S.K.13.B | TEKS Guide

SCIENCE.K.13.B — Vertical Alignment

Vertical alignment shows student expectations in the same subject area at different grade levels that are related to or build upon one another.

S.K.13.B

identify the different structures that animals have that allow them to interact with their environment such as seeing, hearing, moving, and grasping objects;

S.1.13.A

identify the external structures of different animals and compare how those structures help different animals live, move, and meet basic needs for survival;

S.2.13.B

record and compare how the structures and behaviors of animals help them find and take in food, water, and air;

S.3.13.A

explore and explain how external structures and functions of animals such as the neck of a giraffe or webbed feet on a duck enable them to survive in their environment; and

S.5.13.A

analyze the structures and functions of different species to identify how organisms survive in the same environment; and

S.7.13.A

identify and model the main functions of the systems of the human organism, including the circulatory, respiratory, skeletal, muscular, digestive, urinary, reproductive, integumentary, nervous, immune, and endocrine systems;

S.8.13.C

describe how variations of traits within a population lead to structural, behavioral, and physiological adaptations that influence the likelihood of survival and reproductive success of a species over generations.

BIO.12.A

analyze the interactions that occur among systems that perform the functions of regulation, nutrient absorption, reproduction, and defense from injury or illness in animals; and

AQUA.13.B

describe how adaptations allow an organism to exist within an aquatic environment; and

AQUA.13.C

compare adaptations of freshwater and marine organisms.

Next grade

Recurring themes and concepts — Connections to the content

Recurring themes and concepts provide a connective structure for scientific ideas across disciplines. The connection(s) below show some ways that teachers can help students understand how the content they are learning fits into the broader understanding of science. These connections do not represent all possible connections that might be made but highlight some that are appropriate for this grade level.

Patterns

Patterns are regular sequences that can be found throughout nature.

Animals have similar structures (patterns). Scientists identify animals based on the patterns of their structures, such as the type of limb used for moving.

Model the interdependence and parts of a system

A system is a whole made of parts that work together. It has components and boundaries. It can interact with or be part of other systems.

An animal (system) depends on certain body structures to satisfy its basic needs. For example, ears allow animals to listen for predators, and muscular legs allow animals to run from predators, catch prey, or defend themselves.

Relationship between structure and function

A structure is an organized arrangement of particles,
parts, or elements in a substance, body, or entity. A function is the purpose or reason for something to exist in a system. The function of a structure depends on the shapes of and relationships among its essential parts. It is important to note that in kindergarten – grade 2, students focus on structures as an organized arrangement of parts within an organism or object.

An animal's body parts are designed to meet the animal's specific needs. For example, bats have large ears and many folds in their noses (structure) to find insects using echolocation (function), or a cheetah has very muscular legs and a slender body (structure) to chase down and hunt other animals (function).

Cross-curricular Connections

The cross-curricular connections are designed to help educators make content connections between the science TEKS and math, English language arts and reading, social studies, and technology applications. The standards below illustrate alignment between grade level content areas which may help educators develop cross-curricular lessons. These connections do not represent all possible connections that might be made.

Expand All

Math

English Language Arts and Reading

Science.K.13.B

SCIENCE.K.13.B — Vertical Alignment

Recurring themes and concepts — Connections to the content

Cross-curricular Connections