Missouri K–6 science standards

Make observations during different seasons to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year.

Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time.

With prompting and support, construct an argument using evidence for how plants and animals (including but not limited to humans) can change the environment to meet their needs.

Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants or animals (including humans) and the places they live.

Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.

Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.

Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.

Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.

Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive.

Make qualitative observations of the physical properties of objects (i.e., size, shape, color, mass).

Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object.

Describe ways to change the motion of an object (i.e., how to cause an object to go slower, go faster, go farther, change direction, stop).

Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth's surface.

With prompting and support, use tools and materials to design and build a structure that will reduce the warming effect of sunlight on an area

Describe the presence of the Sun, Moon, and stars in the sky over time.

Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted.

Identify patterns indicating relationships between bserved weather data and weather phenomena (e.g., temperature and types of precipitation, clouds and amounts of precipitation).

Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.

Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.

Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.

Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.

Make observations to construct an evidence based account that young plants and animals are like, but not exactly like, their parents.

Identify the source of energy that causes an increase in the temperature of an object (e.g., Sun, stove, flame, light bulb).

Plan and conduct investigations to provide evidence that vibrating materials can make sound and that sound can make materials vibrate.

Use tools and materials to design and build a device that uses light or sound to solve the problem of communicating over a distance.

Use information from several sources to provide evidence that Earth events can occur quickly or slowly.

Compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent wind or water from changing the shape of the land.

Develop a model to represent the shapes and kinds of land and bodies of water in an area.

Obtain information to identify where water is found on Earth and that it can be solid or liquid.

Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.

Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.

Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.

Plan and conduct investigations on the growth of plants when growing conditions are altered (e.g., dark vs. light, water vs. no water).

Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants.

Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties.

Analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended purpose.

Analyze data to determine how the motion of an object changed by an applied force or the mass of an object.

Plan and conduct investigations to provide evidence that changes in vibration create change in sound.

Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.

Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world.

Make a claim about the merit of an existing design solution (e.g. levies, tornado shelters, sea walls, etc.) that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.

Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular ecosystem some organisms -- based on structural adaptations or behaviors -- can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.

Develop a model to compare and contrast observations on the life cycle of different plants and animals.

Construct scientific arguments to support claims that some characteristics of organisms are inherited from parents and some are influenced by the environment.

Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving and finding mates.

Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular ecosystem some organisms -- based on structural adaptations or behaviors -- can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot.

Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change.

Predict and investigate that water can change from a liquid to a solid (freeze), and back again (melt), or from a liquid to a gas (evaporation), and back again (condensation) as the result of temperature changes.

Construct an argument with evidence that some changes caused by heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot.

Plan and conduct investigations to determine the cause and effect relationship of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other.

Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers to support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time.

Plan and conduct scientific investigations or simulations to provide evidence how natural processes (e.g. weathering and erosion) shape Earth's surfaces.

Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth's features.

Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.

Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and plant reproduction.

Use a model to describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses, process the information in their brain, and respond to the information in different ways.

Make observations and/or measurements of an object's motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.

Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.

Plan and conduct a fair test to compare and contrast the forces (measured by a spring scale in Newtons) required to overcome friction when an object moves over different surfaces (i.e., rough/smooth).

Predict how changes in either the amount of force applied to an object or the mass of the object affects the motion (speed and direction) of the object.

Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object.

Provide evidence to construct an explanation of an energy transformation(e.g. temperature change, light, sound, motion, and magnetic effects)

Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.

Use models to explain that simple machines change the amount of effort force and/or direction of force.

Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude or wavelength and that waves can cause objects to move.

Support an argument that relative distances from Earth affects the apparent brightness of the sun compared to other stars.

Make observations during different seasons to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year.

Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in length and direction of shadows, day and night, and the seasonal appearance of some stars in the night sky.

Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact.

Describe and graph the amounts and percentages of water and fresh water in various reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on Earth.

Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth's resources and environment.

Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

Compare and contrast the major organs/organ systems (e.g. support, reproductive, digestive, transport/circulatory, excretory, response) that perform similar functions for animals belonging to different vertebrate classes.

Support an argument that plants get the materials (i.e. carbon dioxide, water, sunlight) they need for growth chiefly from air and water.

Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.

Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.

Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total weight of matter is conserved.

Plan and conduct investigations to separate the components of a mixture/solution by their physical properties (i.e., sorting, filtration, magnets, screening).

Conduct an investigation to determine whether the combining of two or more substances results in new substances.

Support an argument that the gravitational force exerted by Earth on objects is directed toward the planet's center.

Use models to describe that energy stored in food (used for body repair, growth, motion, and to maintain body warmth) was once energy from the sun.

Develop a model to describe that objects can be seen only when light is reflected off them or when they produce their own light.

Develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to explain the cyclic patterns of lunar phases and eclipses of the sun and moon.

Develop and use a model of the Earth-sun system to explain the cyclical pattern of seasons, which includes the Earth's tilt and directional angle of sunlight on different areas of Earth across the year.

Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system.

Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system.

Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize Earth's history.

Develop and use a model to illustrate that energy from the Earth's interior drives convection which cycles Earth's crust leading to melting, crystallization, weathering and deformation of large rock formations, including generation of ocean sea floor at ridges, submergence of ocean sea floor at trenches, mountain building and active volcanic chains.

Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth's surface at varying time and spatial scales.

Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures to provide evidence of the past plate motions.

Design and develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth's systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity.

Research, collect, and analyze data to provide evidence for how the motions and complex interactions of air masses results in changes in weather conditions.

Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.

Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth's mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes and human activity.

Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.

Analyze data to define the relationship for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems.

Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.

Analyze evidence of the factors that have caused the change in global temperatures over the past century.

Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.

Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.

Provide evidence that organisms (unicellular and multicellular) are made of cells and that a single cell must carry out all of the basic functions of life.

Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and ways parts of the cells contribute to that function.

Develop an argument supported by evidence for how multicellular organisms are organized by varying levels of complexity; cells, tissue, organs, organ systems.

Present evidence that body systems interact to carry out key body functions, including providing nutrients and oxygen to cells, removing carbon dioxide and waste from cells and the body, controlling body motion/activity and coordination, and protecting the body.

Construct an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors as well as specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively.

Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms.

Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.

Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on individual organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.

Construct an explanation that predicts the patterns of interactions among and between the biotic and abiotic factors in a given ecosystem.

Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.

Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that explains how changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.

Evaluate benefits and limitations of differing design solutions for maintaining an ecosystem.

Analyze and interpret evidence from the fossil record to infer patterns of environmental change resulting in extinction and changes to life forms throughout the history of the Earth.

Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals' probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.

Gather and synthesize information about the technologies that have changed the way humans influence the inheritance of desired traits in organisms.

Interpret graphical representations to support explanations of how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations over time.

Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures.

Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Gather, analyze, and present information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and how they impact society.

Develop a model that describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.

Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms remains the same during a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved.

Construct, test, and modify a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy by chemical processes.

Apply physics principles to design a solution that minimizes the force of an object during a collision and develop an evaluation of the solution.

Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object's motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.

Analyze diagrams and collect data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.

Create and analyze a graph to use as evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions depend on the mass of interacting objects.

Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that electric and magnetic fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.

Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the mass of an object and to the speed of an object.

Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.

Apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that either minimizes or maximizes thermal energy transfer.

Plan and conduct an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the temperature of the sample.

Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object.

Use mathematical representations to describe a simple model for waves that includes how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in a wave.

Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.