Science

Lesson Plans

Plant Life Cycle

Standards:

K-LS1-1: I can compare the similar things that plants need to survive. I can compare similar things that animals need to survive. I can talk about what plants and animals need to survive.

Learning Objective:

Students will be able to recite and draw the life cycle of a plant. Students will be able to name the three things plants need to grow.

Materials:

Lesson:

Introduce the topic of the lesson, the life cycle of a plant. Explain that the life cycle of most plants starts with a seed, and then ends with a fully-grown plant.
Engage student in a discussion about what they know about plants. Some great discussion questions include: What are some examples of plants we might see? Where do we see plants? What are some things that plants need in order to grow?
Listen to the Read Aloud story From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons.
Compete Plant Cycle Activity
OPTIONAL Extension Activity- Plant some seeds and watch them grow!

Little Pig Algorithm

Standards:

K-2-ETS1-1 I can find out about simple problems that people that I know want to change and figure out how to solve them. I can talk about how the problem can be fixed. I can talk about the solution that I have created and why it will help to solve the problem.

Learning Objective:

Students will be able to create a verbal and or written set of instructions, or algorithm, for building a house out of plastic bricks.
Students will identify the problem each pig had with their house and talk about how they solved it.

Materials:

3 Pigs Finger Puppet Activity
Building Blocks

Lesson:

Review the story of The Three Little Pigs with student. Ask student, “How did the third little pig build such a strong house?” Students may mention the materials, the bricks, that were used to make it strong.
Ask student questions that focus on the building process. “How did the little pig build that house out of bricks? What did he have to do first? What did he do next?” Students may be able to explain that he probably built the walls first and then the roof. They may also mention details such as adding doors and windows.
Then ask, “How do you think the little pig learned to build the house? Do you think he already knew how to build a house?” Ask questions that help student make connections to their own experiences making things. Guide students to recognize that knowing how to build something sometimes requires instructions.
Introduce the vocabulary word “algorithm” tells them it means step by step instructions.
Demonstrate how to build a house out of the building blocks. (you can use legos, or wood blocks or whatever you have on hand.) Model verbally explaining the steps as you go. Example: First we make a flat bottom, then we build some walls, next we build a roof etc…)
Ask your student to try!

Weather Station

Standards:

K-ESS3-2: I can ask questions to learn more about the weather. I can tell why knowing about the weather is important. I can give examples of how to prepare for and respond to bad weather where I live. SLO: Inquisitive Learners; Self Directed; Independent Critical Thinkers; Effective Communicators

Learning Objective:

Students will be able to describe the weather using adjectives and pictures.

Materials:

Read aloud Oh Say Can You Say What's the Weather Today? by Tish Rabe
1 Piece of white paper
Crayons
Wonderful Weather Book - Printable

Lesson:

Read aloud Oh Say Can You Say What's the Weather Today? by Tish Rabe
Ask students to share about the different weather they notice in the book, and make connections between the weather they noticed outside and the weather in the book.
Tell students that the words they use to describe the weather are called adjectives. Explain that adjectives are describing words.
With your student, fold a piece of paper into three equal sections. Using crayons, draw yesterday's weather in the first section, today's weather in the second section, and their prediction of tomorrow's weather in the third section.
When drawing the different weather, using adjectives to describe what you draw.
Create the Wonderful Weather Book - Kids will trace weather words, and draw pictures to go along with the word. Put together these four pages, cover art included, and make your weather book.

** Enrichment:** Have students try to write a word to describe each of their pictures.

Types of Clouds

Standards:

K-ESS2-1: I can observe the weather and tell you if it is sunny, cloudy, rainy, warm, or cold. I can keep track of how the weather changes at different times of the day. I can keep track of how the weather changes during the month. I can talk about what I have observed. SLO: Inquisitive Learners; Self Directed; Personalized Learners; Independent Critical Thinkers; Effective Communicators

Learning Objective:

Students will be able to observe, describe, and draw clouds.

Materials:

Read aloud book - Clouds by Grace Hansen
1 Piece light blue construction paper
Cotton balls
Glue

Lesson:

Ask students to think about clouds by saying, “What do you know about clouds?Did you know that there are different kinds of clouds?”
Read Clouds
Go outside and observe the clouds in the sky. Encourage students to see if they can find stratus, cumulus, or cirrus clouds. Discuss what they find.
Students will now get to make their very own cloud chart to show the three different types of clouds.
Fold the paper into thirds and use cotton balls and glue to make each type of cloud and label each cloud type.
Enrichment : pass out the Cloud Matching worksheet for them to complete.

Support: Have students use books and photographs to create their cloud pictures.

Sample 1 and Sample 2

Shade Stem Challenge

Standards:

K-PS3-2 I can create structures that will shield areas from the warmth of the sun. I can talk about why I think they can work.

Objective:

Students will demonstrate knowledge of the engineering and design process by creating a structure that provides shade.

Big Idea:

Try to keep an ice cube from melting.

Opening:

To begin this lesson, we start by discussing what it means to be shaded. I say to the students, When it is really hot outside, I like to find some shade. What does the "word" shade mean? That's right, it means to have the sun blocked. So, on a hot day, I am cooler if I am in the shade. What types of things might provide shade? The students come up with a list. I help them with prompts when needed. This is the list they come up with:

trees
hats with brims
umbrellas
buildings
canopies
tents
gazebos

We are going to be creating structures today whose function is to provide shade. You will have the task of protecting an ice cube that is out in the sun from melting. Let's find out more about how you will do that.

Materials:

Paper for sketching plans
Black construction paper (9x12)
White construction paper (9x12)
Popsicle sticks
Tongue depressors
Masking tape
One ice cube in a zipper plastic bag, plus one cube to serve as the control

Today, you are going to create a structure to protect an ice cube from melting. Use the paper to draw a sketch of what your structure will look like.

Create:

During this step, the students create their structures using paper, popsicle sticks, tongue depressor and masking tape. They use their plan to help guide their construction.

Test:

To test the structures, go outside and find a sunny location. The students place their structures in various places in the sun. (See sample 1 and sample 2) Check to make sure that none of the structures are in the shade. Then place an ice cube in a zipper bag in each structure. The control ice cube is placed in the sun without any kind of protection. Then wait for the control cube to melt. When the control cube is completely melted, the test is done. Check the cubes in the structures to see if there are any of the ice cubes left.

Discussion:

What things helped the structures protect the ice cube?
What things were possibly missing from the structures that did not protect the ice cube as well?
Did the color of paper used make a difference? Why do you think that is?

Closing:

Now that you have had the opportunity to see what structures were successful and which ones were not, think about how you would improve your structure. What would you do differently?

Introduction to Dinosaurs

Learning Objectives:

Students will compare and contrast features among different types of dinosaurs.

Key Terms:

dinosaurs
huge
fossil
theories
Paleontologist

Materials:

Dinosaurs Big and Small book, by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld (one for each student or pair
of students)
Pictures or drawings of dinosaur footprints
KWL chart
Crayons
Markers
White construction paper

Introduction:

1. Ask your student to raise their hands if they have ever seen a dinosaur in a movie or on television. Great follow-up questions include: What are some movies or television shows with dinosaurs in them? Where can you see dinosaur skeletons or models?

2. Next, ask if anyone has ever seen a real, live dinosaur—not a dinosaur in a movie or in a museum. Follow up with more questions, such as: Has anyone in the world ever seen a living dinosaur? Why or why not? What is left of dinosaurs that lived millions of years ago?

3. Explain that dinosaurs lived so long ago that no human being has ever seen a live one. This means that we have to guess, or make theories, about what dinosaurs looked like and how they behaved.

4. Let them know that they will make guesses about dinosaurs, based on what they have left behind.

5. Tell them that scientists who study dinosaurs are called paleontologists. Write this word on the board.

6. Explain that paleontologists make theories about dinosaurs, and sometimes they're wrong. These

Paleontologists must use clues to develop theories about dinosaurs.

7. Write the word fossils on the board, and explain that fossils include dinosaur bones, dinosaur footprints, dinosaur teeth, and even dinosaur eggs.

Explicit Instructions/Teacher Modeling:

Show a dinosaur footprint to your student. Explain that paleontologists can use footprints to learn about what dinosaurs looked like and how they behaved.

Point out features of the footprint, such as size, number of toes, and shape, and discuss what these might tell you about the dinosaur.

Guided Practice:

Hold up a picture of a dinosaur footprint.

Have your student make theories about the dinosaur based on its footprint. Make sure that your student explains what characteristics of each footprint led them to their conclusions.

Fingerprint Butterflies

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to name each of the fingers on a hand.

Key Terms:

thumb
index/pointer finger
middle finger
ring finger
pinky finger

Materials:

Five different colors of paint or five different
colored stamp pads
Black pipe cleaners
Glue
Scissors
Markers
White paper

Introduction:

Have your student look at their hands. Ask them if they know what fingerprints are. Tell them that their

fingerprints are different from those of every other person in the entire world.

Let them know that they are going to make some fingerprint art today. They will have some time to

examine their own fingerprints.

Explicit Instructions/Teacher Modeling:

Teach the names of each of the fingers. Prepare a diagram of an enlarged hand with labeled fingers.

Draw it on a blackboard or whiteboard, or find a picture of one and project it for the child to see.

Keep the image up while the child works on their art activity.

Guided Practice:

Help students put one color on each of their fingers and assist them with putting their prints on paper.

Once the student has their butterfly prints on paper, have them glue down the pipe cleaner body.

Independent Working Time:

Finally, have the student use your diagram or visual representation to label each of their butterfly

Fingerprints.

Page updated

Report abuse