Unit Overview/Summary:  

Summary  

The unit organizes performance expectations with a focus on helping students build understanding of traits of organisms. Instruction developed from this unit should always maintain the three-dimensional nature of the standards and recognize that instruction is not limited to the practices and concepts directly linked with any of the unit performance expectations. 

Connections between unit Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs)   

Although objects in contact exert forces on each other (PS2.B as in 3-PS2-1), electric and magnetic forces between a pair of objects do not require that the objects be in contact (PS2.B as in 3-PS2-3 and 3-PS2-4). An object at rest typically has multiple forces acting on it, but they add to give zero net force on the object. Forces that do not sum to zero can cause changes in the object’s speed or direction of motion (PS2.A as in 3-PS2-1). The patterns of an object’s motion in various situations can be observed and measured; when that past motion exhibits a regular pattern, future motion can be predicted from it (PS2.A as in 3-PS2-2). 

Unit Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) 

Instruction leading to this unit of PEs will help students build toward proficiency in elements of the practices of asking questions and defining problems (3-PS2-3 and 3-PS2-4) and planning and carrying out investigations (3-PS2-1 and 3-PS2-2). Many other practice elements can be used in instruction.

Unit Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs)

Crosscutting concepts have value because they provide students with connections and intellectual tools that are related across the differing areas of disciplinary content and can enrich their application of practices and their understanding of core ideas. As such, they are a way of linking the different domains of science.

Instruction leading to this unit of PEs will help students build toward proficiency in elements of the crosscutting concepts of Patterns (3-PS2-2) and Cause and Effect (3-PS2-1 and 3-PS2-3). Many other crosscutting concepts elements can be used in instruction. All instruction should be three-dimensional.