Standards
Idaho State Standards
Here are correlations to the Idaho State Language and Math standards and to the Idaho State Science Standards. For more information about the overall standards, see the complete Idaho Content Standards for Science, the Next Generation Science Standards, and the alignment between Idaho and NGSS Science Standards. You may also access the Idaho English Language Arts/Literacy Standards and Mathematics Standards.
Language
Kindergarten
ELA-K.NF.6a
Retell key details of a text heard.
Suggested Lesson
Read about hand washing at KidsHealth or from some other source. Have students retell key reasons for hand washing and details about correct hand washing steps.
Third Grade
ELA-3.RI.6b
Describe the relationship between a series of events, concepts, steps or procedures in historical, scientific, or technical texts, using words that pertains to comparison, sequence, or cause/effect.
Suggested Lesson
Read about and discuss good microorganisms that actually help humans and other life.
Sixth Grade
ELA-6.RW.2
Write arguments that introduce and support a distinct point of view with relevant claims, evidence and reasoning; demonstrate an understanding of the topic; and provide a concluding section that follows from the argument presented.
Suggested Lesson
Write up a list of good hygiene practices designed to keep us all safe from microorganisms, along with the rationale for doing so.
Math
First Grade
Math-1.NBT.A.1
Starting at a given number, count forward and backwards within 120 by ones. Skip count by twos to 20, by fives to 100, and by tens to 120. In this range, read and write numerals and represent a number of objects with a written numeral.
Suggested Lesson
Research the length of time that a microorganism must incubate before illness symptoms appear for several common illnesses such as a cold, the flu, measles, etc. Create a number line to compare time intervals. Discuss incubation time.
Fourth Grade
Math-4.MD.A.2
Use the four operations to solve word problems involving measurements. Include problems involving simple fractions or decimals. Represent measurement quantities using diagrams such as number line diagrams that feature a measurement scale.
Suggested Lesson
Research major epidemics and pandemics that have occurred through history. Create a timeline of these events on a number line. How long did each epidemic last? How much time elapsed between one event and the next?
Sixth Grade
Math-6.EE.A.1
Write and evaluate numerical expressions involving whole-number exponents.
Suggested Lesson
How big are microorganisms? Take a peek at this Cells Alive website to analyze their fractional sizes. Write the numbers as exponential figures.
Science
First Grade
Life Sciences: 1-LS-1.3
Use classification supported by evidence to differentiate between living and non-living items.
Supporting Content
Living and non-living things have distinct characteristics. Use chart or Venn diagram to sort objects or pictures into living and not-living items.
Fourth Grade
Life Sciences: 4-LS-1.1
Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
Supporting Content
Animals have various body systems with specific functions for sustaining life: skeletal, circulatory, respiratory, muscular, digestive, etc.
Fifth Grade
Physical Sciences: 5-PS-3.1
Use models to describe that energy in animals' food (used for body repair, growth, motion, and to maintain body warmth) was once energy from the sun.
Supporting Content
The energy released from food provides animals with the materials they need for body repair and growth.
Sixth Grade
Life Sciences: MS-LS-1.4
Construct a scientific argument based on evidence to defend a claim of life for a specific object or organism.
Supporting Content
Organisms reproduce, either sexually or asexually, and transfer their genetic information to their offspring.
Living things share certain characteristics that include response to environment, reproduction, energy use, growth and development, life cycles, being made of cells, etc.
Examples should include both biotic and abiotic items and should be defended using accepted characteristics of life.
Life Sciences: LS1-MS-3
Make a claim supported by evidence for how a living organism is a system of interacting subsystems composed of groups of cells.
Supporting Content
In multicellular organisms, the body is a system of multiple interacting subsystems. These subsystems are groups of cells that work together to form tissues. Tissues form organs that are specialized for particular body functions.
Life Sciences: MS-LS-1.2
Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and ways parts of cells contribute to the function
Supporting Content
Within cells, special structures are responsible for particular functions, and the cell membrane forms the boundary that controls what enters and leaves the cell. Emphasis is on the cell functioning as a whole system, and the primary role of other identified parts of the cell.
Life Sciences: MS-LS-1.1
Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells; either one cell or many different numbers and types of cells.
Supporting Content
All living things are made up of cells, which is the smallest unit that can be said to be alive. An organism may consist of one single cell (unicellular) or many different numbers and types of cells (multicellular.)