Bring Georgia Science Standards to Your Classroom with our Animated Lessons
Implementing the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) for Science can feel like a huge undertaking — but it just got a whole lot easier. Science4Us aligns with the same K-2 standards as Georgia, so all you have to do is begin a lesson, and your transition to GSE is complete!
Example Standard
The following is an example of how Science4Us takes a GSE standard and brings it to life through animated lessons, including digital and real-world activities.
The standard demonstrated here is S2P1, which lists the concepts students should learn and practices they should engage in by the end of second grade that relate to matter. Our Science4Us unit “Matter” covers this standard, including the the Three Dimensions of Science Learning, and the Interdisciplinary Connections to literacy and math:
Read on to learn about how Science4Us brings Georgia Science Standards to life
Science and Engineering Practices
These newest science standards place a much greater emphasis upon experiential learning They recognize that students need both knowledge and practice to succeed in science and engineering.
At Science4Us, we believe in a hands-on approach to learning, and include opportunities to engage in science or engineering practices in every lesson.
We understand the challenge of finding the time and resources for hands-on science, which is why we provide thousands of offline, real-world activities that can be as short as 20 minutes, and often involve everyday materials found in the classroom.
Science Practices
One of our real-world activities corresponding to the Georgia standard S2P1 challenges students to design an investigation about the properties of matter that uses everyday objects found in the classroom. The students must organize their findings in a Venn diagram and then communicate their findings to the class.
Fittingly named “Ad-VENN-tures with Matter,” this activity aligns with the GSE science practice “describe and classify different objects according to their physical properties” (S2P1.a).
Students complete a real-world activity involving the science practice of planning and conducting an investigation to describe different materials (2-PS1-1)
Engineering Practices
Fostering engineering practices in K-2 means building foundational skills such as defining problems, analyzing data, and presenting solutions.
One of our offline resources asks students to apply what they learn in Georgia standard S2P1 to engineer a creation — in this case, they must draw upon their studies of physical and chemical reactions in order to make a piece of cinnamon toast!
This real-world activity demonstrates the Engineering Connection in the standard “Matter and its Interactions” by asking students to use their knowledge of physical and chemical reactions to engineer a piece of toast! (2-PS1)
Disciplinary Core Ideas
The GSE lists core ideas for students to learn in each standard. One core idea in Georgia standard S2P1 relates to changes in matter. Science4Us lets students play around with physical and chemical changes in matter by transporting them to a virtual carnival!
This virtual carnival in Science4Us lets students experiment with changes in matter. (PS1-B)
Crosscutting Concepts
The GSE highlights seven key crosscutting concepts
that can be found throughout the fields of science and engineering, so that students can make connections across subject areas.
Science4Us helps students make these connections by emphasizing crosscutting concepts in each lesson.
Students examine how the crosscutting concept of “Energy and Matter” applies to breaking down objects into smaller pieces (S2P1.b) with this fun online activity called “De-Construct Zone”:
This deconstruction game teaches students about how the crosscutting concept “Energy and Matter” applies to the idea of breaking down objects (2-PS1-3).
Literacy
The GSE believes it is important to integrate literacy into its science standards, and so does Science4Us. This interdisciplinary approach helps teachers maximize their class time by allowing students to learn new science concepts while also improving their literacy skills.
Science4Us created a science rap about a family trip to the beach, and all the changes in matter that the family observes. Students build language skills as they listen to this fun science song, which also prompts greatwho, what, where, when, why and how literacy questions.
Students gain literacy skills and learn about changes in matter while listening to this beachy science rap (41.2.1) (2-PS1-4).
Math
The GSE incorporates math into its science standards, and Science4Us believes that this interdisciplinary approach is an invaluable way to save class time and help students make connections across subjects.
Science4Us gives students the opportunity to practice these math and science skills as they complete an activity in their Digital Notebooks.The Digital Notebook is a tool always available for students, in which they can write and draw their ideas. Because this math and science activity occurs in the Digital Notebook, it fosters literacy skills as well.
This notebook entry asks students to use their mathematical reasoning skills to determine which tools can be used to describe objects, a concept that relates to Georgia standard S2P1.a.
This activity in the Science4Us Digital Notebook asks students to use their mathematical reasoning skills to help them understand a science concept about materials and their purpose (MP.2)(2-PS1-2).
