First and Second Grades

"Wonder is the beginning of wisdom." -Socrates

First and Second Grades third and fourth terms

First Grade

This term, students engaged in a real-world, project-based learning experience by designing their own custom zoos, applying a wide range of mathematical concepts in meaningful and creative ways. The challenge began with a budgeting activity, where students were given $100 and had to analyze costs, evaluate options, and make strategic purchasing decisions about which animals to include (Application, Evaluation; Rules, Multiple Perspectives).

Next, students explored measurement by researching the sizes of their chosen animals to determine the appropriate dimensions for each enclosure. Using this data, they then created scaled blueprint-style layouts of their zoos, integrating spatial reasoning and geometry skills (Application, Analysis; Details, Patterns, Big Ideas).

Students also explored fractions in a real-world context by recording animal food preferences. For example, if 3 out of 5 monkeys preferred bananas, students could clearly see how the numerator represents the part and the denominator the whole—bringing fractions to life through data collection and interpretation (Comprehension, Application; Rules, Trends).

In another activity, students worked with money and financial literacy. They had to calculate totals, compare prices, and decide whether they had enough money to buy items from a zoo-themed souvenir shop. This activity challenged their critical thinking and introduced them to concepts of value, cost, and decision-making (Analysis, Evaluation; Change Over Time, Real-World Connections).

To culminate the project, students expanded their zoos with a reptile exhibit, using geometry to determine how many windows were needed based on different polygonal exhibit shapes such as hexagons, octagons, quadrilaterals, and pentagons. This reinforced their understanding of sides, angles, and symmetry (Application, Synthesis; Big Ideas, Across Disciplines).

This unit offered students an engaging and rigorous opportunity to synthesize skills from across the math curriculum, while also emphasizing real-world problem solving, creativity, and mathematical reasoning.

Second Grade

This term, students launched into an interdisciplinary math and science unit by designing their own space missions, applying real-world problem-solving, data analysis, and computational thinking skills. The experience began with students receiving a budget and a list of potential crew members, each with a short biography. Students used reading comprehension and decision-making to evaluate candidates and select a crew of at least three astronauts, along with essential support staff, based on their qualifications and mission roles (Application, Evaluation; Multiple Perspectives, Details, Ethics).

Next, students used their understanding of elapsed time to create detailed astronaut training schedules, developing time management skills while reinforcing math concepts related to hours and minutes (Application; Rules, Patterns). They also practiced counting money, managing the crew’s salaries and mission expenses, and measured distances between planets, introducing foundational ideas of astronomical scale (Application, Analysis; Big Ideas, Real-World Connections).

To build data literacy, students collected, graphed, and analyzed information about space objects—developing fluency in data representation and interpretation. Later, they explored the connection between repeated addition and multiplication by writing corresponding number sentences to calculate the number of aliens on different planets, demonstrating a conceptual understanding of operations (Comprehension, Synthesis; Patterns, Rules).

The space theme continued with a reading and writing integration. Students read informational texts about the planets in our solar system and practiced identifying key details, summarizing them in their Planet Journals. This activity strengthened their nonfiction reading comprehension and sentence construction skills as they learned what makes a complete and meaningful sentence (Comprehension, Application; Details, Language of the Discipline).

Students explored deep space phenomena, including nebulae, and used NASA’s Hubble Telescope database to discover what the telescope photographed on their birthdays—building personal connections to space science (Analysis; Over Time, Unanswered Questions). A virtual tour of the International Space Station brought their space exploration to life with authentic context (Evaluation; Real-World Connections, Big Ideas).

First and Second Grades First and second Terms

First Grade

This term, students delved into a language arts unit that combined the study of story elements with the fascinating science of bioluminescence. By incorporating the icons of depth and complexity, including change over time and details, and engaging with Bloom’s Taxonomy at multiple levels, students honed their reading, writing, and critical thinking skills while exploring the wonders of nature.

Exploring Story Elements Through "Firenze's Light"

Students began by learning about the key story elements of character and setting. They read Firenze’s Light and completed a character map, focusing on Firenze’s emotional journey. Using the change over time icon, students analyzed how Firenze’s feelings about her light evolved throughout the story, connecting this change to the broader theme of self-acceptance. This activity engaged them in Bloom’s analyzing as they identified and interpreted evidence from the text to understand character development.

Learning About Bioluminescent Organisms

To expand their understanding of light in nature, students read about various bioluminescent organisms, such as deep-sea creatures and glow-in-the-dark fungi. They explored the details icon by identifying how these organisms use their light to survive in specific environments, such as attracting prey, escaping predators, or communicating. This reading activity engaged students in Bloom’s understanding and applying levels as they connected scientific concepts to real-world examples.

Designing and Writing: Creating Bioluminescent Characters

Building on their new knowledge, students designed their own bioluminescent organisms, describing in detail how their creations would use light to thrive in their environments. This creative exercise challenged them to apply the details icon to design unique adaptations.

The culminating project was to incorporate their bioluminescent organism into an original story, making it the main character. Students used what they had learned about character development and setting to craft narratives that showcased the interplay between their organism’s abilities and its environment. This project tapped into Bloom’s creating level, as students synthesized scientific knowledge with narrative skills to produce imaginative and scientifically grounded stories.

Skills Learned and Connections Made

Through this unit, students strengthened their reading comprehension, creative writing, and analytical skills. They gained an appreciation for the connection between science and storytelling, explored themes of growth and self-expression, and engaged deeply with the icons of depth and complexity to uncover patterns, changes, and details in both literature and nature. By blending language arts with science, the unit inspired students to think critically and creatively while making interdisciplinary connections.

Second Grade

This term, students expanded their detective skills by exploring the fascinating world of bugs and pollinators through the lens of ethics, science, and creativity. The unit incorporated the icons of depth and complexity, such as ethics, details, and patterns, while tying in various levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, including analyzing, evaluating, and creating. Here's what we accomplished:

Ethics: Are Bugs Good or Bad?

Students began by examining the ethics icon as they debated the role of bugs in our world: Are they helpful or harmful? This led to a lively discussion about the complex roles insects play in ecosystems. To bring the concept to life, students went on a pretend "bug-free" picnic, where they could only choose foods that didn’t rely on pollination. This activity challenged students to evaluate real-world scenarios and consider the far-reaching impact of insects, especially pollinators. By the end, students concluded that while some bugs might seem pesky, many are essential for our food systems.

Details and Patterns: How Pollinators Behave

Next, students used the details icon to observe and identify characteristics of various pollinators. They analyzed these details to find patterns in pollinator behavior, such as which types of flowers different species are attracted to and why. This required students to apply Bloom’s level of analyzing as they examined data and connected it to larger trends.

Building on this knowledge, students read facts about pollinators and matched them to flowers most likely to attract them. For a creative twist, students designed their own flowers to appeal to a specific pollinator. One standout design featured pizza-slice petals—an imaginative way to tie humor and creativity into the lesson!

Creating with LEGO Robots

The unit culminated with a hands-on engineering and coding challenge. Students designed their own plants and pollinators using LEGO robots. They programmed their pollinators with iPads, coding them to "fly" around their flowers. This activity required students to apply Bloom’s creating level as they synthesized knowledge about pollinators and ecosystems into an innovative, interactive project.

By the end of the unit, students had developed critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills while gaining a deeper appreciation for pollinators and their essential role in our world. The activities not only encouraged interdisciplinary learning but also empowered students to connect ethics, science, and technology in meaningful ways.

Depth and Complexity

This term first and second students explored the Icons of Depth and Complexity, a set of tools designed to encourage higher-order thinking and enrich learning. We focused on three specific icons: Details, Big Idea, and Patterns. The Details icon helps students zoom in on the specific, often overlooked aspects of a topic or problem, sharpening their observational skills. The Big Idea icon encourages them to think broadly and identify the overarching themes or messages. The Patterns icon fosters analytical thinking by prompting students to recognize and predict recurring sequences or relationships. These icons serve as building blocks for developing critical and creative thinking.

To make these abstract concepts relatable, students applied the icons to reflect on and answer questions about themselves. For instance, they identified "details" by describing their favorite activities or unique personal traits, examined the "big idea" of what makes them special, and explored "patterns" in their daily routines or habits. These activities not only introduced foundational concepts of depth and complexity but also fostered self-awareness and connection with their peers. It’s been an exciting first term, and we’re proud of the growth we’ve already seen in our young thinkers!

Up Next:

First grade- story elements and bioluminescent organisms

Second grade- plants and pollinators

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