Biology Program Goals and Objectives
Grade Level 3

About the Biology Program
All students will participate in the Barrier Island Ecology Course at the same time. Small groups of approximately twelve students together with a Sound to Sea instructor each start in a different habitat area and begin a rotation. This component introduces students to the five habitats (beach/ocean, maritime forest, freshwater pond, salt marsh, and sound/estuary), geological history, basic ecological concepts and general habitat study skills that are reinforced throughout the entire program. Sound to Sea instructors encourage exploration and present various ecological concepts (such as habitats, cycles, communities, populations, species, food webs, decomposition, etc.) as students discover concrete evidence that relates to that concept. As the groups explore each habitat, students observe the differences and make comparisons. The Habitat Study skills include: observation, measurement, data collection, and analysis and assessment of habitat conditions with respect to soil, air, water, wind, temperature, and human impact; and observation, identification, classification, mapping and representative sampling of species present within the habitat.

Main Curriculum Area: Science
Other Curriculum Areas: Social Studies, English, Math
Grade Level: 3

Primary Goals and Objectives:
These objectives will be covered during all Biology Program classes. Some objectives are more specific to one habitat than another, so if your schedule does not allow you to take all offered classes, or if there are particular objectives that you want to make sure we cover, please let us know what your specific needs are.

Science Competency
Goal 1		 The learner will build an understanding of plant growth and adaptations.

Objectives
1.01 Determine that the quantities and qualities of nutrients, light, and water in the environment affect plant growth.

1.02 Observe how environmental conditions can determine how well plants grow and survive in a particular environment.

1.03 Analyze plant structures for specific functions:

  • Growth.
  • Survival.
  • Reproduction.
Science Competency
Goal 2		 The learner will build an understanding of soil concepts.

Objectives
2.01 Differentiate the properties of soil such as color, texture, and capacity to retain water.

2.02 Analyze the ability of soil to support the growth of many plants, including those in our food supply.

2.03 Identify various types of soil:

  • Sand.
  • Clay.
  • Humus.

2.04 Evaluate composting to show how plant and animal material can be broken down to form soil.

Citizenship
Social Studies Competency
Goal 1		 The learner will exhibit good citizenship in the classroom, school, and community.

Objectives
1.1 Identify attributes of good citizenship

1.2 Cite skills of good citizenship.

History
Social Studies Competency
Goal 6		 The learner will evaluate change in different settings.

Objectives
6.2 Assess the impact of change on the lives of people in communities studied.

Geography
Social Studies Competency
Goal 8		 The learner will apply basic geographic concepts and terminology.

Objectives
8.2 Use correct terminology to describe landforms and bodies of water.

8.3 Apply understandings about climate and topography to communities studied.
Social Studies Competency
Goal 9		 The learner will apply geographic themes to communities.

Objectives
9.1 Know absolute and/or relative locations of the local and other communities.

9.3 Identify example of human-environment interaction in the local and wider communities.

English Competency
Goal 1		 The learner will apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write.

Objectives
1.01 Apply phonics and structural analysis to decode words (e.g., roots, suffixes, prefixes, less common vowel patterns, syllable breaks).

1.02Apply meanings of common prefixes and suffixes to decode words in text to assist comprehension.

1.04 Increase sight vocabulary, reading vocabulary, and writing vocabulary through:

  • listening.
  • discussion.
  • viewing.
  • role play.
English Competency
Goal 2		 The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.


Objectives
2.06 Summarize main idea(s) from written or spoken texts using succinct language.

2.08 Listen actively by:

  • facing the speaker.
  • making eye contact.
  • asking questions to clarify the message.
  • asking questions to gain additional information and ideas.
English Competency
Goal 4		 The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.

Objectives
4.02 Use oral and written language to:
  • present information in a sequenced, logical manner.
  • discuss.
  • sustain conversation on a topic.
  • share information and ideas.
  • recount or narrate.
  • answer open-ended questions.
  • report information on a topic.
  • explain own learning.
Number Sense, Numeration, and Numerical Operations
Math Competency
Goal 1		 The learner will model, identify and compute with numbers less than 10,000.

Objectives
1.04 Use estimation techniques in determining solutions to problems.

Spatial Sense, Measurement, and Geometry
Math Competency
Goal 2		 The learner will recognize, understand, and use basic geometric properties, and standard units of metric and customary measurement.


Objectives
2.06 Estimate and measure length (inches, feet, yards, centimeters, meters), weight (grams, ounces, pounds), and capacity (cups, pints, quarts, gallons, liters) using appropriate tools and units.

2.12 Read Celsius and Fahrenheit thermometers; relate temperatures to everyday situations.

Data, Probability, and Statistics
Math Competency
Goal 4		 The learner will demonstrate an understanding of data collection, display and interpretation


Objectives
4.04 Read and interpret graphs and charts (bar, picture, circle, line and line plots) as sources of information; identify main idea, draw conclusions and make predictions.

Other Goals and Objectives:
These objectives may be covered during Biology Program classes. If there are goals listed here that you specifically want covered, or goals not listed that you would like to try to touch on, please let us know.

Main Curriculum Area: Science

Science Competency
Goal 1		 The learner will build an understanding of plant growth and adaptations.

Objectives
1.04 Determine that new plants can be generated from:
  • Seeds.
  • Tubers.
  • Bulbs.
  • Cuttings.

1.05 Determine that the number of seeds a plant can produce depends on variables such as light, water, nutrients, and degree of pollination.

History
Social Studies Competency
Goal 6		 The learner will evaluate change in different settings.

Objectives
6.3 Predict logical futures change in communities studied.

Economics
Competency Goal 10 The learner will apply basic economic concepts to communities studied.

Objectives
10.1 Draw relationships between unlimited wants and limited resources and cite examples from communities studied.

Patterns, Relationships, and Functions
Math Competency
Goal 3		 The learner will demonstrate an understanding of classification, patterning, and seriation.


Objectives
3.01 Organize objects or ideas into groups; describe attributes of groups and rules for sorting.