Appendix on Implementing District Standards
Science Standards of Learning (SOL)
SOLs 3.4 and 3.5 are both focused on living systems and processes. 3.4 focuses on physical and behavioral adaptations, and 3.5 focuses on ecosystems and the relationships that exist among organisms in an ecosystem. SOL 3.4 also specifically incorporates the Science and Engineering Design Practice by requiring students to design and construct a model of a habitat for an animal with a specific adaptation, which will come into the final project and presentation. Similarly, 3.5’s requirement to construct and analyze a food chain will also be incorporated into the final project.
SOL 3.8 is focused on Earth resources. This standard will also play into students’ final research projects in their discussions of what effects disruptions to their ecosystem would have.
English SOL
SOL 3.2 focuses on oral presentation. Throughout the unit, during all discussions and classroom presentations, students should be encouraged to speak in a clear and organized manner, at an appropriate volume and rate. In the grading rubric for the final presentation, teachers should include expectations for oral presentation.
SOL 3.5 focuses on the reading and comprehension of fictional texts. While instruction in all aspects of fictional text comprehension should always come into play, for this unit teachers should focus on helping students to make connections between reading selections, to identify and compare story elements of characters and settings, and to use evidence from the text—picture or written evidence—to support inferences and generalizations about characters and settings.
SOLs 3.8 and 3.9 focus on the writing and editing process. In this unit students will engage in both creative and informational writing, and should be instructed both in the appropriate techniques for each type of writing and in the process of editing a complete piece of writing for appropriate spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.
Mathematics SOL
SOLs 3.3 and 3.4 both focus on computation, estimation, and practical problem solving. 3.3 emphasizes addition and subtraction of up to 4-digit numbers, while 3.4 revolves around multiplication and division through 10x10. There is a lot of room for flexibility in incorporating these standards into the unit, and the possibilities enumerated in the Activities section above are not meant to be comprehensive. Teachers are encouraged to build upon and adapt those suggestions as desired.
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