Content Standards

Grade 4

2. All organisms need energy and matter to live and grow. As a basis for understanding this concept:
   1. Students know plants are the primary source of matter and energy entering most food chains.
   2. Students know producers and consumers (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and decomposers) are related in food chains and food webs and may compete with each other for resources in an ecosystem.
3. Living organisms depend on one another and on their environment for survival. As a basis for understanding this concept:
   1. Students know ecosystems can be characterized by their living and nonliving components.
   2. Students know that in any particular environment, some kinds of plants and animals survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.

Grade 5

6. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept and addressing the content in the other three strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:
   1. Classify objects (e.g., rocks, plants, leaves) in accordance with appropriate criteria.