Science

    In first grade science, we will be focusing on the areas of life science, earth science, and physical science. The units of study will include "About Our Earth" and "Weather, Seasons, and the Sky" in the area of Earth Science, "Investigating Matter", "Energy in Our World", and "Balance and Motion" in the area of Physical Science, and in the area of Life Science we will be studying "Plants and Animals All Around Us", "Living Together", and "The Life Cycle of Butterflies" .

Our first unit of study in science is the area of earth science. We will be using materials from a variety of sources/publishers to study earth science. They include the Weather Module from Science and Technology for Children and Weather, Season, and the Sky and About Our Earth from Harcourt School Publishers, as well as various trade books and reference materials.

Weather

The Weather Module was developed by Science and Technology for Children (STC) through the Smithsonian/The National Academies National Science Resources Center and is an innovative hands-on science program. Our program provides experiences within the Earth Sciences. The “Focus-Explore-Reflect-Apply” learning cycle is incorporated into the unit of study.

§        Focus: Explore and clarify the ideas that children already have about a topic.

§        Explore: Enable children to engage in hands-on explorations of the objects, organisms, and science phenomena to be investigated.

§        Reflect: Encourage young children to discuss their observation and reconcile their ideas.

§        Apply: Help children discuss and apply new ideas in new situations.

From STC/Weather Science and Technology for Children

Through a program published by Harcourt School Publishers, we will also explore weather, seasons, and the sky (measuring weather, studying objects in the sky, and looking at the seasons) and About our Earth through inquiry based exploration.

Within the weather module, the children’s observations and activities will expand their awareness of weather, its features, and its effect on their daily lives as well as learning about our planet earth and its natural resources.

Our next unit of study in the area of physical science is about Energy in Our World (Harcourt), Balance and Motion (Harcourt and Foss), and Investigating Matter (Harcourt).

Balance and Motion

We live in a dynamic world where everything is in motion, or so it seems. But not everything is moving the same way. Some things move from one place to another. Other things go around and around in a rotational motion. Still other things are stationary, stable for a time, balanced on a thin line between stop and go. These are the global phenomena that students experience in this module, Balance and Motion from FOSS. In this way, we can explore the physical sciences.

FOSS EXPECTS STUDENTS TO

–Develop a curiosity and interest in the motion of objects.

–Investigate materials constructively during free exploration and in a guided discovery mode.

–Solve problems through trial and error.

–Develop persistence in tackling a problem.

–Explore concepts of balance, counterweight, and stability.

–Observe systems that are unstable and modify them to reach equilibrium.

–Discover different ways to produce rotational motion.

–Construct and observe toys that spin.

–Explore and describe some of the variables that influence the spinning of objects.

–Observe and compare rolling systems with different-size wheels.

–Explore and describe the motion of rolling spheres.

–Acquire the vocabulary associated with balance and motion.

    Through the Harcourt program, we will learn about matter, and solids, liquids, and gases. We will also explore heat, light, and sound and explore motion as a form of energy.

    Finally, in the spring, we will begin to study the area of Life Sciences as we explore the life cycle of the butterfly, explore living and nonliving things through plants and animals around us, and study our environment through understanding habitats.

The Life Cycle of the Butterfly 

Our Life Cycle of Butterflies Module was developed by Science and Technology for Children (STC) through Smithsonian/The National Academies National Science Resources Center and is an innovative hands-on science program. Our program provides experiences within the Life and Earth Sciences. The "Focus-Explore-Reflect-Apply" learning cycle is incorporated into this unit of study. Within the Butterfly module, the children's observations and activities will expand their awareness of the life cycle of the Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui).

In the spring of 2007, Mrs. Lund's class began to build the butterfly garden located on the front left side of the school entrance just outside our classroom. The garden contains plants which host the butterfly larvae (curly parsley) and a variety of plants that attract adult butterflies. Each year, our first graders will replant the parsley and the zinnia plants as part of this unit.