Desert Adaptations

The education team is actively reviewing the list of in-park and in-class programs that are offered. We are evaluating our current programs to ensure that what is taught, and how it is taught, aligns with the NGSS philosophy of emphasizing practices and processes over passive knowledge.

As we make changes, we welcome you to contact us with any comments or suggestions.

 

Content Standards for California Public Schools

 

Science	Grade three — Life Sciences: 3. Adaptations in physical structure or behavior may improve an organism’s chance for survival. As a basis for understanding this concept: a. Students know plants and animals have structures that serve different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction. b. Students know examples of diverse life forms in different environments, such as oceans, deserts, tundra, forests, grasslands, and wetlands. Grade four — 3. Living organisms depend on one another and on their environment for survival. As a basis for understanding this concept: b. 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. c. Students know many plants depend on animals for pollination and seed dispersal, and animals depend on plants for food and shelter. Grade five — Life Sciences: 2. Plants and animals have structures for respiration, digestion, waste disposal, and transport of materials. As a basis for understanding this concept: a. Students know many multicellular organisms have specialized structures to support the transport of materials. Grade six— Ecology (Life Science): 5. Organisms in ecosystems exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment. As a basis for understanding this concept: d. Students know different kinds of organisms may play similar ecological roles in similar biomes. e. Students know the number and types of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on the resources available and on abiotic factors, such as quantities of light and water, a range of temperatures, and soil composition.
Language Arts	Grade three — 1.0 Listening and Speaking Strategies: Comprehension: Retell, paraphrase, and explain what has been said by a speaker. 1.2 Connect and relate prior experiences, insights, and ideas to those of a speaker. 1.3 Respond to questions with appropriate elaboration. Grade four — Listening and Speaking Strategies: Comprehension: 1.1 Ask thoughtful questions and respond to relevant questions with appropriate elaboration in oral settings. Grade five — Listening and Speaking Strategies: Comprehension: 1.1 Ask questions that seek information not already discussed Grade six — Listening and Speaking Strategies: Comprehension: 1.3 Restate and execute multiple-step oral instructions and directions