Introduction to Kindergarten Life Science -Plant and Animal Needs for Survival

-Next Generation Science Standard* K-LS1-1, Common Core English Language Arts CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.7,8, and Common Core Math K.MD.A.1

I did this project to teach Jack about the why organisms need freshwater to survive.  Below I explain how we did this Kindergarten Life Science project.  We have a lesson which you can purchase from our Teachers Pay Teachers Store. The lesson contains worksheets examining what plants and animals need to survive, an assessment to check that the student has met the objectives of the lesson, and a comprehensive lesson plan.

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Materials List

–salt
–kitchen scale
–graduated cylinder
–ruler
–Plant and Animal Survival lesson

Step 1: Download the Kindergarten Life Science –Plant and Animal Survival lesson and complete the worksheets

Here is a sample worksheet from the lesson:

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Step 2: Write your hypothesis on the Kindergarten Life Science data table

A hypothesis is a prediction for what will happen during an experiment based on what you already know.

Step 3: Make the salt water solution listed below

This project examines what happens to a potato if it is put in saltwater for a few days.  Begin by making a salt water solution of 8 oz water, 2 oz salt.

Step 4: Cut a potato into small strips, like French fries, measure their weight, length, width, and volume

Cut a slice of potato the size of a small French fry and measure the starting weight using a kitchen scale, measure the length, width, and volume.  Volume is a displacement measurement because the potato is a solid.  To measure it in cubic centimeters, fill a graduated cylinder with water to about 5 ml, put the potato in and measure the new water level.  The difference is the volume of the potato in cubic centimeters. Fill in the Data Table.

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Step 5: Put the potato in the salt water overnight and take the measurements again the next day

Put the potato in the salt water overnight.  The next day, take all the measurements again.  Fill in the measurements on the Data Table in the pdf.

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Step 6: Soak the potato overnight and take Day 2 measurements

Put the potato back in to the salt water overnight and repeat the measurements for day 2.

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Step 7: Discuss your results and complete the assessment

Answer the questions on your data table and analyze your results.  You should have found that the potato got smaller.  This is because salt water draws water out of the cells of the potato.  Therefore drinking salt water is not going to hydrate you, in fact, it can kill you through dehydration.

Here is a sample page from the assessment in our lesson:

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NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

*”Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.”