Mystery Seeds Curriculum Connections

Grade 3 Science

Earth Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their interactions.

Soil includes

• living plants and animals

• decaying plants and animals

• rock particles

• air

• water

Soil can change due to the influence of plants and animals, such as

• plants and crops growing

• worms tunneling and eating matter

Examine soil and its components in the local community.

Describe how soil is changed by plants and animals.

Living Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their interactions.

Plants and animals use their senses to respond to sensory stimuli, including

• water

• food

• temperature

• light

Plants and animals sense and respond to stimuli in order to survive.

Investigate and discuss how plants and animals respond to stimuli in their environments in order to survive.

Plants and animals may depend on each other and their environments for survival, such as for food and habitat

Explain interconnections in environments, including how plants depend on animals and how animals depend on plants to survive. 

Scientific Methods: Investigation of the physical world is enhanced through the use of scientific methods that attempt to remove human biases and increase objectivity.

Techniques that can be used to improve the accuracy of data include choosing appropriate tools, carefully measuring, and demonstrating objectivity.

Accuracy of data refers to the correctness of a recorded observation.

Data can come from many sources, such as

• investigations

• texts

• websites

• Elders or Knowledge Keepers

• community members

• personal observations

Data can be analyzed by

• making connections to previous knowledge

• comparing for accuracy

• asking questions

• noticing changes

• discussing

• collaborating

Analysis of data can spark new questions for investigation.

Investigations build on previous knowledge by supporting or contradicting existing knowledge.

Reflect on how conducting an investigation contributes to building knowledge.

Collect data using techniques to improve the accuracy of data.

Analyze data collected during investigations.

Grade 4 Science

Earth Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their interactions.

Organisms require warmth and energy from the Sun to live.

In Alberta, sunlight is more direct, and the length of daylight is longer, in summer than in winter.

Earth’s surface is warmed by the Sun, allowing for life.

Describe the importance of the amount of sunlight and warmth on a variety of organisms.

Water is a basic need for plants and animals.

Discuss ways that plants and animals use water to meet their basic needs.

Natural resources are materials from nature that are used to meet human needs, and include

• air

• water

• soil

• minerals

• metals

• forests

• organisms

Earth’s systems include natural resources that are central to human well-being.

Investigate natural resources found in Alberta and how they are used to meet human needs.

Living Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their interactions.

Organisms are living things that respond to stimuli and include plants, humans, and other animals.



Organisms can be classified in various ways, including by

• appearance

• habitat

• structures



Structures, including body parts, are features of organisms that serve a purpose or function.



Organisms have external structures that can vary; e.g.,

• plants may have roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruit, or other structures

• animals may have claws, teeth, legs, shells, skins, or other structures

Functions of external structures in an organism include

• eating

• moving

• protecting

• sensing

• reproducing

A variety of organisms live on Earth and have external structures that support various functions.

Find and classify examples of local plants and animals based on appearance, habitat, and structures.

Relate the external structures of plants to their functions.

Plants can detect sensory stimuli, such as light, gravity, temperature, and touch, which help them grow and survive.

Organisms sense and respond to their environments to support growth and survival.

Discuss how plants respond to sensory stimuli.

Conduct an investigation to determine if an organism senses and responds to changes in an environment.

Scientific Methods: Investigation of the physical world is enhanced through the use of scientific methods that attempt to remove human biases and increase objectivity.

Data can be descriptive and expressed using words (qualitative).

Data can be measured and expressed using numbers and counts (quantitative).

Relevant data addresses the question that is being investigated.

Some observations and data are not relevant to the question being investigated.

All relevant data must be considered.

Evidence is produced through the study and interpretation of data.

Data can be represented as evidence in multiple ways, including

• written texts

• verbal presentations

• oral traditions

• graphs

• tables

• charts

• diagrams

• simulations

• models

Ongoing collection of evidence provides a way to expand and adjust previous knowledge.

Interpret data collected from investigations.

Reliability refers to consistency of data and evidence.



Reliability of evidence can be affected by the amount of data collected and whether the data can be reproduced.



Validity refers to how accurately data and evidence reflect what is supposed to be described or measured.

Conclusions drawn during investigation must be based on reliable and valid evidence.

Collect reliable data during investigations.

Draw conclusions using reliable and valid evidence from investigations.

Collaborate to evaluate the reliability and validity of a collection of data.

Grade 5 Science

Living Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their interactions.

Plant transport systems include xylem and phloem. 

Xylem and phloem in plants perform similar functions to the circulatory system in animals. 

Xylem transports water and nutrients from the roots to the rest of the plant. 

Phloem transports sugars from the leaves to the rest of the plant.

Plants are complex organisms with transport systems that carry out specific functions for survival. 

Examine the transport systems of plants and describe their functions. 

Scientific Methods: Investigation of the physical world is enhanced through the use of scientific methods that attempt to remove human biases and increase objectivity.

Phenomena are facts or events that can be observed. 

Some phenomena can be directly observed using the human senses. 

Investigations can be conducted to better understand phenomena. 

A variable is a condition or factor that can influence the outcome of an experiment.

Representations of data can include all or some of the data. 

Diverse representations of data can communicate evidence differently. 

Evidence that is communicated clearly and accurately 

• uses correct vocabulary 

• includes all relevant data 

• is free from personal bias 

• can be understood by the intended audience 

Evidence that is not communicated clearly and accurately can influence the validity and reliability of the investigation.

Evidence must be communicated clearly and accurately. 

Discuss the use of diverse representations of data in communicating evidence. 

Discuss potential impacts of evidence that is not communicated clearly and accurately. 

Scientific ethics are principles and rules that guide behaviour when conducting scientific investigations.

Scientific ethics are demonstrated during investigations in ways such as

• not changing data in an experiment

• minimizing harm to environments, humans, and other animals

• respecting the privacy of participants

• limiting personal bias

Evidence needs to be produced, handled, and shared ethically. 

Examine the importance of scientific ethics in investigations. 

Demonstrate scientific ethics during investigations.

Grade 6 Science

Living Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their interactions.

Plants carry out the process of photosynthesis, which uses light, water, and carbon dioxide to produce oxygen and food in the form of sugar (glucose).

Plants and animals use food produced during photosynthesis to perform vital biological processes.

Plants and animals use the oxygen that is released during photosynthesis for respiration.

Chlorophyll in plants collects light needed for photosynthesis.

The release of oxygen and the presence of starch indicate that a plant has been photosynthesizing.

Sugar produced by plants through photosynthesis is often stored as starch.

Photosynthesis is a process that supports growth and survival in a variety of ecosystems.

Explain the process of photosynthesis and its importance in an ecosystem.

Design and perform a controlled experiment to demonstrate the importance of light to photosynthesis.

Design and perform a controlled experiment to show that a plant is releasing oxygen.

Design and perform a controlled experiment to show that a plant contains starch.

Plants play a variety of roles in an ecosystem, such as

• Photosynthesizing

• cleaning and filtering water

• reducing soil erosion

• providing food and shelter for animals

Humans, like all animals, depend on plants to produce oxygen that is used for respiration.

Humans also rely on plants in various other ways, such as

• food

• clothing

• paper

• building materials

• medicine

• fuel

Plants benefit from animals, including humans, to help provide carbon dioxide, which they need to survive.

There are significant relationships between plants and animals within ecosystems.

Examine ways that plants and animals rely on each other to meet their needs.

Scientific Methods: Investigation of the physical world is enhanced through the use of scientific methods that attempt to remove human biases and increase objectivity.

Scientific explanations make sense of natural phenomena based on an investigation.

Scientific explanations must be testable (falsifiable) by an investigation that will either support or contradict the explanation.

Hypotheses are proposed scientific explanations developed prior to conducting an investigation.

Hypotheses are based on prior scientific knowledge and understandings.

Explanations are used in science to answer scientific questions.

Discuss the role of scientific explanations.

Develop and test a hypothesis based on a scientific explanation.

Evidence is used to support or contradict a hypothesis.



Scientific explanations can be used to describe natural phenomena such as phases of the moon, hours of daylight, and amount of rain or snowfall (precipitation).



Scientific experiments performed with objectivity and a high level of accuracy produce trustworthy evidence to support explanations.

Scientific explanations are constructed using reliable, objective data and evidence.

Create scientific explanations for how natural phenomena occur.

Discuss observations and measurements used to create scientific explanations.

Scientific explanations can incorporate a variety of texts, such as

• visual forms; e.g., graphs, tables, flow charts, diagrams, and models

• written texts; e.g., research papers

• verbal presentations; e.g., stories and discussions

Communicate explanations using appropriate digital or non-digital technologies.

Construct digital or non-digital graphs and tables using proper labels, legends, scales, and titles.

Grade 7 Science

Unit B:  Plants for Food and Fibre (Science and Technology Emphasis)

1. Investigate plant uses; and identify links among needs, technologies, products and impacts

• illustrate and explain the essential role of plants within the environment 

• describe human uses of plants as sources of food and raw materials, and give examples of other uses (e.g., identify uses of plants as herbs or medicines; describe plant products, and identify plant sources on which they depend)

• investigate trends in land use from natural environments (e.g., forests, grasslands) to managed environments (e.g., farms, gardens, greenhouses) and describe changes

• investigate practical problems and issues in maintaining productive plants within sustainable environments, and identify questions for further study (e.g., investigate the long-term effects of irrigation practices or fertilizer use)

2. Investigate life processes and structures of plants, and interpret related characteristics and needs of plants in a local environment

• describe the general structure and functions of seed plants (e.g., describe the roots, stem, leaves and flower of a common local plant)

• investigate and interpret variations in plant structure, and relate these to different ways that plants are adapted to their environment (e.g., distinguish between plants with shallow spreading roots and those with deep taproots; describe and interpret differences in flower form and in the timing of flower production)

• investigate and interpret variations in needs of different plants and their tolerance for different growing conditions (e.g., tolerance for drought, soil salinization or short growing seasons)

• describe the processes of diffusion, osmosis, conduction of fluids, transpiration, photosynthesis and gas exchange in plants [Note:  This item requires a general understanding of the processes; it does not require knowledge of the specific biochemistry of these processes.]

• describe life cycles of seed plants, and identify example methods used to ensure their germination, growth and reproduction (e.g., describe propagation of plants from seeds and  vegetative techniques, such as cuttings; conduct a germination study; describe the use of beehives to support pollination)

3. Analyze plant environments, and identify impacts of specific factors and controls

• describe methods used to increase yields, through modifying the environment and by creating artificial environments (e.g., describe processes used in raising bedding plants or in vegetable production through hydroponics)

• investigate and describe characteristics of different soils and their major component (e.g., distinguish among clayey soils, sandy soils and soils rich in organic content; investigate and describe particle sizes, compaction and moisture content of soil samples)

• identify practices that may enhance or degrade soils in particular applications

• describe and interpret the consequences of using herbicides, pesticides and biological controls in agriculture and forestry

Grade 8 Science

Unit B:  Cells and Systems (Nature of Science Emphasis)

1. Investigate living things; and identify and apply scientific ideas used to interpret their general structure, function and organization

• investigate and describe example scientific studies of the characteristics of living things (e.g., investigate and describe an ongoing scientific study of a locally-found organism)

• apply the concept of system in describing familiar organisms and analyzing their general structure and function

• illustrate and explain how different organisms have similar functions that are met in a variety of ways  (e.g., recognize food gathering as a common function of animals, and note a variety of food-gathering structures)