Appendix On Implementing District Standards
The standards listed below are Virginia Standards of Learning. This unit is cross curricular, but the primary focuses are science and mathematics. The science standards are 4.1 and 4.2.
Science standard 4.1 states: The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices, then it lists points a-f. The points that best fit this curriculum unit are a) asking questions and defining problems, c) interpreting, analyzing, and evaluating data and f) obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. This curriculum unit addresses this standard through activities that relate to asking questions, the data cycle, and the final project.
Science standard 4.2 says: The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals have structures that distinguish them from one another and play vital roles in their ability to survive. Key ideas include b) plants and animals have different structures and processes for obtaining energy. The fingerprint portion of this curriculum unit aligns with this standard since humans, primates, and koalas have fingerprints. Though there is still much debate, fingerprints are a structural adaptation most likely used for grip and for sensing the texture of food which enable humans, primates, and koalas to obtain food and obtain energy.
Mathematics standard 4.PS.1 describes: The student will apply the data cycle (formulate questions; collect or acquire data; organize and represent data; and analyze data and communicate results) with a focus on line graphs. This standard is addressed with the fingerprint bar graph, the slow reveal graph, the friction/pencil graph, the class questioning data graph, and through the graphing in the final project.
Mathematic standard 4.PS.2 states: The student will model and determine the probability of an outcome of a simple event. This standard is addressed when the students increase the fingerprint sample size to 100 and compare their data to the percent of the population with each type of fingerprints.
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