• Elementary Science

     


     

    Curricula

     


     

    Amplify Science

     

    Imagine a science program where your child gets to act like a real scientist! That's what Amplify Science is all about. It's a way of learning science in elementary school (grades K-8) that's different from just reading out of a textbook.

    Here's the exciting part:

    • Hands-on activities: Amplify Science uses things kids can see and touch to learn about science. This could be building models, doing experiments, or going on virtual field trips.
    • Reading and writing like scientists: Your child will learn to read science content and also write about their findings, just like real scientists do.
    • Cool digital tools: Amplify Science uses computers and tablets in a fun way to help kids learn. There might be simulations, animations, or even games to help them explore science concepts.

    Overall, Amplify Science helps kids with these important skills:

    • Thinking critically: Your child will learn to ask questions, gather evidence, and solve problems like a scientist.
    • Working together: Science is a team effort, and Amplify Science helps kids learn how to collaborate with classmates.
    • Loving science: By making science fun and engaging, Amplify Science can spark a lifelong love of learning in your child.

    If you'd like to learn more, you can talk to your child's teacher. There might even be some online resources or videos from Amplify Science that you can look at together.

    Grade Level Unit Name Units at a glance Unit Length Suggested Dates
    Kindergarten Life Science
    Unit 1: Needs of Plants and Animals
    Needs of Plants and Animals
    Students take on the role of scientists in order to figure out why there have been no monarch caterpillars in the community garden since vegetables were planted. They investigate how plants and animals get what they need to live and grow, and make a new plan for the community garden that provides for the needs of the monarch caterpillars in addition to producing vegetables for humans.
    20 lessons
    45 minutes each
    Aug 19 - Nov 8
    (57 Instructional Days)
      Physical Science
    Unit 2: Pushes and Pulls
    Pushes and Pulls
    Students take on the role of pinball machine engineers as they investigate the effects of forces on the motion of an object. They conduct tests in their own prototypes (models) of a pinball machine and use what they learn to contribute to the design of a class pinball machine. Over the course of the unit, students construct a foundational understanding of why things move in different ways.
    20 lessons
    45 minutes each
    Nov 12 - Mar 14
    (67 Instructional Days)
    Thanksgiving Holiday Nov 25-29
    Winter Recess Dec 16 - Jan 3
      Earth Science
    Unit 3: Sunlight and Weather
    Sunlight and Weather
    The principals of Woodland Elementary and Carver Elementary need student weather scientists to help them explain why Woodland’s playground is warmer than Carver’s at recess. Students gather data from models of the sun and Earth’s surface and observe their own playgrounds to figure out how sunlight causes changes in the temperatures of different surfaces. Students then use models to figure out why Woodland’s playground sometimes floods.
    20 lessons
    45 minutes each
    March 17 - June 6
    (52 Instructional Days)
    Spring Recess April 14 - 18
    First Grade Life Science
    Unit 1: Animal and Plant
    Defenses
    Animal and Plant Defenses
    Students play the role of marine scientists. In their role, students apply their understanding of plant and animal defense structures to explain to aquarium visitors how a sea turtle and her offspring can defend themselves from ocean predators when they are released into the wild.
    22 lessons
    45 minutes each
    Aug 19 - Nov 8
    (57 Instructional Days)
      Physical Science
    Unit 2: Light and Sound
    Light and Sound
    Students take on the role of light and sound engineers for a puppet show company as they investigate cause and effect relationships to learn about the nature of light and sound. They apply what they learn to design shadow scenery and sound effects for a puppet show.
    22 lessons
    45 minutes each
    Nov 12 - Mar 14
    (67 Instructional Days)
    Thanksgiving Holiday Nov 25-29
    Winter Recess Dec 16 - Jan 3
      Earth Science
    Unit 3: Spinning Earth
    Spinning Earth
    As sky scientists, students explain why a boy living in a place near them sees different things in the sky than his grandma does when he talks to her on the phone. Students record, organize, and analyze observations of the sun and other sky objects as they look for patterns and make sense of the cycle of daytime and nighttime.
    22 lessons
    45 minutes each
    March 17 - June 6
    (52 Instructional Days)
    Spring Recess April 14 - 18
    Second Grade Life Science
    Unit 1: Plant and Animal
    Relationships
    Plant and Animal Relationships
    In their role as plant scientists, students work to figure out why there are no new chalta trees growing in the Bengal Tiger Reserve, which is part of a broadleaf forest. Students investigate what the chalta tree needs to survive, then collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data to solve the mystery.
    22 lessons
    60 minutes each
    Aug 19 - Nov 8
    (57 Instructional Days)
      Physical Science
    Unit 2: Properties of Materials
    Properties of Materials
    As glue engineers, students are challenged to create a glue for use at their school that meets a set of design goals. Students present an evidence-based argument for why their glue mixture will be good for their school to use.
    22 lessons
    60 minutes each
    Nov 12 - Mar 14
    (67 Instructional Days)
    Thanksgiving Holiday Nov 25-29
    Winter Recess Dec 16 - Jan 3
      Earth Science
    Unit 3: Changing Landforms
    Changing Landforms
    The director of the Oceanside Recreation Center gets a scare when a nearby cliff collapses overnight. Research reveals that the distance between the Recreation Center’s flagpole and the edge of the cliff have changed over time. Students play the role of geologists and work to figure out why the cliff has changed over time. Based on what they learn about erosion, they advise on whether it is safe to keep the center open even though the cliff is changing.
    22 lessons
    60 minutes each
    March 17 - June 6
    (52 Instructional Days)
    Spring Recess April 14 - 18
    Third Grade Physical Science
    Unit 1: Balancing Forces
    Balancing Forces
    People in Faraday are excited to hear that a new train service will be built for their city, but concerned when they hear that it will be a floating train. Students are challenged to figure out how a floating train works in order to explain it to the citizens of Faraday. They develop models of how the train rises, floats, and then falls back to the track, and then write an explanation of how the train works.
    22 lessons
    60 minutes each
    Aug 19 - Oct 18
    (41 Instructional Days)
      Life Science
    Unit 2: Inheritance and Traits
    Inheritance and Traits
    Students play the role of wildlife biologists working in Greystone National Park. They study two wolf packs and are challenged to figure out why an adopted wolf (“Wolf 44”) in one of the packs has certain traits. Students observe variation between and within different species, investigate inherited traits and those that result from the environment, and explain the origin of several of the adopted wolf’s traits.
    22 lessons
    60 minutes each
    Oct 21 - Jan 24
    (48 Instructional Days)
    Thanksgiving Holiday Nov 25-29
    Winter Recess Dec 16 - Jan 3
      Engineering Design
    Unit 3: Environments and
    Survival
    Environments and Survival
    In their role as biomimicry engineers, students work to figure out how the traits of grove snails affect their survival in different environments. They then explore how the traits of different organisms make them more likely or less likely to survive, collecting and interpreting data to understand how organisms’ traits affect their survival in different environments. Students then apply their understanding to a new challenge: designing effective solutions for the removal of invasive plants.
    22 lessons
    60 minutes each
    Jan 27 - Mar 28
    (44 Instructional Days)
      Earth Science
    Unit 4: Weather and Climate
    Weather and Climate
    In their role as meteorologists, students gather evidence to decide where to build an orangutan reserve by analyzing patterns in weather data. After choosing the strongest evidence, students use data to make arguments about which of three fictional islands has weather most like that of orangutans’ existing habitats, Borneo and Sumatra. They then discern patterns in the locations of natural hazards in order to figure out which ones the Wildlife Protection Organization must prepare for.
    22 lessons
    60 minutes each
    Apr 1- June 6
    (42 Instructional Days)
    Spring Recess April 14 - 18
    Fourth Grade Engineering Design
    Unit 1: Energy Conversions
    Energy Conversions
    Students take on the role of systems engineers for Ergstown, a fictional town that experiences frequent blackouts, and explore reasons why an electrical system can fail. Students apply what they learned as they choose new energy sources and energy converters for the town, then write arguments for why their design choices will make the town’s electrical system more reliable.
    22 lessons
    60 minutes each
    Aug 19 - Oct 18
    (41 Instructional Days)
      Life Science
    Unit 2: Vision and Light
    Vision and Light
    As conservation biologists, students work to figure out why a population of Tokay geckos has decreased since the installation of new highway lights in the rainforest. Students use their understanding of vision, light, and information processing to figure out why an increase in light in the geckos’ habitat is affecting the population.
    22 lessons
    60 minutes each
    Oct 21 - Jan 24
    (48 Instructional Days)
    Thanksgiving Holiday Nov 25-29
    Winter Recess Dec 16 - Jan 3
      Earth Science
    Unit 3: Earth’s Features
    Earth's Features
    Playing the role of geologists, students help the director of Desert Rocks National Park explain how and when a particular fossil formed and how it came to be in its current location. Students figure out what the environment of the park was like in the past and why it has so many visible rock layers.
    22 lessons
    60 minutes each
    Jan 27 - Mar 28
    (44 Instructional Days)
      Physical Science
    Unit 4: Waves, Energy, and
    Information
    Waves, Energy, and Information
    In their role as marine scientists, students work to figure out how mother dolphins communicate with their calves. They write a series of scientific explanations with diagrams to demonstrate their growing understanding of how sound waves travel. Then they apply what they’ve learned about waves, energy, and patterns in communication to figure out how to create patterns that can communicate information over distances.
    22 lessons
    60 minutes each
    Apr 1- June 6
    (42 Instructional Days)
    Spring Recess April 14 - 18
    Fifth Grade Earth Science
    Unit 1: Patterns of Earth and Sky
    Patterns of Earth and Sky
    Playing the role of astronomers, students help a team of archaeologists figure out what the missing piece of a recently discovered artifact might have depicted. As they learn about the sun and other stars and the movement of Earth, students can explain what is shown on the artifact and what might be on the missing piece.
    22 lessons
    60 minutes each
    Aug 19 - Oct 18
    (41 Instructional Days)
      Physical Science
    Unit 2: Modeling Matter
    Modeling Matter
    In their role as food scientists at a fictional company, students are introduced to the idea that all matter is made of particles too small to see, and that each different substance is made of particles (molecules) that are unique. They are then challenged to solve two problems: one requires them to separate a mixture, and the other requires them to make unmixable substances mix. Students are challenged to use the particulate model of matter to explain their work to the CEO of the company.
    22 lessons
    60 minutes each
    Oct 21 - Jan 24
    (48 Instructional Days)
    Thanksgiving Holiday Nov 25-29
    Winter Recess Dec 16 - Jan 3
      Engineering Design
    Unit 3: The Earth System
    The Earth System
    The cities of East Ferris and West Ferris are located on different sides of a mountain on the fictional Ferris Island. East Ferris is having a water shortage while West Ferris is not. As water resource engineers, students learn about the Earth system to help figure out what is causing the water shortage problem and design possible solutions, including freshwater collection systems and proposals for using chemical reactions to treat wastewater.
    22 lessons
    60 minutes each
    Jan 27 - Mar 28
    (44 Instructional Days)
      Life Science
    Unit 4: Ecosystem Restoration
    Ecosystem Restoration
    As ecologists, students work to figure out why the organisms in a part of a Costa Rican rainforest ecosystem aren’t growing and thriving. As they solve this problem, students learn more generally how organisms in an ecosystem get the matter and energy they need to survive, and then write a series of restoration plans that include arguments about why the rainforest ecosystem is not thriving and recommend actions to restore its health.
    22 lessons
    60 minutes each
    Apr 1- June 6
    (42 Instructional Days)
    Spring Recess April 14 - 18

    FOSS NextGen

    FOSS NextGen is a science program designed to turn your child's classroom into a place of discovery! It's all about learning science through hands-on activities, just like real scientists do. Here's what makes it exciting for elementary school students (grades K-5):

    • Let's investigate! FOSS NextGen uses activities like experiments, building models, and making observations to help kids understand science concepts. Think of it like playtime with a scientific twist!
    • Science detectives: Your child will learn to ask questions, gather evidence, and solve problems – all important skills for a budding scientist.
    • More than textbooks: While there are reading materials, FOSS NextGen focuses on helping kids learn by doing. It's a fun way to break away from just memorizing facts.

    FOSS NextGen helps your child develop important skills like:

    • Critical thinking: They'll learn to analyze information and form their own conclusions, just like real scientists.
    • Collaboration: Science is a team effort, and FOSS NextGen encourages teamwork through group activities and discussions.
    • A love of science: By making science fun and engaging, FOSS NextGen can spark a lifelong curiosity about the world around them.

    If you're interested in learning more, you can talk to your child's teacher. They might even have some resources from FOSS NextGen that you can look at together, like experiment guides or student workbooks.

    Scope and Sequence

    Grade

    Physical

     Science

    Earth

     Science

    Life

    Science

    STEM Enrichment

    5

    Mixtures & Solutions

    Earth & Sun

    Living Systems


    Sound Design†

    4

    Energy

    Soils, Rocks, and Landforms

    Environments

    3

    Motion & Matter

    Water & Climate

    Structures of Life

    2

    Solids & Liquids

    Pebbles, Sand & Silt

    Insects & Plants


    Forces in Action†

    1

    Sound & Light

    Air & Weather

    Plants & Animals

    K

    Materials & Motion

    Trees & Weather

    Animals Two by Two

     

    Engineering Lessons

     

     

     

    LAUSD Curriculum Maps

     

    Amplify Science

    FOSS NextGen

    Kindergarten

    Kindergarten

    First Grade

    First Grade

    Second Grade

    Second Grade

    Third Grade

    Third Grade

    Fourth Grade

    Fourth Grade

    Fifth Grade

    Fifth Grade

     

    CKLA Alignment

    Coming Soon!

     

    Online Resources

     

    Links:
    • Amplify Science website:
    • FOSS Next Generation website:
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