Search For Life: Educator Guides

Educator Guides

Educator guides are developed to support academic standards, and focus on important topics, skills, and activities for students of different age and classroom ranges. Each guide is Based on the New York State Elementary Science Core Curriculum and the New York City New Standards™.

Observe, investigate, describe, and classify materials based on their physical properties, including physical changes, such as the changes in water when the temperature rises and falls(change of state).

Begin to observe and describe characteristics of plants and animals, and distinguish between living and nonliving things.
Understand that plants and animals need air, water, and food in order to live and thrive.
Observe and explain how adaptations help plants and animals survive in their differing environments.
Begin to explain how plants and animals depend upon each other, and how their characteristics help them survive in their differing environments (adaptations and interdependence).

Examine, describe, investigate, and measure Earth materials including water, rocks, soils, and sands.

Become aware of and describe the importance of science and scientists in their world.
Begin to develop an understanding and appreciation of the natural world.

Begin to ask questions and construct explanations based on observations of objects and events.

Use technology and tools such as magnifiers, thermometers, balances, and computers.

Acquire information from observation, experimentation, print and non-print sources.
Download K – 2 Guide (pdf)

Understand how various factors can affect the life spans and life cycles of organisms.
Observe and explain how adaptation, interdependence, and environmental change give a survival advantage to certain organisms.
Describe how organisms and the environment are dependent on one another.
Examine, describe, investigate and measure Earth materials such as water, rocks, soils, and sands.

Develop an understanding and appreciation of the natural world.
Understand and describe examples of the importance of scientists, science, and technology and the impact they have on our lives.

Use technology and tools such as magnifiers, microscopes, balances, thermometers, and computers to observe and measure objects, organisms, and connected phenomena.

Use information gathered from observation and experiments, print, and nonprint sources to explain phenomena.
Download 3 – 5 Guide (pdf)

Observe and describe the ability of plants and animals to sense and respond to their environment (regulation and behavior of organisms.

Describe the characteristics of the Earth's air (atmosphere), water (hydrosphere), and land (lithosphere).

Understand and describe examples (historical and contemporary, reflecting diversity) of the importance of scientists, science, and technology and the impact that they have on our lives, such as how astronomers discover new objects in space.

Propose and critique alternate explanations for observations and distinguish between fact and opinion.

Use technology and tools such as microscopes, triple-beam balances, thermometers, and computers to observe and measure objects, organisms, and connected phenomena.
Acquire information from observation, experimentation, print, and non-print sources.
Download 6 – 8 Guide (pdf)