Grade Level Expectations for Water Quality Studies

      These are Grade Level Expectations which can be met doing water quality studies with grades 3-10.   Not all will be met; some teachers cover more material when doing water quality studies, or integrate it with different parts of their curriculum.   The following are specific for grades 3-5.  I chose not to list all K-12 GLE's.  Please go to this site on the OSPI website to find the full GLE document for science, and for the specific K-2 and 6-10 GLE's.

       The numbers in front of a specific GLE refers to which grade level it is best covered.  A "W" after the grade level expectation means these are eligible to be included on the WASL.

Understand physical properties of Earth materials including rocks, soil, water, and air.  W

          (4) Describe the states of water on Earth (i.e., clouds, fog, dew, rain, hail, snow, ice) as solid, liquid, or gas.

Understand how to distinguish living from nonliving and how to use characteristics to sort common organisms into plant and animal groups.  W

          (4) Describe the characteristics of organisms.

          (4) Describe and sort organisms using multiple characteristics (e.g., anatomy such as fins for swimming or leaves for gathering light, behavior patterns such as burrowing or migration, how plants and animals get food differently).

    (4) Classify and sort common organisms into plant and animal groups

Understand how to classify organisms by their external and internal structures.  W

Analyze how the parts of a system go together and how these parts depend on each other.  W

         (3) Identify the parts of a system (e.g., a device, natural or living thing) and how the parts go together.

         (3) Describe the function of a part of a system (e.g., a device, natural or living thing).

         (4) Describe a simple system that can perform a task and illustrate how the parts depend on each using common classroom materials.

         (4) Explain how one part of a system depends upon other parts of the same system.

         (5) Predict and explain how a system would work if one of its parts was missing or broken.

         (5) Describe what goes into (input) and out of (output) a system (e.g., what keeps a system running).

Understand that Earth’s system includes a mostly solid interior, landforms, bodies of water, and an atmosphere.  W

          (3) Identify land masses, bodies of water, and landforms on a globe or a map (e.g., continents, oceans, rivers, mountains).

          (5) Describe how one part of Earth’s system depends on or connects to another part of Earth’s system (e.g., Puget Sound water affects the air over Seattle).

          (5) Identify and describe various landmasses, bodies of water, and landforms (e.g., illustrate continents, oceans, seas, rivers, mountains, plains from a globe and a map).

Understand the life cycles of plants and animals and the differences between inherited and acquired characteristics.  W

          (3) Observe and describe the life cycle of a plant or animal.

          (3) Describe that the young of plants and animals grow to resemble their parents as they mature into adults.

Understand that a substance remains the same substance when changing state. Understand that two or more substances can react to become new substances.  W

          (4) Observe and describe water changing state from ice to liquid water to water vapor and back (e.g., with freezing, melting, evaporation, and condensation water remains water).

Know processes that change the surface of Earth.  W

          (5) Describe how weathering and erosion change the surface of the Earth.

Understand weather indicators and understand how water cycles through the atmosphere.  W

Understand that that an organism’s ability to survive is influenced by the organism’s behavior and the ecosystem in which it lives.  W

          (3) Describe the characteristics of organisms that allow them to survive in an ecosystem.

          (3) Describe the role of an organism in a food chain of an ecosystem (i.e., predator, prey, consumer, producer, decomposer, scavenger).

          (5) Describe how an organism’s ability to survive is affected by a change in an ecosystem (e.g., the loss of one organism in a food chain affects all other organisms in that food chain).

Understand how to ask a question about objects, organisms, and events in the environment.  W

          (3, 4, 5) Identify the question being answered in an investigation.

          (3, 4, 5) Ask questions about objects, organisms, and events based on observations of the natural world.

Understand how to plan and conduct simple investigations following all safety rules.  W

          (3, 4, 5) Make predictions of the results of an investigation.

          (5) Generate a logical plan for, and conduct, a simple controlled investigation with the following attributes:

·        prediction

·        appropriate materials, tools, and available computer technology

·        variables kept the same (controlled)

·        one changed variable (manipulated)

·        measured (responding) variable

·        gather, record, and organize data using appropriate units, charts, and/or graphs

·        multiple trials

          (5) Generate a logical plan for a simple field investigation with the following attributes:

·        Identify multiple variables

·        Select observable or measurable variables related to the investigative question

          (3, 4, 5) Identify and use simple equipment and tools (such as magnifiers, rulers, balances, scales, and thermometers) to gather data and extend the senses.

Understand how to construct a reasonable explanation using evidence.  W

          (3, 4, 5) Generate a scientific conclusion including supporting data from an investigation (e.g., grass grows taller with more light; with only 2 hours of light each day, grass grew 2 centimeters in two weeks, but with 6 hours of light, grass grew 8 centimeters).

          (3, 4, 5) Describe a reason for a given conclusion using evidence from an investigation.

          (4, 5) Generate a scientific explanation of observed phenomena using given data.

Understand how to report investigations and explanations of objects, events, systems, and processes.  W

         (3, 4, 5) Report observations or data of simple investigations without making inferences.

         (3, 4, 5) Summarize an investigation by describing:

·        reasons for selecting the investigative plan

·        materials used in the investigation

·        observations, data, results

·        explanations and conclusions in written, mathematical, oral, and information technology presentation formats 

·        safety procedures used

Understand that all scientific observations are reported accurately and honestly even when the observations contradict expectations.  W

          (3, 4, 5) Explain why scientific observations are recorded accurately and honestly.

          (3, 4, 5) Explain why scientific records of observations are not changed even when the records do not match initial expectations.

Understand why similar investigations may not produce similar results.   W

          (3, 4, 5) Describe reasons why two similar investigations can produce different results (e.g., identify possible sources of error).

Understand that scientific comprehension of systems increases through inquiry.  W

          (3, 4, 5) Describe how scientific inquiry results in facts, unexpected findings, ideas, evidence, and explanations.

          (4, 5) Describe how results of scientific inquiry may change our understanding of the systems of the natural and constructed world.

Understand problems found in ordinary situations in which scientific design can be or has been used to design solutions.  W

          (3,4, 5) Describe an appropriate question that could lead to a possible solution to a problem.

          (3,4, 5) Describe how science and technology could be used to solve a human problem (e.g., using an electric lamp as a source of varied light for plant growth).

          (3,4, 5) Describe the scientific concept, principle, or process used in a solution to a human problem (e.g., a student using the force of a stretched spring for a push or pull).

Understand how the scientific design process is used to develop and implement solutions to human problems.  W

          (3, 4, 5) Propose, implement, and document the scientific design process used to solve a problem or challenge: 

·        define the problem

·        scientifically gather information and collect measurable data

·        explore ideas

·        make a plan

·        list steps to do the plan

·        scientifically test solutions

·        document the scientific design process

          (3, 4, 5) Describe possible solutions to a problem (e.g., preventing an injury on the playground by creating a softer landing at the bottom of a slide).

Understand that people have invented tools for everyday life and for scientific investigations.  W

          (3) Describe tools (technology) invented to advance scientific investigations (e.g., thermometers, rulers, microscopes, telescopes).

          (4) Describe how scientific tools help people design solutions to human problems (e.g., hand lens to see the detailed structure of leaves).

          (5) Describe how common tools help people design ways to adapt to different environments (e.g., sewing needle to make clothes).

Understand how humans depend on the natural environment and can cause changes in the environment that affect humans’ ability to survive.  W

          (3, 4, 5) Describe how resources can be conserved through reusing, reducing, and recycling.

          (3, 5) Describe the effects conservation has on the environment.

          (3, 5) Describe the effects of humans on the health of an ecosystem.

          (3, 5) Describe how humans can cause changes in the environment that affect the livability of the environment for humans.

For information about this website please contact Sherry Schaaf at sschaaf@esd114.wednet.edu
Updated Spring, 2005