GRADE
K
ACTIVITIES
TEACHING
SCIENCE
THROUGH
LITERACY
Grade-level activities aligned to Common Core State Standards
and Next Generation State Standards.
EARTH SCIENCE
LESSON ONE. WHAT’S THE WEATHER?
Use the following books in
the First Step Nonfiction
series for this lesson.
LESSON OBJECTIVES
Students will make observations of weather and describe patterns over time.
STANDARDS
This lesson aligns with the Next Generation Science Standard:
NGSS.K-ESS2-1 Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time.
MATERIALS
• butcher paper
• crayons
• class calendar
INTRODUCTION
Begin with a discussion about weather. Ask the following questions:
• What is today’s weather like? How can you describe it?
• What was yesterday’s weather like?
• What season is it? How many seasons are there? What are they?
• What type of weather usually happens during winter? How about in the summer?
Explain to students that they will keep track of the weather. They will look for weather patterns, which is weather that
happens in the same way more than once.
ACTIVITY
1. Assign each of the First Step Nonfiction: Kinds of Weather books to a group. Provide each group with a piece of
butcher paper.
2. Using the books as a guide, each group should draw a scene depicting their assigned weather condition.
Depending on the reading ability of your students, either allow them to only refer to the pictures or visit each
table to read the book aloud to the groups.
3. When the groups have finished drawing their scenes, collect and display the drawings. Next to the drawings, hang
a class calendar. Explain that you will be using this calendar to record the weather.
4. As a class, determine how you will record the weather each day. You might use pictures, colors, or words. Write a
key for the calendar and post it by the calendar. Use class drawings as inspiration for the key.
DISCUSSION/FOLLOW-UP
Use this calendar for a few weeks or more. Every day, record the day’s weather and ask students to predict the next
day’s weather. When students make predictions, ask them to explain their reasoning. Why do they think the next day
will be rainy? What clues did they use when making their guesses?
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EARTH SCIENCE
Use the following books in
the First Step Nonfiction
series for this lesson.
LESSON TWO. WHAT IS A FORECAST?
LESSON OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to define forecast. Students will also be able to explain the purpose of a forecast.
STANDARDS
This lesson aligns with the Next Generation Science Standard:
NGSS.K-ESS3-2 Ask questions to obtain information about the purpose of weather forecasting to prepare for, and respond to,
severe weather.
MATERIALS
• an umbrella
• a winter coat
• poster board
• black marker
• paper
• crayons
• access to a weather forecast
INTRODUCTION
Read aloud What is Severe Weather? Ask students to identify the different types of weather discussed in the book:
thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and blizzards. Record the types on the board. Then talk briefly with
your class about one or two ways they can stay safe during each type of weather. Record the students’ ideas on the
board using words or pictures.
ACTIVITY
1. Choose one student to stand in front of the class. Tell students you will be playing a game to see how well they
can prepare the chosen student for the weather. During each round, the student will get ready for the next day.
The class must help him or her choose the correct item to prepare for the weather.
2. Display an umbrella, a winter coat, and create a sign that says “Basement.” If you wish, put the sign in a corner of
your classroom to represent the basement. Explain that for every round of the activity, students can pick one of
the three items to help them prepare for the next day’s weather. For example, if they think a thunderstorm will be
coming the next day, they can give the student an umbrella. Students will need to pick an item for the student,
even if they don’t know what weather is coming.
3. Begin the game. Tell students what kind of weather is coming. Then ask them to pick the right item for that weather.
• Round One: Lightning strikes and thunder booms. A thunderstorm is coming. (Answer: Umbrella)
• Round Two: The tornado siren sounds. A tornado is coming. (Answer: Basement)
• Round Three: Raindrops start falling. A shower is coming. (Answer: Umbrella)
• Round Four: The wind is strong and snow is falling. A blizzard is coming. (Answer: Winter coat)
• Continue as desired.
4. Record whether the students correctly prepared for the upcoming weather.
DISCUSSION/FOLLOW-UP
Review the results of the rounds with your class. Ask the following questions:
• When did our class make the right decision about preparing for weather? When did our class make the wrong
decision?
• What helped you make your decisions? What did you think about?
• In our real lives, how can we know what type of weather is coming?
Explain that people use weather forecasts to help them prepare for the weather. A forecast is a smart guess about
what the weather will be like in the future. Read What Is a Forecast? with students. Ask students to explain the
purpose of a forecast.
Distribute paper and crayons. Share a forecast for the next day’s weather. Explain the different parts of the forecast,
such as the temperature and weather indicators. Ask students what clothing they should wear to be ready for the
weather the next day. Then give students time to draw pictures of themselves wearing the appropriate clothing.
Encourage students to draw the forecasted weather as part of their scenes as well.
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LIFE SCIENCE
LESSON THREE. WHAT DO LIVING THINGS NEED?
LESSON OBJECTIVES
Students will use observations to identify the common needs of all living things. Students will also use writing and
drawing to share information about a topic.
STANDARDS
This lesson aligns with the Next Generation Science Standard:
NGSS.K-LS1-1 Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive.
This lesson aligns with the Common Core State Standard:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in
which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.
MATERIALS
• paper
• crayons
INTRODUCTION
Help students brainstorm a list of things that people do every day. Ask them:
• What do you do in the morning? What do you do during the day? What do you do at night?
• What happens if you don’t eat lunch? Why?
• What happens if you don’t sleep at night? Why?
• What do you need to keep yourself healthy and living?
Explain that all living things need certain things to stay alive. The class will watch different types of living things to
figure out what each needs to survive.
ACTIVITY
Part One
1. As a class, brainstorm living things that can be found at home and make a list. The list may include family
members, pets, or plants. Aid students in selecting one of the living things to focus on.
2. Ask students to watch their chosen living thing that evening. Does a pet need to be walked? Does a plant need to
be watered? Is the family eating dinner? Encourage students to write or draw notes to record what they want to
share the next day.
Part Two
1. The following day, gather students for a class discussion. Encourage them to bring their notes, if taken.
2. Ask students to describe the activities of their chosen living thing. On the board, record major activities such as
eating, drinking, and sleeping. Help students identify recurring activities among the living things.
3.After recording several student examples, poll the entire class. Ask:
• How many of you found that your living thing needed water?
• How many of you saw your living thing eat?
• How many of you saw your living thing breathe?
Poll students about any other major commonalities as well, such as walking, making noise, and smelling.
4. After recording students’ answers, ask:
• What do you think all living things need to survive?
• What are some things you think living things could survive without?
• If you couldn’t hear anymore, could you still live?
• Could you survive if you couldn’t walk or hear?
5. Distribute paper and crayons to students. Ask them to draw a picture of the living thing they observed. Then they
should draw the things that it needs to survive. Aid students in labeling these things. Then ask students to write
one sentence about what their living thing needs.
Lesson 3 continued on next page
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Lesson 3 continued
DISCUSSION/FOLLOW-UP
Ask the following questions:
• Imagine I found a mystery object. How would I be able to tell if it’s alive? What would I look for?
What questions could I ask?
• Why do you think it’s important for us to know what living things need?
• How can we take good care of ourselves, our pets, and our plants?
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EARTH SCIENCE
LESSON FOUR. CHANGING THE WORLD
Use the following books in
the First Step Nonfiction
series for this lesson.
LESSON OBJECTIVES
Students will use evidence to argue that living things change the environment to meet their needs. Students will ask
and answer questions about a text. Students will also use personal experiences to answer questions.
STANDARDS
This lesson aligns with the Next Generation Science Standard:
NGSS.K-ESS2-2 Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals (including humans) can change the
environment to meet their needs.
This lesson aligns with the Common Core State Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.8 With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information
from provided sources to answer a question.
MATERIALS:
• old photos of a well-known local area or building, such as a school building or a town’s main street
• current photos of the same area or building
• paper
• pencil
• clipboard
INTRODUCTION
Display an older photo first. Ask students to describe what they see. Ask students if any parts of the photo look
familiar. Next, display the updated photo. If possible, display the two photos side by side.
Ask students to describe the differences between the two photos. You may use some of the following questions:
• Which photo is older? How can you tell?
• Is there anything in one photo that isn’t in the other? Why do you think that is?
• Which photo has more trees and grass?
• How have people changed this place over the years?
• How is the place different now than it was years ago?
• What do you think this place looked like before humans lived there?
Explain to students that all living things, including humans, change the world that they live in. They build things, they
move things, and they plant things. Read one or more of the Animal Homes books to your class. With each book, aid
students in identifying ways that animals have impacted their homes. In the book In a Tree, for example, birds built a
nest in the crook of several branches and wasps built a nest
ACTIVITY
1. Tell students that they will be going on a nature walk to look for ways that living things have changed the world.
Give each student paper, a pencil, and a clipboard. Ask students to use pictures or words to take notes of the
things they see outside. Once back in the classroom, students will be able to talk more about what they’ve seen.
2. Lead the class outside and demonstrate making an observation. Point out cement that’s been cracked by
tree roots, nests in trees, or buildings that have been built by people. Then allow students to explore their
surroundings.
3. Back in the classroom, ask students to share what they saw with partners. Then select students to share with the
entire class.
Lesson 4 continued on next page
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Lesson 4 continued
DISCUSSION/FOLLOW-UP
Review what students learned during the lesson. Ask the following questions:
• What types of changes did you see outside? Which change was the most interesting? Which was the most
surprising?
• What changes did plants make? What changes did animals make? What changes did humans make?
• What living thing made the most changes in the area visited?
• Why did people, animals, or plants make these changes? Did these living things need more space? Did they
need a safe place to live?
• Have you made any changes to a place? Have you planted a tree or built something that belongs outside?
Why did you make those changes?
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