SC.1.L.14.1

Make observations of living things and their environment using the five senses.
General Information
Subject Area: Science
Grade: 1
Body of Knowledge: Life Science
Idea: Level 1: Recall
Big Idea: Organization and Development of Living Organisms -

A. All plants and animals, including humans, are alike in some ways and different in others.

B. All plants and animals, including humans, have internal parts and external structures that function to keep them alive and help them grow and reproduce.

C. Humans can better understand the natural world through careful observation.

Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08
Content Complexity Rating: Level 1: Recall - More Information
Date of Last Rating: 05/08
Status: State Board Approved

Related Courses

This benchmark is part of these courses.
5020020: Science Grade One (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
7720020: Access Science Grade 1 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2018, 2018 - 2023, 2023 and beyond (current))
5001020: Art - Grade 1 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2019, 2019 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
5020080: STEM Lab Grade 1 (Specifically in versions: 2016 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
7701025: Access Art Grade 1 (Specifically in versions: 2018 - 2019, 2019 - 2023, 2023 and beyond (current))

Related Access Points

Alternate version of this benchmark for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
SC.1.L.14.In.1: Use sight, hearing, and smell to make observations.
SC.1.L.14.Su.1: Use sight and hearing to make observations.
SC.1.L.14.Pa.1: Recognize and respond to different types of sensory stimuli.

Related Resources

Vetted resources educators can use to teach the concepts and skills in this benchmark.

Lesson Plans

Expedition Florida:

Students will imagine being among Juan Ponce de León’s crew when they first landed on the coast of modern-day Florida in this science and civics integrated lesson plan. They will conduct their own expedition to explore a location on campus to observe living things. In the process, students will learn about the first European exploration and naming of the state of Florida as well as the annual celebration that commemorates it on Pascua Florida Day.

Type: Lesson Plan

Gr. 1 Lesson 1-Everglades Animal Exploration:

Everglades Animal Hunt is lesson 1 of a 3 lesson unit. Students will learn that animals communicate through their senses. The students will use their knowledge and imagination to vocally and/or physically imitate wildlife of the Everglades.

Type: Lesson Plan

Tree Cookies:

One way to learn about tree growth is to look at annual rings. Tree rings show patterns of change in the tree's life as well as changes in the area where it grows. In this activity, students will trace environmental and historical changes using a cross section of a tree, or "tree cookie."

Type: Lesson Plan

Feeling the Fall:

Feeling the Fall is a lesson that incorporates fluency, the five senses, and writing all in one. Students will work cooperatively to perform a play on fall, practicing fluency, accuracy, and expression. Then students will explore the fall season using their senses, integrating science standards into academic standards reading. Finally, students will have the opportunity to write about the fall season and publish their writing using technology.

Type: Lesson Plan

Butterfly Life Cycle: Biography of a Caterpillar :

Students observe and write about the life cycle of a caterpillar. A K-W-L chart is utilized to begin discussion, as well as Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Type: Lesson Plan

Investigating Local Ecosystems:

This lesson provides students with opportunities to investigate the habitats of local plants and animals and explore some of the ways animals depend on plants and each other.

Type: Lesson Plan

Animal Diversity:

This lesson exposes children to a range of animals and guides them through observation of animal similarities, differences, and environmental adaptations.

Type: Lesson Plan

Beautiful Butterfly, How do you Grow?:

In this lesson the teacher will read aloud Marc Learns to Fly by Alma Sanchez, and use an animated informational video to help students understand the life cycle of a butterfly. Students will use both a response to reading and a cloze activity to learn new vocabulary and demonstrate understanding.

Type: Lesson Plan

Original Student Tutorials

Exploring Kangaroo Island Part 3: The Waters:

Make observations of the plants, animals and environment in the waters of Australia's Kangaroo Island.

This interactive tutorial is part 3 of 3. Click below to explore other habitats on Kangaroo Island.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Exploring Kangaroo Island Part 2: The Woodlands:

Make observations of the plants, animals and overall environment in the woodlands of Australia's Kangaroo Island.

This interactive tutorial is part 1 of 3. Click below to explore other habitats on Kangaroo Island.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Exploring Kangaroo Island Part 1: The Coast:

Make observations of the plants, animals and environment along the coastline of Australia's Kangaroo Island.

This interactive tutorial is part 1 of 3. Click below to explore other habitats on Kangaroo Island.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Resource Collection

BioEd Online K-2 Educational Resources for Educators, Students, and Parents:

Biology lesson plans for a Living Things Unit of study.

Type: Resource Collection

Teaching Ideas

Fruit and Vegetable Mystery:

This teaching idea describes a project called Fruit and Vegetable Mystery, which is a set of note cards created by first grade students. The cards include a written description of a fruit or vegetable on one side and the name and illustration of the corresponding fruit or vegetable on the other. The cards were created as a final product for an expedition on plants and soil.

Type: Teaching Idea

Colorado Bird Project:

This teaching idea describes a project completed by students in Colorado after studying birds. Students wrote and illustrated informational texts that included information on the physical characteristics of a bird found in Colorado. The same teaching idea can be used with birds from any state.

Type: Teaching Idea

Rough Rubbin' Sharks-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:

In this activity, students gain an understanding of sharks' rough, textured skin through artwork. They demonstrate knowledge of a shark's ecosystem. Students will also have the opportunity to measure/estimate different sharks using objects and rulers.

Type: Teaching Idea

A Shrimpy Home-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:

In this activity, students will demonstrate how changes in an environment can affect the survival of an animal.

Type: Teaching Idea

Animal Sing Along-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:

In this activity, students will be able to name warm- and cold-blooded animals through role play and song and demonstrate the behaviors used to dissipate excess body heat.

Type: Teaching Idea

Aiming For Action-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:

In this activity, students will use hand-eye coordination and large muscle skills as they reinforce positive action choices that help endangered wildlife and habitats.

Type: Teaching Idea

A Body of Geography-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:

In this activity, students will be able to demonstrate that all penguins live south of the equator and relate where various species of penguins live.

Type: Teaching Idea

Birdie on my Finger-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:

In this activity, students will identify bird body parts and adaptations (feathers, wings, bill, tail) while creating paper finger puppets.

Type: Teaching Idea

Baby Shamu Suit-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:

In this activity, students will be able to name whale body parts (flipper, flukes, fins) and describe the function of each. In addition, they will role-play whale behavior.

Type: Teaching Idea

Animal Disguises-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:

In this activity, the students will be able to demonstrate how cryptic coloration helps ocean animals survive.

Type: Teaching Idea

Design a Fish-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:

In this activity, the students will use a modeling compound to make fish-shaped refrigerator magnets. They will use observation skills to learn about different fish body types and replicate them with the modeling compound.

Type: Teaching Idea

Fingerprint Fish-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:

In this activity, students explore how schooling behavior is an adaptation for avoiding predators.

Type: Teaching Idea

Living and Nonliving:

The students will think about what is alive. They will practice how scientists observe and record. Going outside they will record in their journal the things they observe under the heading they think it belongs in-living or nonliving.

Type: Teaching Idea

My Penguin Memory Book-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:

In this activity, students will keep a daily journal, recording facts about penguins.

Type: Teaching Idea

Sharing What We Know About Organisms:

Students discuss living and nonliving organisms, including plants and animals.

Type: Teaching Idea

Sirenian Survival-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:

In this activity, students will identify four reasons why manatees are endangered.

Type: Teaching Idea

Webcams: Animal Inquiry and Observation:

Observe animal habits and habitats using one of the many webcams broadcasting from zoos and aquariums around the United States and the world in this inquiry-based activity that focuses on observation logs, class discussion, questioning, and research.

Type: Teaching Idea

Wiggly Worms:

In this inquiry-based worms lesson, students will compare and contrast red worms and earthworms through exploration (magnifying glasses provided) and a read-aloud.

Type: Teaching Idea

Unit/Lesson Sequence

What do Living Things Need?:

In this unit, teachers allow students to explain how they know something is living and to identify the needs of living things.

Type: Unit/Lesson Sequence

Video/Audio/Animation

What Do Animals Eat?:

This video segment samples the diversity of feeding habits among some of the world's creatures. Different animals eat different things through different mechanisms.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Original Student Tutorials Science - Grades K-8

Exploring Kangaroo Island Part 1: The Coast:

Make observations of the plants, animals and environment along the coastline of Australia's Kangaroo Island.

This interactive tutorial is part 1 of 3. Click below to explore other habitats on Kangaroo Island.

Exploring Kangaroo Island Part 2: The Woodlands:

Make observations of the plants, animals and overall environment in the woodlands of Australia's Kangaroo Island.

This interactive tutorial is part 1 of 3. Click below to explore other habitats on Kangaroo Island.

Exploring Kangaroo Island Part 3: The Waters:

Make observations of the plants, animals and environment in the waters of Australia's Kangaroo Island.

This interactive tutorial is part 3 of 3. Click below to explore other habitats on Kangaroo Island.

Student Resources

Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this benchmark.

Original Student Tutorials

Exploring Kangaroo Island Part 3: The Waters:

Make observations of the plants, animals and environment in the waters of Australia's Kangaroo Island.

This interactive tutorial is part 3 of 3. Click below to explore other habitats on Kangaroo Island.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Exploring Kangaroo Island Part 2: The Woodlands:

Make observations of the plants, animals and overall environment in the woodlands of Australia's Kangaroo Island.

This interactive tutorial is part 1 of 3. Click below to explore other habitats on Kangaroo Island.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Exploring Kangaroo Island Part 1: The Coast:

Make observations of the plants, animals and environment along the coastline of Australia's Kangaroo Island.

This interactive tutorial is part 1 of 3. Click below to explore other habitats on Kangaroo Island.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Video/Audio/Animation

What Do Animals Eat?:

This video segment samples the diversity of feeding habits among some of the world's creatures. Different animals eat different things through different mechanisms.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Parent Resources

Vetted resources caregivers can use to help students learn the concepts and skills in this benchmark.

Resource Collection

BioEd Online K-2 Educational Resources for Educators, Students, and Parents:

Biology lesson plans for a Living Things Unit of study.

Type: Resource Collection

Teaching Idea

Rough Rubbin' Sharks-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:

In this activity, students gain an understanding of sharks' rough, textured skin through artwork. They demonstrate knowledge of a shark's ecosystem. Students will also have the opportunity to measure/estimate different sharks using objects and rulers.

Type: Teaching Idea