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ELEMENTARY -AGE STUDENTS <br />(KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 5TH GRADE) <br />Elementary -age Students <br />(Kindergarten through 5th grade) <br />At the elementary -age level, this program supports science <br />education at three distinct points: Kindergarten, 3rd <br />grade, and 5th grade. By partnering with Santa Ana public <br />schools, this program brings quality science programming <br />to students as part oftheirformal classroom learning. <br />Targeting Kindergartners sets a solid foundation on which <br />to build science inquiry skills.The Next Generation Science <br />Standards for Kindergarten include cross -cutting concepts <br />of patterns; cause and effect; systems and system models; <br />and the interdependence of science, engineering, and <br />technology. The influence of science and technology on <br />society and the natural world are called out as organizing <br />concepts for these disciplinary core ideas. By presenting <br />Kindergartners with programming at the Zoo that supports <br />learning in these areas, this project connects classroom <br />learning with out -of -school learning in ways that promote <br />science knowledge and environmental literacy skills. <br />During the 3rd grade, students are expected to continue <br />with the same cross -cutting concepts but at a higher <br />cognitive level. At this stage, the Next Generation <br />Science Standards focus on asking questions and defining <br />problems; developing and using models, planning and <br />carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting <br />data, constructing explanations and designing solutions, <br />14. National Research council(2015). IdentifyiWand SWPortrM Productive STEM Programs <br />in Outof-Sohool Settings Washington, a: The National Aea&rnies Press. Retrieved <br />2019-10 01 from hftps.//doi.org/10.17226/21740. <br />engaging in argument from evidence, and obtaining, <br />evaluating, and communicating information. Programming <br />for this grade will be presented in the classroom, bringing <br />educators from the Zoo and partner organizations to the <br />schools to engage students in applyingthese skills towards <br />real -world examples. Research on youth in science shows <br />that girls at this age are frequently treated as less capable <br />than boys14;therefore,an importantfocus for programming <br />at this stage will be fostering confidence among girls in <br />their abilityto master science content and skills. <br />Finally, in their 5th grade year, students will return to the <br />Zoo for a culminating experience that addresses the Next <br />Generation Science Standards for this level, including the <br />cross -cutting concepts of patterns; cause and effect; scale, <br />proportion, and quantity; energy and matter; and systems <br />and systems models. Programming may include the NGSS <br />5th grade performance expectations of developing and <br />using models, planning and carrying out investigations, <br />analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematics and <br />computational thinking, engaging in argument from <br />evidence, and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating <br />information. <br />By involving students at each of these touchpoints <br />throughout their elementary school years, Community <br />Connections program addresses an important gap in <br />science knowledge and environmental literacyskills. <br />19C-15 <br />