Flight for Survival
Correlation of the Sample Activity to Benchmarks
"(The) sense of wonder at the rich diversity and complexity of life
is easily fostered in children. They spontaneously respond to nature. However,
attempts to give them explanations for that diversity before they are able
to handle the abstractions, can dampen their curiosity. ...Familiarity with
the phenomena should precede their explanation, and attention to the concrete
object should precede abstract theory." p. 100
- By the end of the 8th grade, students should know that all organisms,
including the human species, are part of and depend on two main interconnected
global food webs. One includes microscopic ocean plants, the animals that
feed on them, and finally the animals that feed on those animals. The other
web includes land plants, the animals that feed on them, and so forth. The
cycles continue indefinitely because organisms decompose after death to
return food material to the environment.
- By the end of the 12th grade, students should know that the human species
has a major impact on other species in many ways: reducing the amount of
the earth's surface available to those other species, interfering with their
food sources, changing the temperature and chemical composition of their
habitats, introducing foreign species into their ecosystems, and altering
organisms directly through selective breeding and genetic engineering.
"Career information can be introduced to acquaint students with science
as an occupation in which there is a wide variety of different kinds and
levels of work. ...Teachers should emphasize the diversity to be found in
the scientific community." p. 16
- By the end of the 5th grade, students should know that doing science
involves many different kinds of work and engages men and women of all ages
and backgrounds.
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