SCHOOL HERE
2019-2020
GRADE 1: SCIENCE
Teacher:
Email:
At “Your school” , science is a hands-on course with laboratory experiments, investigations, and activities comprising
much of the class time. Our curriculum is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards and is unified and
cyclical, meaning that students will learn about topics from a variety of scientific disciplines each year, as per the course
description. All experiments are inquiry-based, student-centered, and conducted within collaborative groups. Scientific
learning also requires lively classroom discussions, and active participation when applying new scientific concepts.
Course Description:
First grade students are eager learners who are curious about their world. This inquisitive nature leads them to
ask a variety of questions that deepen understanding. Students are developing social skills that enable them to
interact in inquiry-based and cooperative-learning opportunities. Students begin to take ownership of their
learning experiences by making connections through meaningful investigations.
Students learn disciplinary core ideas from the three scientific domains of Physical, Life, and Earth and Space
Sciences. In Physical Science, students conduct experiments to discover the properties of light and sound
waves. In Life Science, students determine similarities between parents and their offspring and how organisms
adapt to their environment. In Earth and Space Science, students continue to explore Earth’s systems through
observations of seasonal patterns as well as patterns in the day and night sky. The disciplinary core ideas of
the Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science (ETS) domain are integrated within the content
standards of the three science domains.
Grade 1 content standards provide students with opportunities for appropriate investigation and observation of
the world around them. Through guided participation in specific engineering design projects, they find answers
regarding how to use light or sound to communicate and how humans can imitate plant or animal parts for
survival or protection.
Materials: Science notebook & folder
School-issued technology device
Topics of Study
Sound: Waves, moving through different materials, vibrations
Light: Transparent, translucent, opaque
Plants and Animals: Offspring, inherited traits
Space: Earth, sun, moon and stars
Daylight & seasonal changes
Engineering Design Process
Writing utensil
Scientific Method
Whole-class Science Fair project
Scope and Sequence:
Unit
Science as Inquiry, Unit
1
Topics
Timeframe
Topic 1: Scientific Method
Topic 2: Engineering Design Process
Physical Science, Unit 2 Topic 1: Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for
Information Transfer
10 weeks
Life Science, Unit 3
Topic 1:
Topic 2: Heredity
3 weeks
Earth and Space
Science, Unit 4
Topic 1: Earth’s Place in the Universe
5 weeks
Lab Safety: Since we will be doing lab investigations throughout the year, safety is a top priority. All rules must be
followed at all times! It is expected that students behave and conduct themselves like young adults. We went over
these safety rules over the first week of school and a contract was sent home for you and your student to review, sign,
and return. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter!
Communication: “Learning platform” is the primary means of communication for all aspects of this course. Parents are
strongly encouraged to use “Learning platform” to access their student’s homework assignments, quizzes, tests,
projects and lab information, permission slips and any other course materials from home over the internet at any time.
Assignments are posted on a weekly basis in the classroom; students are responsible for updating their planners
everyday. Please review the planner with your child to ensure that assignments are being completed. All students have
Google accounts and may be asked to complete digital assignments in school or at home. Students should let the
teacher know immediately if they need help accessing digital resources outside of school. Parents and students alike
are welcome email me at “email” with any questions you may have throughout the year.