PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF EDISON TOWNSHIP
DIVISION OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
Length of Course:
Term
Elective/Required:
Required
School:
Elementary
Student Eligibility:
Grade 1
Credit Value:
N/A
Date Approved:
11/22/10
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Statement of Purpose ……………………………………………………………………
3
Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………..
5
Unit One: Eggs, Eggs Everywhere and Lifecycle of the Butterfly…………………… 7
Unit Two: Weather …………………………………………………………………….…
12
Unit Three: Balls and Ramps …………………………………………………………...
17
Framework for Essential Instructional Behavior (Draft 14)......................................... 20
Modifications will be made to accommodate IEP mandates for classified students.
3
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
SCIENCE CURRICULUM GUIDE
KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE FIVE
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The purpose of this Science Curriculum Guide for Kindergarten to Grade Five is to provide
experiences for our elementary students to build a deeper understanding of the natural world
around them. These experiences are developed through the students‟ reading and observations,
interaction with technology, and hands-on inquiry-based experiences.
As stated in the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for Science, “Scientific Literacy
assumes an increasingly important role in the context of globalization. The rapid pace of
technological advances, access to an unprecedented wealth of information, and the pervasive
impact of science and technology on day-to-day living require a depth of understanding that can
be enhanced through quality science education. In the 21 st century, science education focuses on
the practices of science that lead to a greater understanding of the growing body of scientific
knowledge that is required of citizens in an ever changing world.”
Three topics of study have been identified as mandated for each grade level to ensure a greater
depth of understanding of Life Science, Earth Science, and Physical Science. The units in this
guide were based on the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards and
content-specific Cumulative Progress Indicators have been identified for each topic. Standard 5.1
Science Practices embody practical application of science knowledge and include understanding
scientific explanations, generating scientific evidence, reflecting on scientific knowledge, and
participating productively in science. Science content is presented in Physical Sciences, standard
5.2, Life Science, standard 5.3, and Earth Systems, standard 5.4. This guide was designed to
provide a well balanced and focused science program in the elementary grades building a strong
foundation in the three areas of science. The use of the scientific method is the basis for all
inquiries and experiments so that students engage in hands-on investigations and learn to record
their findings in lab reports in the upper elementary grades.
In order to address the concepts and skills in each unit, teachers should select from the suggested
activities and instructional strategies. Grade appropriate lab report guidelines and templates
included for Grades Three to Five have been correlated to the format used in the middle school
and can be adapted to meet the students‟ needs. On-going assessment of learning should be
formal and informal. Examples of unit assessments have been provided; however, teachers may
adapt or create assessments to measure the students‟ understanding of the unit objectives and
essential questions.
These grade level units have been revised and updated by:
Kindergarten to Grade 3, 2008
Lynne Chonka #9
Laura Floursch #8
Aimee Petagna #14
Lynn Scherer #18
Douglas Stokes #16
Kindergarten to Grade 2, 2010
Christine Beni #10
Patricia Norman #11
4
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
Lynn Scherer #18
Kelly Wojcik #18
Grades 4 to 5, 2008
Pamela Aurilio, #16
Anne Diehl, #17
Tori Kowalsky #17
Douglas Stokes #16
Grades 3 to 5, 2010
Dina O‟Brien #8
Donna Abatemarco #9
Patricia Norman #11
Denise Adams #14
Allyson Price #14
Douglas Stokes #16
Donald Plavoet #17
Under the direction of Lois Hagie and Mary Mavroudas, Elementary Supervisors
Developing Partnerships to Support Science Understandings, Articulation between Elementary
and Middle School Science 2009 -2010
Dina O‟Brien #8
Donna Abatemarco #9
Julie Uchitel #10
Kim Plodzien #11
Kelly Amabile #13
Yvonne Abrams #13
Allyson Price #14
Amy Fuentes #15
Fran Perilo #16
Donald Plavoet #17
Amy Marzano #18
Susan Kinahan JAMS
Magdalena Zaremba JAMS
Donna Kohut TJMS
Regina Arnold TJMS
Bronwyn Glor WWMS
Janice Perlin WWMS
Judy Freifeld HHMS
Jill Sotsky HHMS
Under the direction of Lois Hagie and Mary Mavroudas, Elementary Supervisors, and Laura
Darrah and Peter Skarecki, Science Supervisors
5
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
Introduction
The most precious resource teachers have is time. Regardless of how much time a
course is scheduled for, it is never enough to accomplish all that one would like.
Therefore, it is imperative that teachers utilize the time they have wisely in order to
maximize the potential for all students to achieve the desired learning.
High quality educational programs are characterized by clearly stated goals for student
learning, teachers who are well-informed and skilled in enabling students to reach those
goals, program designs that allow for continuous growth over the span of years of
instruction, and ways of measuring whether students are achieving program goals.
The Edison Township School District Curriculum Template
The Edison Township School District has embraced the backward-design model as the
foundation for all curriculum development for the educational program. When reviewing
curriculum documents and the Edison Township curriculum template, aspects of the
backward-design model will be found in the stated enduring understandings/essential
questions, unit assessments, and instructional activities.
Familiarization with
backward-design is critical to working effectively with Edison‟s curriculum guides.
Guiding Principles: What is Backward Design? What is Understanding by Design?
“Backward design” is an increasingly common approach to planning curriculum and
instruction. As its name implies, “backward design” is based on defining clear goals,
providing acceptable evidence of having achieved those goals, and then working
„backward‟ to identify what actions need to be taken that will ensure that the gap between
the current status and the desired status is closed.
Building on the concept of backward design, Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe (2005) have
developed a structured approach to planning programs, curriculum, and instructional
units. Their model asks educators to state goals; identify deep understandings, pose
essential questions, and specify clear evidence that goals, understandings, and core
learning have been achieved.
Program based on backward design use desired results to drive decisions. With this
design, there are questions to consider, such as: What should students understand,
know, and be able to do? What does it look like to meet those goals? What kind of
program will result in the outcomes stated? How will we know students have achieved
that result? What other kinds of evidence will tell us that we have a quality program?
These questions apply regardless of whether they are goals in program planning or
classroom instruction.
The backward design process involves three interrelated stages for developing an entire
curriculum or a single unit of instruction. The relationship from planning to curriculum
design, development, and implementation hinges upon the integration of the following
three stages.
6
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
Stage I: Identifying Desired Results: Enduring understandings, essential questions,
knowledge and skills need to be woven into curriculum publications, documents,
standards, and scope and sequence materials. Enduring understandings identify the “big
ideas” that students will grapple with during the course of the unit. Essential questions
provide a unifying focus for the unit and students should be able to answer more deeply
and fully these questions as they proceed through the unit. Knowledge and skills are the
“stuff” upon which the understandings are built.
Stage II: Determining Acceptable Evidence: Varied types of evidence are specified to
ensure that students demonstrate attainment of desired results. While discrete
knowledge assessments (e.g.: multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, etc…) will
be utilized during an instructional unit, the overall unit assessment is performance-based
and asks students to demonstrate that they have mastered the desired understandings.
These culminating (summative) assessments are authentic tasks that students would
likely encounter in the real-world after they leave school. They allow students to
demonstrate all that they have learned and can do. To demonstrate their understandings
students can explain, interpret, apply, provide critical and insightful points of view, show
empathy and/or evidence self-knowledge. Models of student performance and clearly
defined criteria (i.e.: rubrics) are provided to all students in advance of starting work on
the unit task.
Stage III: Designing Learning Activities: Instructional tasks, activities, and experiences
are aligned with stages one and two so that the desired results are obtained based on the
identified evidence or assessment tasks. Instructional activities and strategies are
considered only once stages one and two have been clearly explicated. Therefore,
congruence among all three stages can be ensured and teachers can make wise
instructional choices.
At the curricular level, these three stages are best realized as a fusion of research, best
practices, shared and sustained inquiry, consensus building, and initiative that involves
all stakeholders. In this design, administrators are instructional leaders who enable the
alignment between the curriculum and other key initiatives in their district or schools.
These leaders demonstrate a clear purpose and direction for the curriculum within their
school or district by providing support for implementation, opportunities for revision
through sustained and consistent professional development, initiating action research
activities, and collecting and evaluating materials to ensure alignment with the desired
results. Intrinsic to the success of curriculum is to show how it aligns with the overarching
goals of the district, how the document relates to district, state, or national standards,
what a high quality educational program looks like, and what excellent teaching and
learning looks like. Within education, success of the educational program is realized
through this blend of commitment and organizational direction.
7
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
Eggs, Eggs, Everywhere and Lifecycle of the Butterfly (Life Science)
Targeted Standards:
Standard 5.1 (Science Practices) All students will understand that science is both a body of knowledge and an evidence-based, model-building
enterprise that continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge. The four Science Practices strands encompass the knowledge and reasoning
skills that students must acquire to be proficient in science.
Standard 5.3 (Life Science) All students will understand that life science principles are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of the complexity,
diversity, and interconnectedness of life on Earth. Order in natural systems arises in accordance with rules that govern the physical world, and the
order of natural systems can be modeled and predicted through the use of mathematics.
Unit Objectives/Conceptual Understandings: Students will understand that life is change and process. Students will understand that an
organism‟s basic needs are met through the support of their environment. Students will understand that organisms reproduce, develop, and have a
predictable life cycle.
Essential Questions: Why is the role of the egg essential in the life cycle? How can I learn about my own human life cycle as I study other life forms?
How does an organism‟s environment support its growth and development?
Unit Assessment: Teacher-developed assessment that will demonstrate student understanding of the unit objectives and the essential questions
related to this unit. Examples might include: Sequencing pictures of the life cycle of a butterfly or chick, labeling the stages, and describing in written
or oral form what happens at each stage. Maintaining a journal containing illustrations and written responses about their observations and
experiences with the emerging butterfly or hatching of chicken eggs.
Core Content Objectives
Cumulative Progress
Indicators
Concepts
What students will know
5.1.4.A. Understand Scientific
Explanations
2. Use outcomes of
investigations to build and refine
questions, models, and
explanations.
A life span is the length of time
needed for an individual
organism to complete its entire
life cycle.
5.1.4.C. Reflect on Scientific
Knowledge
1. Monitor and reflect on one‟s
own knowledge regarding how
ideas change over time.
A life cycle is a series of stages
and changes an organism
undergoes.
Skills
What students will be able to
do
Recognize, define, and apply
relevant vocabulary (e.g.,
membrane, chrysalis, larvae,
antennae, camouflage,
incubator).
Identify and describe the
changes in each of the life stages
of a butterfly and a chick.
Instructional Actions
Activities/Strategies
Technology Implementation/
Interdisciplinary Connections
Relate observations of the
butterfly's life cycle to learner's
own growth and change.
Journal response in
written or pictorial
(with labels) form
Read, learn, perform several of
the very popular and available
songs, poems, and stories about
hens, roosters, eggs, caterpillars,
and butterflies.
Informal
assessments and
observations
Living organisms reproduce.
Identify parts of the chicken egg.
Living organisms grow and
change overtime.
Assessment
Check Points
Investigate butterflies: markings,
locale, migrations, and predators.
Performance
assessments
Whole group sharing
and discussion
8
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
Eggs, Eggs, Everywhere and Lifecycle of the Butterfly (Life Science) (cont.)
Core Content Objectives
Cumulative Progress
Indicators
Concepts
What students will know
2. Revise predictions or
explanations on the basis of
learning new information.
Living organisms grow and
develop in a predictable
manner.
5.1.4.D. Participate
Productively in Science
1. Actively participate in
discussions about student data,
questions, and understandings.
Animals have their own distinct
physical characteristics which
enable them to survive and
adapt in their own environment.
3. Demonstrate how to safely use
tools, instruments, and supplies.
Animals have basic needs
which need to be met in order
for them to survive.
5.3.2.A. Organization and
Development
1. Group living and nonliving
things according to the
characteristics they share.
Animals depend on their
environment to meet their basic
needs.
5.3.2.B. Matter and Energy
Transformations
1. Describe the requirements for
the care of plants and animals
related to meeting their energy
needs.
2. Compare how different
animals obtain food and water.
5.3.2.D. Heredity and
Reproduction
1. Record the observable
characteristics of plants and
animals to determine the
similarities and differences
between parents and their
offspring.
All living things inherit traits
from their parents, which is why
they often resemble them.
Behavior is the way an
organism responds to its
environment.
Instructional Actions
Skills
What students will be able to
do
Activities/Strategies
Technology Implementation/
Interdisciplinary Connections
Identify the purpose of different
parts of the chicken egg (e.g.,
yolk provides food for the growing
chick).
Compare and contrast butterflies
and moths.
Identify parts of the adult chicken
(e.g., wattle, comb, beak, egg
tooth).
With background information
gained, observe fertilized eggs in
incubation and several days
beyond successful hatching.
Measure chicks using rulers and
scales.
Identify and label the parts of a
caterpillar and butterfly.
With background information
gained, observe the life cycle of
the caterpillar through to
successful guided release.
Discuss the importance of
incubators, brooder boxes, and
heat lamps in the development of
a chick.
Teach students how to care for
living things such as chicks and
butterflies.
Teach students the importance of
carefully watching the
temperature, feed, and water
levels in the chicks‟ growing
environment.
Make an observation chart or
journal to record the growth and
development of a chick and
butterfly.
Sequence the stages of chicken
and/or butterfly development.
Use senses and simple
instruments to make
observations (e.g., magnifying
glasses, rulers, balance, scale).
Create a science word wall using
important vocabulary and key
words from the unit.
Describe the basic needs of living
organisms.
Create a list of different oviparous
animals.
Compare the life cycles of
various organisms.
Choose an oviparous animal and
engage in a research project.
Share findings with classmates.
Assessment
Check Points
Homework
9
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
Eggs, Eggs, Everywhere and Lifecycle of the Butterfly (Life Science) (cont.)
Core Content Objectives
Cumulative Progress
Indicators
Concepts
What students will know
Skills
What students will be able to
do
2. Determine the characteristic
changes that occur during the life
cycle of plants and animals by
examining a variety of species,
and distinguish between growth
and development.
Describe how some animals such
as frogs and butterflies go
through distinct stages during
their lives while others generally
resemble their parents
throughout most of their lives.
5.3.2.E. Evolution and
Diversity
1. Describe similarities and
differences in observable traits
between parents and offspring.
Observe and draw changes that
occur in butterflies and other
animals that undergo
metamorphosis as they grow
(e.g., frog).
Instructional Actions
Activities/Strategies
Technology Implementation/
Interdisciplinary Connections
Assessment
Check Points
Identify characteristics of animals
that allow them to live in specific
environments.
Resources:
Instructional Adjustments: Modifications,
difficulties, possible misunderstanding
student
Hide a Butterfly, GEMS Guide UC Berkeley
'86
Eggs, Eggs, Everywhere, GEMS Guide UC Berkeley „97
A Butterfly is Born- Big Book/ Teacher Guide
Consult IEPs and 504 plans to differentiate instruction
based on individual needs.
Recommended resources:
Engage peer tutors.
A Butterfly is Born unit material kit
Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom by Susan Winebrenner
Assign roles or specific tasks for group projects.
Provide study guides.
Internet Sources:
(GEMS home site; source of program overview, professional development, activities, videos,
networking, how to contact GEMS staff with questions or feedback, GEMS alignment with standards,
etc.)
www.lhsgems.org
Provide extension menus
Differentiate products/presentations to accommodate
multiple intelligences and Gifted and Talented.
10
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
Eggs, Eggs, Everywhere and Lifecycle of the Butterfly (Life Science) (cont.)
(Developmentally appropriate books, lessons, and other resources.) See CRT
www.sciencea-z.com
Provide support for independent study for Gifted and
Talented.
(Interactive PBS Kids site)
http://pbskids.org/go/index.html
(New Jersey Dep‟t. of Education‟s website for links to activities and projects in science, K-4)
http://www.state.nj.us/education/njpep/classroom/classroom_resources/science/science_standards_r
esources_K_4.html
(very rich science and social studies site resource for teachers, families, and children)
http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/index.html
(Children‟s Butterfly Site)
http://bsi.montana.edu/web/kidsbutterfly/ http://butterflywebsite.com/
(The Butterfly WebSite)
http://butterflywebsite.com/
(general information on life cycles; information on the life cycle of frogs, chicks, and butterflies)
http://gets.gc.k12.va.us/elementary/lifecycles/index.htm
Related Literature
Are You a Butterfly? Judy Allen Houghton Mifflin '03
Are You My Mother? P.D. Eastman Random House '98
Box Turtle at Long Pond, William T. George Greenwillow Books '89
Butterfly Hunt, Yoshi
Picture Book Studio '90
Chickens Aren't the Only Ones, Ruth Heller Grosset & Dunlap '81
Crocodile Egg Pop-Ups, Bob Bampton Western Publishing '94
also: Duck, Lizard, Owl, Penguin, and Turtle Egg Pop-Ups
Extraordinary Egg, Leo Lionni Alfred A. Knopf '94
Flap Your Wings, P.D. Eastman Random House
'69
From Caterpillar to Butterfly, Deborah Heiligman HarperColline '96
Girl Who Loved Caterpillars, Jean Merrill
Putnam & Grosset '92
Horton Hatches the Egg, Dr. Seuss Random House
'40
How to Hide a Butterfly and Other Insects, Ruth Heller Grosset & Dunlap
Lamb and the Butterfly, Arnold Sundgaard
Orchard Books '88
Life of the Butterfly, Heiderose Fischer-Nagel Sagebrush Education '87
Mrs. Sato's Hens, Laura Min Scott, Foresman and Co. '94
Rechenka's Eggs, Patricia Polacco Philomel Books '88
Curriculum compacting for Gifted and Talented
'85
11
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
Eggs, Eggs, Everywhere and Lifecycle of the Butterfly (Life Science) (cont.)
Seven Eggs, Meredith Hooper Harper & Row '85
Tap! Tap! . . . the egg cracked, Keith Faulkner Marlboro Books '92
Tracks in the Sand, Loreen Leedy Doubleday '93
Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle Philomel Books '69
We Hide, You Seek, Jose Aruego Greenwillow '79
Where Butterflies Grow, Joanne Ryder E.P. Dutton '89
Who's Hiding Here?, Yoshi Picture Book Studio '87
Wild Wild Sunflower Child Anna, Nancy W. Carlstrom Macmillan Publishing '87
Wolf's Chicken Stew, Keiko Kasza G.P. Putnam's Sons '87
12
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
Weather (Earth Science)
Targeted Standards:
Standard 5.1 (Science Practices) All students will understand that science is both a body of knowledge and an evidence-based, model-building
enterprise that continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge. The four Science Practices strands encompass the knowledge and reasoning
skills that students must acquire to be proficient in science.
Standard 5.4 (Earth Systems Science) All students will understand that Earth operates as a set of complex, dynamic, and interconnected systems,
and is a part of the all-encompassing system of the universe.
Unit Objectives/Conceptual Understandings: Students will understand that weather is observable with the human senses and with instruments
and tools. Students will understand that weather is always changing. Students will understand that many human daily choices, both short-term and
long-range, are impacted by the weather.
Essential Questions: How do we use our senses to observe and experience the weather? Why should we record and organize information about
our weather? How does our weather change and affect the way we live?
Unit Assessment: Teacher-developed assessment that will demonstrate student understanding of the unit objectives and the essential questions
related to this unit. Examples might include: Week or month long observation and recording of daily weather, describing activities and clothing this
particular weather ensures. Identify tools people use, either by name or pictures, to measure weather and inform others about the weather (e.g.,
thermometer, anemometer, rain gauge, wind sock, newspaper, Internet, radio)
Core Content Objectives
Instructional Actions
Cumulative Progress
Indicators
Concepts
What students will know
Skills
What students will be able to
do
5.1.4.C. Reflect on Scientific
Knowledge
2. Revise predictions or
explanations on the basis of
learning new information.
Earth has four annual
seasons, each with its typical
weather patterns, depending
upon location on the globe.
Recognize, name, observe, and
describe the four seasons and the
weather of each in our area.
Observe and record the outside
weather conditions each day; tally
the different patterns.
Journal response in
written or pictorial
(with labels) form
Describe appropriate activities
depending on the weather in each
season.
Complete a daily weather journal.
Informal
assessments and
observations
5.1.4.D. Participate
Productively in Science
1. Actively participate in
discussions about student data,
questions, and understandings.
3. Demonstrate how to safely
use tools, instruments, and
supplies.
Weather changes from day to
day and week to week.
Earth's weather is observable
and measurable.
Different features of weather
are measured using tools
including thermometers, wind
scales, and rain gauges.
Draw conclusions about
appropriate clothing for different
types of weather.
Observe weather by using the
senses.
Activities/Strategies
Technology Implementation/
Interdisciplinary Connections
Using a digital instrument, take daily
readings of temperatures inside and
outside, humidity, rainfall.
Predict the next day's weather
based on observations of the sky
and on recent data gathered.
Assessment
Check Points
Performance
assessments
Whole group sharing
and discussion
Homework
13
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
Weather (Earth Science) (cont.)
Core Content Objectives
Cumulative Progress
Indicators
5.4.2.F. Climate and Weather
1. Observe and document daily
weather conditions and discuss
how the weather influences your
activities for the day.
5.4.4.F. Climate and Weather
1. Identify patterns in data
collected from basic weather
instruments.
5.4.2.G. Biogeochemical
Cycles
1. Observe and discuss
evaporation and condensation.
2. Identify and use water
conservation practices.
5.4.4.G. Biogeochemical
Cycles
1. Explain how clouds form.
2. Observe daily cloud patterns,
types of precipitation, and
temperature, and categorize the
clouds by the conditions that
form precipitation.
3. Trace a path a drop of water
might follow through the water
cycle.
Concepts
What students will know
Weather takes on several
observable forms (e.g.,
wind, clouds, storms, or
rain).
Meteorologists are scientists
who study, observe, and
record information about the
weather and use this
information to forecast the
weather.
Weather affects decisions
people make on a daily basis
(e.g., clothing, activities).
Life cycles of some plants
are affected by the seasons
and changes in weather.
The earth is largely made up
of water; it takes on different
forms depending upon the
temperature.
The earth has a limited
amount of water and this
water travels around and
around in what is known as
“The Water Cycle.”
The water cycle includes
evaporation, condensation,
precipitation, and collection.
Skills
What students will be able to
do
Discuss and record information
about different weather features
(e.g., wind, temperature, rain).
Use different tools to estimate and
measure temperature, wind speed
and/or direction, and rainfall.
Measure and compare
temperatures inside and outside.
Record and organize weather data
on graphs.
Use information on weather graphs
to interpret and summarize
weather over a period of time.
Observe differences in types of
clouds and changes in cloud
formations.
Identify different three types of
clouds.
Name and describe each part of
the water cycle.
Instructional Actions
Activities/Strategies
Technology Implementation/
Interdisciplinary Connections
Discuss choices of appropriate
clothing, headwear, and footwear
for various weather/seasonal
conditions.
Select, learn, and perform stories,
poems, songs, and finger play for
different forms of weather.
Set out a calibrated container to
collect water/snow during a storm.
Set a calibrated container of water
near the window or heater vent to
observe evaporation over a period
of time.
Observe condensation on the
windows, or inside a terrarium or
sealed plastic bag taped to the
inside of the window.
Watch or listen to the weather
report for a week; record the
predictions and the actual weather
the next day.
Use media such the Internet,
newspaper, or radio check the local
weather for the day.
Choose students to be the
meteorologist for the day and give
the daily weather report.
Assessment
Check Points
14
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
Weather (Earth Science) (cont.)
Core Content Objectives
Cumulative Progress
Indicators
Concepts
What students will know
Skills
What students will be able to
do
Clouds differ in their shape,
size, color, and location in
the sky.
There are many different
types of clouds. Three main
types of clouds are stratus,
cumulus, and cirrus.
Instructional Actions
Activities/Strategies
Technology Implementation/
Interdisciplinary Connections
Assessment
Check Points
Consider how the weather affects
choices in food and drink.
Sort typical physical activities
chosen because of the weather
(e.g., swimming vs. sledding).
Make wind socks and go outside to
observe the direction of the wind.
Observe clouds, discuss the types
of clouds, how they change and
create a cloud picture using cotton
balls.
Create a science word wall using
important vocabulary and key
words from the unit.
Resources:
Who Cares About the Weather?- Big Book/Teacher Guide
Weather, National Science Resources Center (ISBN 0-89278-713-9) „95
Recommended Resources:
Who Cares About the Weather? Unit material kit
Demonstrate evaporation,
condensation, precipitation and
collection using a pot of boiling
water with a lid.
Instructional
Adjustments:
Modifications,
difficulties, possible misunderstandings
Consult IEP‟s and 504 plans to differentiate instruction based
on individual needs.
Assign roles or specific tasks for group projects.
Internet Sources:
(GEMS home site; source of program overview, professional development, activities, videos,
networking, how to contact GEMS staff with questions or feedback, GEMS alignment with standards,
etc.)
www.lhsgems.org
student
Provide study guides.
Provide extension menus.
Engage peer tutors.
15
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
Weather (Earth Science) (cont.)
(Developmentally appropriate books, lessons, and other resources.) See CRT
www.sciencea-z.com
Differentiate products/presentations to accommodate
multiple intelligences and Gifted and Talented.
(PBS Teachers Science & Tech Site, K-2)
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/sciencetech/inventory/earthscience-k2.html
Curriculum compacting for Gifted and Talented
(Science NetLinks [Thinkfinity partnership] site with many K-2 lesson plans)
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/matrix.cfm
(Children‟s weather network site)
www.weatherbug.com
(A LOT Toolbar; children‟s weather network)
www.weather.alot.com
(NASA‟s Science News Network, K-2)
http://ksnn.larc.nasa.gov/k2newsbreaks.cfm
(Weather Wiz Kids site; superb activities, including how to make a tornado; developed by a young
learner-friendly meteorologist)
www.weatherwizkids.com
(New Jersey Dep‟t. of Education‟s website for links to activities and projects in science, K-4)
http://www.state.nj.us/education/njpep/classroom/classroom_resources/science/science_standards_
resources_K_4.html
(very rich science and social studies site resource for teachers, families, and children)
http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/index.html
Related Literature
About Water, Laurent deBrunhoff
Random House 1980
Anno's Counting Book, Mitsumasa Anno
HarperCollins 1986
Berenstain Bears' Four Seasons, Stan and Jan Berenstain
Random House 1991
Book About the Four Seasons, Louise Borden
Scholastic 1992
Busy Year, Leo Lionni
Alfred A. Knopf 2004
Caps, Hats, Socks and Mittens: A Book About the Four Seasons, Louise Borden Scholastic 1992
Car Washing Street, Denise Lewis Patrick
Tambourine Books 1993
Changing Seasons, Rose Greydanus
Troll 1988
Chicken Soup with Rice, Maurice Sendak
HarperCollins 1962
Cloud Book, Tomie de Paolo Holiday House 1985
Provide support for independent study for Gifted and
Talented.
16
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
Weather (Earth Science) (cont.)
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Judith and Ron Barrett Simon and Schuster 1982
In for Winter, Out for Spring, Arnold Adoff
Harcourt 1991
It Looked Like Spilt Milk, Charles Shaw
HarperCollins 1988
Magic School Bus at the Waterworks, Joanna Cole Scholastic Press 1986
Peter and the North Wind, Freya Littledale
Scholastic 1988
Rain, Marion Bauer
Simon and Schuster 2004
Rain Feet, Angela Johnson
Scholastic 1994
Reasons for Seasons, Gail Gibbons
Holiday House 1996
Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf, Lois Ehlert
Harcourt 1991
Seasons, Aurelius Battaglia
Penguin 1978
Snowy Day, Jack Ezra Keats
Viking 1962
Splash! All About Baths, Buxbaum and Gelman
Little, Brown & Co. 1987
Thundercake, Patricia Polacco
Penguin Young Readers' Group 1997
Very Last First Time, Jan Andrews
Atheneum/Macmillan 1985
Water is Wet, Sally Cartwright
McCann & Geoghegan, Inc.
1973
Water on Your Street, Seymour Simon
Holiday House 1974
Water's Way, Lisa Peters
Little, Brown & Co. 1991
What Makes Weather?, Helen Orme Gareth Stevens Audio 2003
What Makes the Weather, Janet Palazzo Troll 1982
Year at Maple Hill Farm, Alice and Martin Provensen Aladdin 2001
17
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
Balls and Ramps (Physical Science)
Targeted Standards:
Standard 5.2 (Physical Science) All students will understand that physical science principles, including fundamental ideas about matter, energy, and
motion, are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of phenomena in physical, living, and Earth systems science.
Unit Objectives/Conceptual Understandings: Students will understand that an object's motion is changed by the object's shape, by the surface
angle, by the energy used, and by friction. Learners will further understand that simple machines can be employed to reduce the energy required to
achieve work results.
Essential Questions: How do the attributes of simple machines affect their motion? How can we see a relationship between the physical
properties of simple machines and work accomplished?
Unit Assessment: Teacher-developed assessment that will demonstrate student understanding of the unit objectives and the essential questions
related to this unit. One example is a group project in which learners design, construct, and explain an effective series of ramps from point A to point
B on which a marble or ball could travel.
Core Content Objectives
Cumulative Progress
Indicators
5.2.2.E. Forces and Motion
1. Investigate and model the
various ways that inanimate
objects can move.
2. Predict an object‟s relative
speed, path, or how far it will
travel using various forces and
surfaces.
3. Distinguish a force that acts
by direct contact with an
object (e.g., by pushing or
pulling) from a force that can
act without direct contact (e.g.,
the attraction between a
magnet and a steel paper
clip).
Concepts
What students will know
Skills
What students will be able to
do
Spheres roll more effectively
than other three-dimensional
shapes.
Recognize, define, and apply
relevant vocabulary (e.g., ramp,
wedge, screw, sphere, energy,
friction, motion, wheel, axle,
pulley).
The motion of a sphere is
enhanced by downward slope,
and decelerated by upward
slope.
Bulk, density, distance, and
weight can be effectively
managed by the use of simple
machines.
Energy appears to be
consumed by motion, and
eventually appears to be spent.
It continues, however, to exist in
other forms.
Understand the concepts of
distance and slope and shape
sufficiently to employ them in
design.
Understand the concepts of
balance and fulcrum sufficiently
to employ them in design.
Understand the concepts of
wheel and axle sufficiently to
design effective work projects.
Instructional Actions
Activities/Strategies
Technology Implementation/
Interdisciplinary Connections
Design and construct ramps that
carry balls a certain distance,
effectively maintaining enough
energy to complete the course.
Consider optional ways to raise the
flag without a pulley; have the
maintenance staff demonstrate
how the flag is raised with the
existing pulley system.
Consider optional ways to empty a
large truck without a ramp or dolly.
Ask to observe the unloading of a
delivery truck by Grounds, using a
flatbed cart, dolly, ramp.
Assessment
Check Points
Journal response in
written or pictorial (with
labels) form
Informal assessments
and observations
Performance
assessments
Whole group sharing and
discussion
Homework
18
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
Balls and Ramps (Physical Science) (cont.)
Core Content Objectives
Cumulative Progress
Indicators
5.2.4.E. Forces and Motion
1. Demonstrate through
modeling that motion is a
change in position over a
period of time.
3. Investigate and categorize
materials based on their
interaction with magnets.
4. Investigate, construct, and
generalize rules for the effect
that force of gravity has on
balls of different sizes and
weights.
Concepts
What students will know
What magnetic and
non-magnetic means.
Instructional Actions
Skills
What students will be able to
do
Activities/Strategies
Technology Implementation/
Interdisciplinary Connections
Understand the concept of the
wedge sufficiently to create and
solve three real-life dilemmas.
Tour the school and consider why
building and grounds have
accessible curbs, thresholds, and
playground equipment.
Know there are six simple
machines:
1. lever
2. pulley
3. screw
4. wheel and axle
5. inclined plane
6. wedge
Categorize magnetic and
non-magnetic objects.
Move an object with a magnet
without direct contact.
On the same ramps, try balls of
different sizes and densities (ping
pong balls, bowling balls, waffle
balls or tennis balls) to observe
differences in performance.
Using a spring scale, experiment
with classroom objects of differing
size and weight. Chart
observations from different groups.
Explore how a seesaw works and
what can be done to make it work
efficiently with children of varying
weights?
Using varied media resources,
observe the action of a
merry-go-round, a Ferris wheel, a
swing, and a slide. Discuss the
simple machine in each of these
traditional favorites.
Use a simple wedge to:
1. hold the classroom door in place
2. straighten the balance of a shelf;
use a bubble level to check your
results;
3. separate items stuck together
(e.g., sticks of clay, wikki stix,
candies)
Assessment
Check Points
19
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
Balls and Ramps (Physical Science) (cont.)
Predict if a variety of objects are
magnetic and then perform an
experiment and record results.
Using cut-out pieces that represent
objects that move (e.g., rabbit, car,
school bus) attach a nail or other
magnetic object to the back. Place
on a table, and run a magnet under
the table to make the object “move”
without directly touching it.
Resources:
Instructional
Adjustments:
Modifications,
difficulties, possible misunderstandings
student
Balls and Ramps Education Development Center, Inc. Kendall/Hunt Publishing
Push and Pull -Big Book/Teacher Guide
Consult IEP‟s and 504 plans to differentiate instruction based
on individual needs.
Recommended Resources:
Assign roles or specific tasks for group projects.
Push and Pull Unit material kit
Provide study guides.
Internet Sources:
Provide extension menus.
(Developmentally appropriate books, lessons, and other resources.) See CRT
www.sciencea-z.com
Utilize peer tutors.
http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L183
Differentiate products/presentations to accommodate multiple
intelligences and Gifted and Talented.
Related Literature
Curriculum compacting for Gifted and Talented
Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse, Joseph Levine, Random House '74
Dr. De Soto, William Steig, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux '90
Emperor's Nightingale, Hans Christian Andersen, Spotlight '06
Spanish version: El Ruisenor, Editorial Blume, SA '04
Energy Makes Things Happen, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, HarperCollins '03
Force Makes Things Move, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, HarperCollins '05
Gravity is a Mystery, Franklyn Bradley, HarperCollins '07
How Pulleys Work, Jim Mezzanotte, Gareth Stevens Audio '06
Simple Machines , Levers, Wheels and Axles , Ramps, Wedges, and Screws, Gareth Stevens
Provide support for independent study for Gifted and
Talented.
20
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
Balls and Ramps (Physical Science) (cont.)
How Things Work, Alison Porter, Barnes and Noble '03
Little Engine That Could, Watty Piper, Penguin Young Readers' Group '90
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Virginia Lee Burton, Houghton Mifflin '77
New Way Things Work, David Macaulay, Walter Lorraine Books '98
Pyramid, David Macaulay, Houghton Mifflin '75
Ramps and Wedges, Chris Oxlade, Heinemann '03
Ramps and Wedges, David Glover, Heinemann '06
Simple Machines, Allan Fowler, Scholastic '01
Simple Machines and How We Use Them, Tillie S. Pine and Joseph Levine, McGraw-Hill '65
Understanding Simple Machines, Anne Welsbacher, Coughlan Publishers 2000
Wedges, Anne Welsbacher, Coughlan Publishers 2000
What is a Plane?, Lloyd G. Douglas, Scholastic '01
Lever? , Wheel and Axle? , Screw? , Pulley? , Wedge? '02
Why?, Catherine Ripley, Maple Tree Press '04
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
20
Public Schools of Edison Township
Divisions of Curriculum and Instruction
Draft 14
Essential Instructional Behaviors
Edison’s Essential Instructional Behaviors are a collaboratively developed statement of effective
teaching from pre-school through Grade 12. This statement of instructional expectations is
intended as a framework and overall guide for teachers, supervisors, and administrators; its use
as an observation checklist is inappropriate.
1. Planning which Sets the Stage for Learning and Assessment
Does the planning show evidence of:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
units and lessons directly related to learner needs, the written curriculum, the New Jersey Core Content
Curriculum Standards (NJCCCS), and the Cumulative Progress Indicators (CPI)?
measurable objectives that are based on diagnosis of learner needs and readiness levels and reflective of
the written curriculum, the NJCCCS, and the CPI?
lesson design sequenced to make meaningful connections to overarching concepts and essential
questions?
provision for effective use of available materials, technology and outside resources?
accurate knowledge of subject matter?
multiple means of formative and summative assessment, including performance assessment, that are
authentic in nature and realistically measure learner understanding?
differentiation of instructional content, processes and/or products reflecting differences in learner interests,
readiness levels, and learning styles?
provision for classroom furniture and physical resources to be arranged in a way that supports student
interaction, lesson objectives, and learning activities?
2. Observed Learner Behavior that Leads to Student Achievement
Does the lesson show evidence of:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
learners actively engaged throughout the lesson in on-task learning activities?
learners engaged in authentic learning activities that support reading such as read alouds, guided reading,
and independent reading utilizing active reading strategies to deepen comprehension (for example
inferencing, predicting, analyzing, and critiquing)?
learners engaged in authentic learning activities that promote writing such as journals, learning logs,
creative pieces, letters, charts, notes, graphic organizers and research reports that connect to and extend
learning in the content area?
learners engaged in authentic learning activities that promote listening, speaking, viewing skills and
strategies to understand and interpret audio and visual media?
learners engaged in a variety of grouping strategies including individual conferences with the teacher,
learning partners, cooperative learning structures, and whole-class discussion?
learners actively processing the lesson content through closure activities throughout the lesson?
learners connecting lesson content to their prior knowledge, interests, and personal lives?
learners demonstrating increasingly complex levels of understanding as evidenced through their growing
perspective, empathy, and self-knowledge as they relate to the academic content?
learners developing their own voice and increasing independence and responsibility for their learning?
learners receiving appropriate modifications and accommodations to support their learning?
SCIENCE – GRADE 1
21
3. Reflective Teaching which Informs Instruction and Lesson Design
Does the instruction show evidence of:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
n.
o.
differentiation to meet the needs of all learners, including those with Individualized Education Plans?
modification of content, strategies, materials and assessment based on the interest and immediate needs
of students during the lesson?
formative assessment of the learning before, during, and after the lesson, to provide timely feedback to
learners and adjust instruction accordingly?
the use of formative assessment by both teacher and student to make decisions about what actions to take
to promote further learning?
use of strategies for concept building including inductive learning, discovery-learning and inquiry activities?
use of prior knowledge to build background information through such strategies as anticipatory set,
K-W-L, and prediction brainstorms?
deliberate teacher modeling of effective thinking and learning strategies during the lesson?
understanding of current research on how the brain takes in and processes information and how that
information can be used to enhance instruction?
awareness of the preferred informational processing strategies of learners who are technologically
sophisticated and the use of appropriate strategies to engage them and assist their learning?
activities that address the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning modalities of learners?
use of questioning strategies that promote discussion, problem solving, and higher levels of thinking?
use of graphic organizers and hands-on manipulatives?
creation of an environment which is learner-centered, content rich, and reflective of learner efforts in which
children feel free to take risks and learn by trial and error?
development of a climate of mutual respect in the classroom, one that is considerate of and addresses
differences in culture, race, gender, and readiness levels?
transmission of proactive rules and routines which students have internalized and effective use of
relationship-preserving desists when students break rules or fail to follow procedures?
4. Responsibilities and Characteristics which Help Define the Profession
Does the teacher show evidence of:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
MQ/jlm
7/2009
continuing the pursuit of knowledge of subject matter and current research on effective practices in teaching
and learning, particularly as they tie into changes in culture and technology?
maintaining accurate records and completing forms/reports in a timely manner?
communicating with parents about their child‟s progress and the instructional process?
treating learners with care, fairness, and respect?
working collaboratively and cooperatively with colleagues and other school personnel?
presenting a professional demeanor?