Allow the cube

to set in front of them as they watch the cube melt. Draw the after. You may choose to add a lamp, hairdryer

or sunlight in the window to further demonstrate the heating process. Use a timing device to determine how

long it takes an object to change by heating or cooling.

Demonstrate change of material by putting a few chocolate chips in a baggie and having students use their

body heat to melt the chocolate chip in the bag. The place the sealed baggie in a bucket of ice and allow to

harden to a solid again.

During observation of materials, be sure to incorporate the use of the following items: hand lens, primary

balance, non-standard measuring tools (paper clips, clothespins).When using the primary balance, inform

students they are comparing or taking the mass of the object not weighing the objects.


TEKS:

K.6 A- Use the five senses to explore different forms of energy such as light, heat, and sound;


An observation is something you notice with your senses. Careful observations are the beginning of all

science. Light is the kind of energy we see with our eyes. We can feel heat energy and hear sound energy.

Students should use their senses to describe each form of energy in different ways.

Not all senses will be able to explore each form of energy. Light energy will be limited to sight and touch

(using hands to block the light). Heat energy will be limited to touch and taste. Sound energy allows for

hearing, touch, sight (seeing vibrations) and possibly taste (Pop Rocks).

Tips for instruction:

Share different picture books with various displays of light, heat and sound energy through everyday life

occurrences: sunlight, cooking, music, etc.

Allow students to explore with mini-flashlights, heating pad/warmed food, music from a recorded device or

musical instrument.

Allow students to use their senses as a tool of observation

Give the students the opportunity to identify different forms of energy that occur in everyday life. Example –

flashlights, radios, candles, etc.

Have students practice making observations by showing pictures of different kinds of energy and asking them

if they were in the picture what would they observe with their senses.


TEKS:

K.6 B – Explore interactions between magnets and various materials


Objects can be categorized as magnetic or nonmagnetic. A misconception that students may have is that all

metals are magnetic. However, only the metals iron, nickel, and cobalt are magnetic. Other metals, such as

steel, are a mixture of metals that contain iron and nickel, which makes them magnetic as well. There are

metals, such as aluminum and copper, which are not magnetic at all. Students should learn that all objects

can be categorized as magnetic or nonmagnetic.

Tips for instruction:

Allow student to hold two magnets at a time and first explore the interaction between the two magnets.

Give students one magnet and a variety of both magnetic (paper clips) and non-magnetic objects to test.

Make sure to include items made from metals that are magnetic and nonmagnetic.


TEKS:

K.6 C – Observe and describe the location of an object in relation to another such as above, below, behind,

in front of, and beside; and

K.6 D – Observe and describe the ways that objects can move such as in a straight line, zigzag, up and down,

back and forth, round and round, and fast and slow.


All objects have a position or a location. Location can be described by comparing the item to other objects.

Motion is the change in position. Objects can be pushed or pulled in different directions and different speeds

to create movement.

Students are to gain observation skills and build upon their detailed and descriptive language. These TEKS are

the precursor to force and motion where an object moves only when a force is applied to the object. Different

forces cause different types of movement.


Using a beloved class object (teddy bear), move it to a new location in the room and have the students

describe to you using the above mentioned terms (K.6C) the location of the object relative to the teacher’s

position in the room.

Demonstrate the terms of movement to the class by moving a beloved class object (teddy bear) while

narrating the details of its movement. Allow students to then each have a turn demonstrating the movement

that you choose.

Have students follow directions by moving to different locations at different speeds. Example – John move

the book below the chair or have the students line up in different orders: Sally move beside John. Amy slowly

move in front of Robert.

Allow students to measure the distance from one object to another object using non-standard measuring

tools.


TEKS:

K.7 A—Observe, describe, compare, and sort rocks by size, shape, color, and texture;


Rocks can be sorted and classified based on their size, shape, color, and texture. The color of a rock is

determined by the types of minerals found within the rock. The color (types of minerals) in the rock is the

only thing about the rock that cannot be changed. The shape, size, and texture of the rock can all be changed

by breaking the rock.


Gather rocks from around the school or use rock kits found in the science lab and allow students to use cups

and bowls to sort the rocks by size, shape, color, and texture.

Give each student two rocks and allow them to use a hand lens to observe the two rocks. Following the

observation allow students compare the two rocks by drawing and writing about what they observed in their

student notebook.

Use a rock tumbler to change the texture of a rock to show students how a rocks texture can be changed by a

flowing river.


TEKS:

K.7 B—Observe and describe physical properties of natural sources of water, including color and clarity; and


Natural sources of water includes: rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, creeks, oceans, and precipitation (rain).

Physical properties of the water include the color and clarity of the water. This TEKS is a precursor to the

students understanding of erosion. In the process of erosion natural sources of water will pick up broken

pieces of rock or sediments and carry those broken pieces of rock to a new place. Dark brown water indicates

a source of water with many sediment or rock particles within it. The more sediment found in a body of water

the less clear (clarity) it will be. Algae growth in a body of water will also change the color and clarity of the

water.

Tips for Instruction

Compare the water collected in a jar after a rainfall to the water from the sink. The rainfall water may have a

light brownish tint due to the dust and dirt it picked up in the air as it fell to the ground.

Observe samples of water found from 3 different sources of water (example: pond, lake, and stream). Allow

students to compare the color and clarity of the different types of water.

Create a sediment jar by placing dirt, sand, and soil in the bottom of a clear plastic jar. Fill the remainder of

the jar with water. Allow students to shake the jars to simulate a flowing river and change the color and

clarity of the water. Allow students to observe the changes in the color and clarity of the jars as the sediments

settle back out to the bottom.

Observe pictures of various natural sources of water and allow students to observe the color and clarity of

water within the pictures.

Take a class field trip or picnic to a neighborhood stream or pond. Allow students to color a picture of the

water showing color and clarity in their science notebooks.


TEKS:

K.7 C—Give examples of ways rocks, soil, and water are useful.


Many modern convinces are only possible due to the usefulness of rocks, soil, and water.

Some uses of Rocks (not exhaustive): Granite, shale, and limestone, are used on the outside of homes and other

buildings. Graphite is the part of the pencil used for writing. Marble is used in decorative ways in homes, other buildings,

and gravestones. Some rocks are classified as gems and, as such, are used in jewelry. Talc is used in bath powders.

Halite, salt, is used in food preparation and on icy roads.

Some uses of Soil (not exhaustive): Plants need soil in order to grow. Sand, a type of soil, is used in the

production of glass. Clay, another type of soil, is used in the creation of pottery.

Some uses of Water (not exhaustive): All organisms must have (drink) water to survive. Flowing water

through a dam can be used as an energy source.


Take a water, soil, and rock scavenger hut to determine what everyday things used by the students are

created from rocks, soil, or water.

All students to generate ways that rocks, soil, and water are useful to them.


TEKS:

K.8 A – Observe and describe weather changes from day to day and over seasons;

K.8 B – Identify events that have repeating patterns, including seasons of the year and day and night; and

K.8 C – Observe, describe, and illustrate objects in the sky such as the clouds, Moon, and stars, including the

Sun.


Weather happens all the time, but students rarely can explain exactly what weather is. Weather is the

condition in the atmosphere at a specific time and at a specific place. It is more than just temperature, and

whether or not it is sunny outside. Weather includes temperature, wind speed/direction, air pressure,

humidity, and precipitation. Weather for an area is due to 4 factors: the amount of heat energy present, air

pressure, wind, and moisture. In kindergarten, students are expected to observe and describe the changes in

temperature and the changes in wind strength using a wind sock.

Heat Energy- Heat energy is absorbed and released by Earth’s surface. The sun is the source of heat

energy on Earth. Heat energy is measured by temperature.

Air Pressure- Falling air pressure usually brings about stormy weather, while rising pressure usually

brings sunny to fair weather. Temperature affects air pressure. The higher the temperature, the lower

the pressure. As temperature drops, pressure increases.

Wind- Wind is created by the uneven heating of Earth’s surfaces by what is known as convection

currents. As surfaces are heated, some surfaces absorb heat faster. The air above the hotter surface

starts to rise. As a result, the cooler air from above the surfaces that do not heat as quickly moves in to

replace the rising air. The moving air is the wind. Air Pressure affects the strength of wind. The

greater the difference, the stronger the wind. Air moves from high to low pressure.

Moisture- The amount of moisture is called the Humidity.

For kindergarten, students need to only understand the basics of weather: during the day the temperature

is hotter than at night; summer is generally hotter than winter; as the season’s change, the temperatures

change.


Features in the Sky:

Moon- Some basic facts for the teacher about the moon:

o The time it takes the moon to complete one rotation on its axis and one revolution around

Earth is the same. (approximately 28 days)

o Because the rotation and revolution are the same, we always see the same side of the moon

from Earth.

o The moon has no atmosphere and as such cannot support life naturally.

o The surface of the moon is made up of craters (meteors impacting the surface), mountains, and

a rocky surface.

o Items have the same mass as they would on Earth, but the weight of the object would be less.

o The moon reflects the light of the sun.

o The moon has 8 phases

that it goes through

based on how we on

Earth see the reflection

of the sun as the moon

revolves around Earth.

During the phases, ½ of

the moon always

reflects the light of the

sun, but the phase we

see is based on the

moon position in

relation to Earth. See

the diagram to the

right.


o The light part of the moon that Earth sees grows from the right as the moon phases change towards a

full moon.

o The shaded part of the moon that Earth sees grows from the right as the moon phases change towards a

new moon.

o The change in moonrise from one day to another is approximately 50 minutes later each day.

Sun- the closest star to Earth that is the primary source of all energy on Earth.

o The sun is the center of our solar system.

o All objects in our solar system including planets, moons, comets, asteroids, and meteors are held in an

orbit around the sun by the sun’s gravitational pull.

o The sun is made up of mostly hydrogen gas.

o The sun gives off light energy and heat energy.

Clouds- Clouds are formed when evaporated water cools and condenses back into a liquid onto tiny

pieces of dust and dirt particles in the air. Clouds occur in various sizes and shapes and are named

based on their shape.

In Kindergarten, students only need to identify the different objects that can be found in the sky.

Patterns we observe

Day and Night- Day and night is caused by the rotation of the Earth around its own axis. It is day time when our

part of the Earth is pointed toward the sun and night time when our part of the Earth is pointed away from the

Sun.

Seasons- The seasons are caused by the revolution of the Earth around the Sun. It takes one full year for the

Earth to make a complete revolution around the Sun.

In Kindergarten, students only need to identify the patterns that occur due to day and night and the seasons.



This is a perfect opportunity to continue working on teaching students the basic way of organizing data

in a chart or table

Use wind socks to record the direction and strength of the wind

Use a demonstration thermometer to show students the current outside temperature

A daily chart to record the data and track over the month will help students see patterns

Creating pictures to show the weather during a season would help students visualize the content

To tie in vocabulary building for reading, have students create a list of adjectives to match the weather

of a season.

Talk about and match the appropriate clothing that should be worn for the different types of weather

that can be seen.

For K.8C, students need to be able to see these different objects in the sky and draw what they see.

Taking them outside when the moon is visible during the day, going out when the various types of

clouds can be seen are going to help build a strong foundation and lessen the chance of

misconceptions forming in their minds.

Creating the different types of clouds with objects like cotton balls will also help the students realize

that clouds are not just the big white puffy objects we tend to draw. The students do not need to

know the different names, but they do need to start to understand that clouds come in different

shapes and sizes.

Drawing the way the moon looks over a series of days that the moon is visible during the day will help

students start to understand the moon phases. The students here do not need to know the moon

phases. They need to start to see that the moon can look different from one day to the next, but is still

the same moon.

Charting the way the sun moves across the sky as a way to describe its movement. Students only have

to be concerned with describing the way it moves not the result the movement has on temperature.


TEKS:

K.9 A – Differentiate between living and non living things based upon whether they have basic needs and

produce offspring; and

K.9 B – Examine evidence that living organisms have basic needs such as food, water, shelter for animals

and air, water, nutrients, sunlight, and space for plants


If it was once living and is now dead it is still categorized as living. For example, a dead tree branch is

considered living because it was once living on a tree. To be considered a living thing it must have basic needs

and produce offspring. The tree had basic needs and produced seeds for offspring which makes the branch a

living thing. Living organisms are both plants and animals. The basic needs of plants are nutrients, soil, air,

water, space to grow and light. The basic needs of animals are food, water, air, and shelter.


-Sort objects by living and non-living (rocks, sticks, plants, insects, animals, dirt, clouds, apple)

-Grow a plant and observe the basic needs being met.

-Observe an animal in a terrarium or aquarium for a period of time and journal about the basic needs.

On a zoo field trip or a walk outside, observe, discuss and, categorize items discovered as living or non-living.

TEKS:

K.10 B – Identify parts of animals such as head, eyes, and limbs


There are some common parts of bodies that animals have such as head, eyes, and limbs. Each body part

serves a different function. Limbs provide locomotion which is a necessary adaptation for animals to escape

predators and move to find food. Eyes provide sight and the head houses the brain which is responsible for all

body processes.


Allow children to piece together parts of different animals including people. Label the parts and recognize that

different species have some similar body part, and each part serves a purpose. Use collecting nets, hand

lenses and small terrariums or jars to capture insects to observe their different parts.


TEKS:

K.10 A – Sort Plants into groups based on physical characteristics such as color, size, body covering, or leaf

shape;

K.10 B – Identify parts of plants such as roots, stem, and leaves


Plants have different parts and each part has a different function. Leaves make the food and collect sunlight,

stems support the plant and provide a means to transport food from the leaf, and water and nutrients are

taken in by the roots. Roots take in water and nutrients from the ground. Flowers produce the seeds for new

plants. Flowers are the reproductive part of the plant.


-Allow children to piece together parts of a plant. Label the parts and recognize that different plant parts serve

a different purpose.

-Grow a flowering plant such as an Amaryllis, a large fast growing bulb. Observe the parts of the plant as it

grows.

TEKS:

K.10 C- Identify ways that young plants resemble the parent plant; and


Plants have characteristics that are inherited from their parents. Some examples are the shape of the leaf,

height of the plant, type of roots, ability to hold water, color of leaves, and color of flowers.


-Plant mystery seeds from a variety of seeds packets. Show the children the picture on the packet of seeds

and let them predict which seed will grow into which plant. When it grows observe that the characteristics of

the new plant are like the parent plant on the packet.


TEKS:

K.10 D – Observe changes that are part of a simple life cycle of a plant: seed, seedling, plant, flower, and

fruit.


A seed remains dormant until the basic needs are provided, water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide. Once these

needs are present the seed will start to

germinate, sprout, grow, mature,

produce fruit and/or seeds.


-Plant mystery seeds from a variety of seeds packets. Show the children the picture on the packet of seeds

and let them predict which seed will grow into which plant. When it grows observe that the characteristics of

the new plant are like the parent plant on the packet.

-Plant bean seeds in a cup and remove only one basic need from each group of plants and provide all of the

basic needs: sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. Observe and record observations over a period of time.

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