Educational Standards

This page contains links to the science standards developed by Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL). McREL surveyed many national and state efforts to identify what K-12 students should know and be able to do in a variety of subject areas. They also consulted over 100 national and state documents that address standards and benchmarks in various subject domains. (Copyright 2000 McREL; Used with permission).

"Cycling through the Food Web" specifically targets the following McREL science standards and benchmarks:

Grade Level
Science Standard and Benchmark
K-2

Understands the structure and function of cells and organisms - Knows the basic needs of plants and animals. (5.1.1)
Understands the structure and function of cells and organisms - Knows that plants and animals have features that help them live in different environments. (5.1.2)
Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment - Knows that plants and animals need certain resources for energy and growth. (6.1.1)
Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment - Knows that living things are found almost everywhere in the world and that distinct environments support the life of different types of plants and animals. (6.1.2)
Understands biological evolution and the diversity of life - Knows that there are similarities and differences in the appearance and behavior of plants and animals. (7.1.2)
3-5
 Understands the structure and function of cells and organisms - Knows that plants and animals progress through life cycles of birth, growth and development, reproduction, and death. (5.2.1)
Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment - Knows the organization of simple food chains and food webs. (6.2.1)
Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment - Knows that the transfer of energy is essential of all living organisms. (6.2.2)
Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment - Know that an organism's patterns of behavior are related to the nature of that organism's environment. (6.2.3)
Understands biological evolution and the diversity of life - Knows different ways in which living things can be grouped. (7.2.2)
6-8
 Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment - Knows ways in which organisms interact and depend on one another through food chains and food webs in an ecosystem. (6.3.3)
Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment - Knows how energy is transferred through food webs in an ecosystem. (6.3.4)
Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment - Knows how matter is recycled within ecosystems. (6.3.5)
Understands biological evolution and the diversity of life - Knows ways in which living things can be classifed. (7.3.5)
9-12
 Understands the structure and function of cells and organisms - Understands the processes of photosynthesis and respiration. (5.4.3)