K-12 Cross-Cutting Themes, Lessons and Curricula

phys properties of objs; id materials in objs & their phys properties; sort objs based on properties; id sounds/vibr in everyday life; compare loudness, pitch, rhythm; objs relative position; id push/pull; obs/comp structures & behav diff plnts & anim; parent/offspr relationships; effect of seasons on plnts & anim, humans; wind as moving air; daily weather; seas weather; sun, moon, stars (#, dist, brightness); beh sun & moon; charac seas thru year; kinds of matter; pose ques about objs, mat, orgs, events in env; conduct simple fair test invest to answer question; qual obsv w/ 5 senses; use meas tools; meas using non-std units; comp amts & meas; use obs to support expl, descr relationships & patterns, make predic; comp expl with prior knowledge; com obsv using works, pict, #; nat v human objects; how tools help make obsv; id question for scenario or problem; work w/grp to solve problem, give credit

Objects in Nature - CA (at HotChalk)
Cherokee Strawberry Story - CA, SS (at Virtual Lessons)

Symmetry in Nature - Math, Art (Quazen)
Nature Hunt - Math, Science (at Education.com)

Autumn Leaves - Science, CA, Math, Art (at Bright Hub)
Five Senses - Science, CA (at Teachersnet)
Recycling - Science, CA (at Learning to Give)

Mapping - SS (at Education.com)
Cartography - SS (at Education.com)
Wants and Needs - SS (at Education.com)

Environmentally Relevant Content & Skills Grade Level Expectations for FIRST GRADE

measure/compare/order objects by mass;source of energy heating things, temps using thermom; change in temp; sunlight needed by plants; relative positions, motion, speed of objects; push or pull to do work; ways to change motion; needs of animals and plants; plant growth under different conditions; id and compare physical structures of different plants and animals; id relationship betw structures and functions for plants & animals; tell plants and animals apart based on structures and behaviors; how people depend on plants & animals; obsv, meas, record weather data all year, using tools; comp temps in diff places; comp weather data diff times; id patterns betw weather data and phenomena; how water in diff forms used; pose questions about obj, mat, orga, events in env; fair test; qual obsv using 5 senses; obvs using tools; meas non-std units; comp amts/meas; use obsv to support expl, descr relationships & patterns, make testable predictions; comp expl w/ prior knowl; comm w/oral pres, drawings, maps, tables, graphs, writing; id natural and human made obj; how tools help; id & solve question or problem given scenario

The honeybee is one of the most common social hymenoptera one is likely to see at flowers in the summer and early fall. It is about twice as long as a pencil eraser, with alternating gold and dark stripes on the abdomen, downy hairs all over the body and large black eyes. In this picture the bee is carrying pollen back to her hive. On the right is a featured image from Wiki Commons. Click to see full size.

Bumblebees are 3 to 4 x larger than honey bees with yellow and black markings on large sturdy bodies covered with downy hair. Carpenter bees have a similar size and shape to bumblebees, but build nests in wood for individual larva and are not as social. Both will sting, but only when provoked or threatened.

Wasps include hornets, yellow jackets, mud daubers and paper wasps. All of these can sting, but usally only do so when the nest or hive is threatened.

The brown recluse is a warmth-loving spider, so in Missouri it is only found in centrally heated buildings. It only hunts at night and likes things quiet, so it usually sticks to attics and places that are not disturbed by cleaning and dusting.People usually get bit when they accidentally surprise a spider that took up residence in clothing left on the floor for several days, or on the back side of a piece of furniture when it is moved. The bite is usually painless, but can cause a blister and necrosis (the cells turn black and die) leaving a scar. Deaths are extremly rare. Recommended treatment is to leave it alone, but watch out for secondary infection. As it happens, many Missourians have antibodies to the venom, which means that many Missourians have already been bitten by this spider and don't know it. Any strong reaction to any perceived bite requires medical attention.

The recluse a dusty medium brown with a darker violin shaped mark on its cepahlothorax (front part). It characteristically holds its legs in a crab shaped posture. A big one has a body about the size of a pencil eraser and ferrule, and a leg span slightly bigger than a quarter. Image is from Wiki Commons

The black widow is an outdoor spider that builds small to large tangle webs with a retreat in which it hides until something gets caught in or disturbs its web. In nature the webs are in piles of rocks or twigs, but widows will build under porches and decks and in outhouses (including under the seat, so check!). However, they do not leave their webs, so avoiding disturbing webs is sufficient to avoid getting bit. The venom is a neurotoxin that causes immediate painful rigidity in the abdomen. It is important to seek medical attention right away if you suspect a black widow bite.

The widow is a shiny black spider with red markings on the underside of the abdomen. The abdomen is spherical and much larger than the cephalothorax (front part) A typical female has an abdomen about the size of a pencil eraser, but if she is carrying eggs it can be much larger. Image is from Wiki Commons

The only mite that is a common problem in Missouri is the chigger, the larval form of a harvest mite or red bug. The chigger is nearly microscopic, smaller than the head of a pin. To feed, it forms a tiny hole in the skin called a stylosome, and chews up cells from the inner layer of skin before dropping off. The feeding can cause a severe itching reaction in people who have been fed on, but it may not occur until a day or two after feeding when the chigger itself is long gone. The image of a chigger feeding is from Wiki Commons

Chiggers are active in early summer and distributed in random patches in grassy and weedy areas. They climb to the top of leaves and stems and grab onto any animal that brushes past (humans are accidental hosts). To minimize the chance of being bit, avoid very weedy or brushy areas, don't sit directly on grass (use a blanket), and wear long pants with cuffs tucked into socks if you have to go in brushy areas. As soon as possible after being outside, take a shower to wash off any chiggers still on your skin, and wash the clothes you were wearing.

The later stages and the adult are predators of small insects and eggs and are considered beneficial.

To avoid ticks, avoid going through shrubby or brushy areas, or wear long pants tucked into socks (white socks let you see the ticks better!). Permethrin can be applied to clothing but should not be applied to skin. Unlike seed ticks, older stages will feed for several days, so clothing should be washed after the outing, and a thorough body check (head, back of neck, under arms and other crevices) every day for several days is a good idea - especially for children. Tick checks are important because many ticks carry diseases and rapid removal of the tick minimizes the time the disease can be transmitted.

To remove ticks, they should be grasped firmly but gently with a pair of clean tweezers (doused in alcohol or washed in soap)from the side right where the "head" enters the skin, and then gently, firmly, and smoothly pulled straight out (don't pull to the side and don't jerk the tweezers). The tick can be killed by dropping it in soapy water or alcohol, or putting it in a jar in the freezer (keeping the tick can help with identifying a disease if symptoms appear) The bite should be cleaned with soap and water. Any bite should be checked for secondary infection for a few days following the tick removal (redness, swelling and itching) and if red streaks appear get to a doctor.