Appendix on Implementing District Standards
This unit is based on the First Grade Virginia Science Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools. This unit centers the Earth Resources strand. While this unit focuses on the First Grade standards, the Virginia Standards of Learning are designed in vertical progression of content. Therefore, this unit could be easily adapted for any grade-level as they study Earth’s Resources.
The First Grade science standards help students grow their awareness of the factors that affect their daily lives and the need to respond to factors in their environment.
This unit was designed with Earth Resource Standard 1.8 which states that “the student will investigate and understand that natural resources can be used responsibly” and includes the following sub strands, “a) most natural resources are limited; b) human actions can affect the availability of natural resources; and c) reducing, reusing, and recycling are ways to conserve natural resources”43.
Richmond Public Schools utilizes the Five Ponds Press books and resources to support teaching. These books were created in alignment with the Virginia standards. This unit considers the information included in Five Ponds Level 1 book, Exploring Science: All Around Us, and expands on it by providing more context and background knowledge to help students better understand the ways in which Earth Resources affects their lives and how their own agency in advocating for and within their environment.
This unit could be taught alongside provided resources, such as Five Ponds Press, or as a standalone unit.
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