Academic Standards
Meet Arizona Academic Standards with a visit to the Garden. Guided tours meet many of the standards – and not just science! Each tour has been developed to align with a specific grade level’s curriculum and academic standards.
Standards: Pre-Kindergarten
Tour: Are You A Yucca?/Basic Plant Parts
Science - Strand 1: Inquiry
Concept 1: Observations, Questions & Hypotheses
Concept 2: Investigation
Concept 3: Analysis and Conclusion
Concept 4: Communication
Standards: Kindergarten
Tour: The Magic of Desert Plants: Basic Plant Parts
Science – Strand 1: Inquiry Process – Concept 1: Observation, Questions, and Hypotheses
PO 1. Observe common objects using multiple senses
PO 2. Ask questions based on experiences with objects, organisms, and events in the environment
PO 3. Predict results of an investigation based on life physical and earth sciences
Science – Strand 1: Inquiry Process – Concept 2: Scientific Testing
PO 1. Demonstrate safe behavior and appropriate procedures in all science inquiry
PO 2. Participate in guided investigations in life science
Science – Strand 1: Inquiry Process – Concept 4: Communication
PO 1. Communicate observations with pictures and words.
Science – Strand 4: Life Science – Concept 2: Life Cycles
PO 1. Describe that most plants will grow to physically resemble their parents
Science – Strand 4: Life Science – Concept 3: Organisms and Environments
PO 1. Identify some plant that exist in the local environment
PO 2. Identify that plants need the following to grow and survive: water, food
Science – Strand 5: Physical Science – Concept 1: Properties of Objects and Materials
PO 1. Identify the following observable properties of objects using the senses: shape, size, texture
Standards: First Grade
Tour: Desert Buddies: Habitats & Organism Interactions
Science – Strand 1: Inquiry Process – Concept 1: Observation, Questions, and Hypotheses
PO 1. Observe common objects using multiple senses
PO 2. Ask questions based on experiences with objects, organisms, and events in the environment
PO 3. Predict results of an investigation based on life physical and earth sciences
Science – Strand 1: Inquiry Process – Concept 2: Scientific Testing
PO 1. Demonstrate safe behavior and appropriate procedures in all science inquiry
PO 2. Participate in guided investigations in life science
Science – Strand 1: Inquiry Process – Concept 4: Communication
PO 1. Communicate observations with pictures and words.
Science – Strand 4: Life Science – Concept 2: Life Cycles
PO 1. Describe that most plants will grow to physically resemble their parents
Science – Strand 4: Life Science – Concept 3: Organisms and Environments
PO 1. Identify some plant that exist in the local environment
PO 2. Identify that plants need the following to grow and survive: water, food
Science – Strand 5: Physical Science – Concept 1: Properties of Objects and Materials
PO 1. Identify the following observable properties of objects using the senses: shape, size, texture
Standards: Second Grade
Tour: Desert Detectives: Lifecycles
Science – Strand 4, Life Science – Concept 2: Lifecycles
PO 2 & 3. Describe and compare the lifecycles of various mammals and organisms
Science – Strand 1: Inquiry Process – Concept 1: Observations, Questions, and Hypotheses
PO 1. Formulate relevant questions about the properties of objects, organisms, and events in the environment
PO 2. Predict results of an investigation (e.g., in animal lifecycles)
Science – Strand 1: Inquiry Process – Concept 2: Scientific Testing
PO 1. Demonstrate safe behavior and appropriate procedures in all science inquiry
PO 2. Participate in guided investigations in life science
PO 3. Use magnifying glass to collect data
PO 4. Record data from guided investigations in an organized & appropriate format
Science - Strand 1:Inquiry Process – Concept 4: Communication
PO 1. Communicate the results of an investigation using pictures and/or words
Math – Strand 1: Number Sense and Operations – Concept 1: Number Sense
PO 5. Write whole numbers through 100 in or out of order
PO 11: Compare two whole numbers through 100
Standards: Third Grade
Tour: The Secrets of Desert Plants: Plant Parts and Adaptations
Science – Strand 1: Inquiry Process, Concept 1: Observations, Questions and Hypotheses
PO 1. Formulate relevant questions about the properties of objects, organisms, and events of the environment using observations and prior knowledge
Science – Strand 4: Life Sciences, Concept 1: Characteristics of Organisms
PO 1. Describe the function of the following plant structures: roots, stems, leaves
Science – Strand 4: Life Sciences, Concept 3: Organisms and Environments
PO 5. Describe how environmental factors (quantity of water) in the ecosystem may affect a member organism’s ability to grow, reproduce and thrive.
Science – Strand 4: Life Sciences, Concept 4: Diversity, Adaptation, and Behavior
PO 1. Identify adaptations of plants and animals that allow them to live in specific environments.
Writing – Strand 3: Writing Applications, Concept 1: Expressive
PO 2. Write in a variety of expressive forms (e. g., poetry) that may employ: figurative language, rhythm, dialogue, characterization, plot, appropriate format
Math- Strand 1: Number Sense and Operation, Concept 3: Estimation
PO 2 Estimate length and weight using U.S. customary units
PO 4 Compare estimations of appropriate measures to the actual measures
Math- Strand 4: Geometry and Measurement, Concept 4: Measurement- Units of Measure
PO 1: Select the appropriate measure of accuracy
PO 4: Measure a given object using the appropriate unit of measure
PO 8: Compare the length of two objects using U.S. customary or metric units
Standards: Fourth Grade
Tour: Arizona Plants & People: Relationships between People and Plants
Social Studies - Strand 1: American History-Concept 2: Early Civilizations
PO 1. Describe the legacy and cultures of prehistoric people in the Americas:
- characteristics of hunter-gatherer societies
- development of agriculture
PO 2. Describe the cultures and contributions of the Mogollon, Ancestral Puebloans (Anasazi), and Hohokam (e.g., location, agriculture, housing, arts, trade networks; adaptation and alteration of the environment)
Concept 3: Exploration and Colonization
PO 2 Describe the impact of Spanish colonization on the southwest: lifestyle changes of native people
PO 3 Describe the location and cultural characteristics of Native American tribes (e.g., O’odham, Apache, Hopi) during the Spanish period
Strand 4: Geography- Concept 2: Places and Regions
PO 4. Compare the landform regions of Arizona according to their physical features, plants, and animals
Concept 3: Physical Systems (science concepts reinforced through social studies)
Science Strand 3 Concept 1 Describe how natural events and human activities impact environments
Science Strand 4 Concept 3 Describe uses, types, and conservation of natural resources
Concept 4: Human Systems
PO 4. Describe the cultural characteristics (e.g., food, clothing, housing, sports, customs, beliefs) of Arizona’s diverse population
Concept 5: Environment and Society
PO 1. Describe human dependence on the physical environment and natural resources to satisfy basic
Standards: Fifth Grade
Tour: Science Survival: Scientific Method
Science – Strand 1: Inquiry Process – Concept 1: Observations, Questions, and Hypotheses
PO 2. Formulate predictions in the realm of science based on observed cause and effect relationships
Science – Strand 1: Inquiry Process – Concept 2: Scientific Testing (Investigating and Modeling)
PO 1. Demonstrate safe behavior and appropriate procedures in all science inquiry
PO 3. Conduct simple investigations based on student-developed questions in life, physical, and Earth and space sciences
PO 4. Measure using appropriate tools and units of measure
PO 5. Record data in an organized and appropriate format
Science – Strand 1: Inquiry Process – Concept 3: Analysis and Conclusions
PO 1. Analyze data obtained in a scientific investigation to identify trends and form conclusions
PO 2. Analyze whether the data is consistent with the proposed explanation that motivated the investigation
PO 3. Evaluate the reasonableness of the outcome of an investigation
Science – Strand 1: Inquiry Process – Concept 4: Communication
PO 1. Communicate verbally or in writing the results of an inquiry
PO 2. Choose an appropriate graphic representation for collected data: bar graph, line graph, Venn diagram
PO 3. Communicate with other groups or individuals to compare the results of a common investigation
Math – Strand 2: Data Analysis, Probability, and Discrete Mathematics – Concept 1: Data Analysis
PO 2. Construct a double-bar graph, line plot, frequency table, or three-set Venn diagram with appropriate labels and title from organized data
PO 3. Interpret graphical representations and data displays including bar graphs (including double-bar), circle graphs, frequency tables, three-set Venn Diagrams, and line graphs that display continuous data
PO 4. Answer questions based on graphical representations, and data displays including bar graphs (including double-bar), circle graphs, frequency tables, three-set Venn Diagrams, and line graphs that display continuous data
PO 7. Compare two sets of data related to the same investigation
Standards: Sixth Grade
Tour: The Journey of Water: Transpiration
Science – Strand 1: Inquiry Process - Concept 2: Scientific Testing (Investigating and Modeling)
PO5: Keep a record of observations, notes, sketches, questions and ideas using tools such as written and/or computer logs
Science – Strand 2: History and Nature of Science – Concept 2: Nature of Scientific Knowledge
PO3: Apply the following scientific processes to other problem solving or decision making situations: observing, questioning, communicating, comparing
Science – Strand 4: Life Science – Concept 1: Structure and Function in Living Systems
PO1: Explain the importance of water to organisms
PO6: Relate the following structures of living organisms to their functions: Plants – transpiration and absorption
Science – Strand 4: Life Science – Concept 3: Populations of Organisms in an Ecosystem
PO2: Describe the following environmental conditions affect the quality of life: climate
Science – Strand 6: Earth and Space Science – Concept 2: Earth’s Processes and Systems
PO1: Explain how water is cycled in nature.
Standards: Seventh Grade
Tour: A Key to Desert Plants: Dichotomous Key
Science – Strand 1: Inquiry Process - Concept 2: Scientific Testing
PO5. Keep a record of observations, notes, sketches, questions, and ideas using tools such as written and/or computer logs.
Strand 2: History and Nature of Science- Concept 2: Nature of Scientific Knowledge
PO1. Describe how science is an ongoing process that changes in response to new information and discoveries
PO3. Apply the following scientific processes to other problem solving or decision making situations: observing, communicating, comparing, measuring, classifying, inferring, generating hypotheses
Science: Strand 4: Life Science- Concept 3: Populations of Organisms in an Ecosystem
PO2. Explain how organisms obtain and use resources to develop and thrive in niches
PO3. Analyze the interactions of living organisms with their ecosystems: limiting factors
Math- Strand 5: Structure and Logic- Concept 2: Logic, Reasoning, Arguments, and Mathematical Proof
PO1. Solve a logical problem using multiple variables. Math measurement & estimation.
Standards: Eighth Grade
Tour: Flower Power - the Genetic Journey
Science – Strand 1: Inquiry Process - Concept 2: Scientific Testing
PO 5. Keep a record of observations, notes, sketches, questions, and ideas using tools such as written and/or computer logs
Concept 3: Analysis and Conclusions
PO 2. Form a logical argument about a correlation between variables or sequence of events (e.g., construct a cause-and-effect chain that explains a sequence of events)
PO 8. Formulate new questions based on the results of a previous investigation
Concept 4: Communication
PO 1. Communicate the results of an investigation
Science – Strand 2: History and Nature of Science – Concept 2: Nature of Scientific Knowledge
PO 1. Apply the following scientific processes to other problem solving or decision making situations
Science – Strand 4: Life Science – Concept 2: Reproduction and Heredity
PO 2. Explain the basic principles of heredity using the human examples of: eye color, widow’s peak
PO 3. Distinguish between the nature of dominant and recessive traits in humans
Concept 4: Diversity, Adaptation and Behavior
PO 1. Explain how an organism’s behavior allows it to survive in an environment
PO 2. Describe how an organism can maintain a stable internal environment while living in a constantly changing external environment
PO 3. Determine characteristics of organisms that could change over several generations
PO 4. Compare the symbiotic and competitive relationships in organisms within an ecosystem (e.g., lichen, mistletoe/tree, clownfish/sea anemone, native/non-native species)
PO 5. Analyze the following behavioral cycles of organisms: dormancy (plants)
PO 6. Describe the following factors that allow for the survival of living organisms: beak design, seed dispersal, pollination.
Math—Strand 1: Number Sense and Operations – Concept 2: Numerical Operations
PO 9. Calculate the missing value in percentage problem
Math— Strand 2: Data Analysis, Probability, and Discrete Mathematics – Concept 2: Probability
PO 1. Determine the probability that a specific event will occur in a 2-stage probability experiment
PO 3. Predict the outcome of a grade-level appropriate probability experiment
PO 4. Record the data from performing a grade-level appropriate probability experiment
