Sequences of GEMS Curriculum Units

The sequences on this page are suggested ways of using a series of GEMS Teacher's Guides to construct a curriculum sequence that addresses a specific body of science and/or mathematics concepts. None of these are meant to be definitive; one of the benefits of using GEMS materials is the ability to mix and match titles with great flexibility. The grade ranges, too, are meant as suggestions and are flexible, particularly if your school requires the teaching of a particular standard or subject area at a different grade level than that shown. Please see the individual title pages for detailed descriptions and grade ranges, including information on duration and number of sessions. We welcome your ideas about how best to combine GEMS units!

Preschool	Life Science Sequence
Kindergarten	Life Science Sequence #1
Kindergarten	Life Science Sequence #2
Grade 1	Physical Science Sequence
Grade 2	Integrating Math, Science, Literature, and Social Studies
Grade 3	Chemistry Sequence
Grade 3	Mathematics Sequence
Grade 4	Ecology Sequence
Grade 4	Evidence and Inference Sequence
Grade 4	Mathematics Sequence
Grade 5	Physical Science Sequence
Grade 5	Controlled Experiments Sequence
Grade 6	Earth Science Sequence
Grade 6	Chemistry Sequence
Grade 6	Math, Science, and Technology Sequence
Grade 7	Astronomy and Space Science Sequence
Grade 7	Scientific Instruments Sequence
Grade 7	Ecology Sequence
Grade 8	Life Science Sequence
Grade 8	Physical Science Sequence

Preschool Life Science Sequence —

Tree Homes
Eggs, Eggs Everywhere
Penguins and their Young

National Standards Addressed by this Sequence:

Life Science Standard, K—4: The characteristics of organisms; life cycles of organisms; organisms and their environment.
Inquiry Standard, K—4: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives, K—4: Changes in environments.
Unifying Concepts and Principles: Form and Function.

Kindergarten, Life Science Sequence #1 —

Ladybugs
Ant Homes Under the Ground
Buzzing a Hive

National Standards Addressed by this Sequence:

Life Science Standard, K—4: The characteristics of organisms; life cycles of organisms; organisms and their environment.
Inquiry Standard, K—4: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives, K—4: Changes in environments.
Unifying Concepts and Principles: Systems, Order, and Organization.

Kindergarten, Life Science Sequence #2—

Hide A Butterfly
Tree Homes
Animal Defenses

National Standards Addressed by this Sequence:

Life Science Standard, K—4: The characteristics of organisms; life cycles of organisms; organisms and their environment.
Inquiry Standard, K—4: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives, K—4: Changes in environments.
Unifying Concepts and Principles: Systems, Order, and Organization.

Grade 1, Physical Science Sequence —

Sifting Through Science
Liquid Explorations
Bubble Festival
Involving Dissolving
Secret Formulas

National Standards Addressed by this Sequence:

Physical Science Standard, K—4: The properties of objects and materials.
Inquiry Standard, K—4: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.
Science and Technology Standard, K—4: Abilities of technological design.
Unifying Concepts and Principles: Constancy, change and measurement.

Grade 2, Integrating Math, Science, Literature and Social Studies —

Treasure Boxes
Frog Math: Predict, Ponder, Play
Investigating Artifacts: Making Masks, Creating Myths, Exploring Middens

National Standards Addressed by this Sequence:

History and Nature of Science Standard, K—4: Science as a human endeavor.
Inquiry Standard, K—4: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.
Unifying Concepts and Principles: Systems, order and organization.
All GEMS Math guides are designed to address the principles outlined in the National Council of Teacher's of Mathematics Standards. The guides listed above address Logic and Language, Discrete Mathematics, Number, Geometry, Pattern, Measurement, and Statistics strands.

Grade 3, Chemistry Sequence —

Secret Formulas
Mystery Festival

National Standards Addressed by this Sequence:

Science in Personal and Social Perspectives Standard, K—4: Changes in environments.
Physical Science Standard, K—4: Properties of objects and materials.
Science and Technology Standard, K—4: Abilities of technological design.
Inquiry Standard, K—4: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.
Unifying Concepts and Principles: Evidence, models and explanation.

Grade 3, Mathematics Sequence —

Group Solutions
Build It!

National Standards Addressed by this Sequence:

All GEMS Math guides are designed to address the principles outlined in the National Council of Teacher's of Mathematics Standards. The guides listed above address Number, Measurement, Geometry, Pattern, Functions, Statistics and Probability, Logic and Language, Discrete Mathematics, and Algebra strands.

Grade 4, Ecology Sequence —

On Sandy Shores
Aquatic Habitats
Terrarium Habitats
Schoolyard Ecology

National Standards Addressed by this Sequence:

Science in Personal and Social Perspectives Standard, K—4: Changes in environments.
Life Science Standard, K—4: Organisms and their environments.
Earth and Space Science Standard, K—4: Properties of earth materials.
Inquiry Standard, K—4: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.
Unifying Concepts and Principles: Systems, order and organization; Evolution and equilibrium; Evidence, models and explanation.

Grade 4, Evidence and Inference Sequence —

Crime Lab Chemistry
Fingerprinting
Mystery Festival
Investigating Artifacts: Making Masks, Creating Myths, Exploring Middens

National Standards Addressed by this Sequence:

Science in Personal and Social Perspectives Standard, K—4: Changes in environments.
Life Science Standard, K—4: Organisms and their environments.
Earth and Space Science Standard, K—4: Properties of earth materials.
Inquiry Standard, K—4: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.
Unifying Concepts and Principles: Systems, order and organization; Evolution and equilibrium; Evidence, models and explanation.

Grade 4, Mathematics Sequence —

Math on the Menu
Group Solutions, Too!
In All Probability

National Standards Addressed by this Sequence:

All GEMS Math guides are designed to address the principles outlined in the National Council of Teacher's of Mathematics Standards. The guides listed above address Discrete Mathematics, Geometry, Measurement, Pattern, Statistics and Probability, Logic and Language, Number, Function, and Algebra strands.

Grade 5, Physical Science Sequence —

Bubble-ology
Bubble Festival

National Standards Addressed by this Sequence:

Physical Science Standard, 5—8: Properties and changes of properties in matter.
Inquiry Standard, 5—8: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.
Unifying Concepts and Principles: Form and function; constancy change and measurement.

Grade 5, Controlled Experiments Sequence —

Hot Water and Warm Homes from Sunlight
Paper Towel Testing

National Standards Addressed by this Sequence:

History and Nature of Science Standard, 5—8.
Physical Science Standard, 5—8: Properties and changes of properties in matter.
Earth and Space Science Standard, 5—8: Transfer of energy.
Science and Technology Standard, 5—8: Abilities of technological design.
Inquiry Standard, 5—8: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.
Unifying Concepts and Principles: Evolution and equilibrium; evidence, models, and explanation.

Grade 6, Earth Science Sequence —

Stories in Stone
River Cutters
Plate Tectonics: The Way the Earth Works
The Real Reasons for Seasons
Environmental Detectives

National Standards Addressed by this Sequence:

Earth and Space Science Standard, 5—8: Structure of the earth system; Earth's history; Earth in the solar system.
Science and Technology Standard, 5—8: Abilities of technological design.
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives Standard, 5—8: Natural hazards.
Inquiry Standard, 5—8: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.
Unifying Concepts and Principles: Evidence, models, and explanation.

Grade 6, Chemistry Sequence —

Chemical Reactions
Of Cabbages and Chemistry
Acid Rain

National Standards Addressed by this Sequence:

Physical Science Standard, 5—8: Properties and changes of properties in matter.
Earth and Space Science Standard, 5—8: Transfer of energy.
Inquiry Standard, 5—8: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives Standard, 5—8: Populations, Resources, and Environments; Science and Technology in Society.
Unifying Concepts and Principles: Constancy, change, and measurement; evidence, models, and explanation.

Grade 6, Math, Science and Technology —

Height-O-Meters
Experimenting with Model Rockets
Math Around the World
Quadice

National Standards Addressed by this Sequence:

Science and Technology Standard, 5—8: Abilities of technological design; Communicate the process of technological design; Understanding about science and technology.
Inquiry Standard, 5—8: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.
Unifying Concepts and Principles: Constancy, change, and measurement; evidence, models, and explanation.
All GEMS math guides are designed to address the principles outlined in the National Council of Teacher's of Mathematics Standards. The math guides listed above address Discrete Mathematics, Geometry, Pattern, Statistics and Probability, Logic and Language, Number, Function, and Algebra strands.

Grade 7, Astronomy and Space Science Sequence —

Oobleck: What Do Scientists Do?
Earth, Moon, and Stars
Moons of Jupiter
Messages from Space

National Standards Addressed by this Sequence:

Earth and Space Science Standard, 5—8: Earth in the Solar System.
Inquiry Standard, 5—8: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.
Science and Technology Standard, 5—8: Abilities of technological design; Communicate the process of technological design; Understanding about science and technology.
History and Nature of Science Standard, 5—8.
Unifying Concepts and Principles: Constancy, change, and measurement; evidence, models, and explanation; Scale and Structure.

Grade 7, Scientific Instruments Sequence —

More Than Magnifiers
Color Analyzers
Microscopic Explorations
Invisible Universe

National Standards Addressed by this Sequence:

Physical Science Standard, 5—8: Transfer of energy.
Inquiry Standard, 5—8: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.
Science and Technology Standard, 5—8: Abilities of technological design.
Unifying Concepts and Principles: Constancy, change, and measurement; evidence, models, and explanation; Scale and Structure.

Grade 7, Ecology Sequence —

River Cutters
Acid Rain
Only One Ocean
Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect
Environmental Detectives

National Standards Addressed by this Sequence:

Science in Personal and Social Perspectives, 5—8: Risks and benefits; Science and technology in society.
History and Nature of Science, 5—8: Nature of Science.
Inquiry Standard, 5—8: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.
Science and Technology Standard, 5—8: Science and technology in society.
Unifying Concepts and Principles: Constancy, change, and measurement; evidence, models, and explanation.

Grade 8, Life Science Sequence —

Life Through Time
Learning About Learning

National Standards Addressed by this Sequence:

Life Science Standard, 5—8: Structure and function in living systems; reproduction and heredity; regulation and behavior; populations and ecosystems; diversity and adaptations of organisms.
Inquiry Standard, 5—8: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.
Unifying Concepts and Principles: Constancy, change, and measurement; evidence, models, and explanation; form and function; evolution.

Grade 8, Physical Science Sequence —

Discovering Density
Convection: A Current Event
Ocean Currents
Dry Ice Investigations
Chemical Reactions

National Standards Addressed by this Sequence:

Physical Science Standard, 5—8: Changes in property of matter; transfer of energy.
Earth and Space Science Standard, 5—8: Structure of the earth system.
Inquiry Standard, 5—8: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.
Unifying Concepts and Principles: Constancy, change, and measurement; evidence, models, and explanation; form and function.

Lawrence Hall of Science © 2020 UC Regents. All rights reserved. Contact GEMS Updated September 21, 2020