PRISM Curricula: Kindergarten
You may download individual lessons or even entire units by visiting each curriculum page. View students in action and samples of student work. See the standards addressed with each unit and concept maps of each unit. Some of the units address specific ecosystems while others focus on key concepts. Check it out!
Please note that all curricula currently available are drafts that will be updated periodically. Please feel free to send suggestions via email to
On this page:
Hawaiʻi's Anchialine Ponds - Kindergarten
Anchialine ponds are one of Hawaiʻi’s most threatened ecosystems. There are about 700 known anchialine ponds known in Hawaiʻi. They exist in inland lava depressions near the shore and contain brackish (a mixture of freshwater and saltwater) water. This unit demonstrates the physical properties of saltwater and freshwater using the scientific method, observations of live opae ‘ula (a native shrimp) in the classroom, and a visit to an anchialine pond to survey the flora-fauna. Lessons stress both the biological and cultural importance of this ecosystem.
The children's book titled The Adventure of Ebi the 'Opae 'ula, written by Bobby Hsu and Jackie Gaudioso, is an original work developed as part of the PRISM Program as a literature connection to the Anchialine Ponds science curriculum. The book is available in hard-copy for a nominal fee which includes printing and shipping costs only. If you are interested in obtaining a copy of this book please contact
KinderCorals - Kindergarten
Cauliflower Coral
Corals consist of small, colonial, plankton-eating invertebrate animals called polyps, which are anemone-like. Although corals are mistaken for non-living material, they are live animals. Corals are living animals because they fit the five criteria of the definition of an animal (1. Multicellular; 2. Consumes other organisms for food; 3. Has an internal digestive system; and 4. Embryonic development; 5. Motile, or can move independently). Corals feed on plankton, which includes tiny crustaceans, mollusks, and larvae of reef animals. Corals use their tentacles, or arms to sting and capture plankton that drift by on currents. Shallow-water corals grow the fastest and are called reef-building corals because they secrete skeletons of calcium carbonate, which construct large structures called coral reefs.
Insects - Kindergarten
Insects are everywhere and familiar to nearly everyone. Most children appear to have a natural curiosity about insects. This unit reinforces students’ curiosities by demonstrating the uniqueness of insects’ appearance and lifestyle. Lessons emphasize the diversity of insects and how they live – including what they eat, what eats them, and how they change (metamorphose) as they grew. By studying insects in detail through the inquiry process, students are encouraged to develop questions and solutions that promote insect conservation.
