Grade 1

Gratitude for All Living Things Trail Walk

This is a trail walk program centered on the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address. Children will learn about the characteristics and needs of living things. They will explore Island Lake trails and create a piece of found nature art that highlights their connection to the land. (Program duration: 1.5h)

Gratitude for All Living Things Curriculum Connections - Grade 1

SCIENCE
Life Systems: Needs & Characteristics of Living Things
Overall Expectations 1, 2, & 3
Big Ideas:
- Plants and animals, including people, are living things.
- Living things have basic needs (air, water, food, and shelter) that are met from the environment.
- Different kinds of living things behave in different ways.
All living things should be treated with care and respect.

LANGUAGE
Reading
1.4 demonstrate understanding of a text by retelling the story or restating information from the text, including the main idea
1.5 use stated and implied information and ideas in texts to make simple inferences and reasonable predictions about them
1.6 extend understanding of texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge and experience, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them

MATH
Data Management
D1.2 collect data through observations, experiments, and interviews to answer questions of interest that focus on a single piece of information; record the data using methods of their choice; and organize the data in tally tables

Living Soils & Native Plants

Students will investigate the organic and inorganic components of soil, characteristics of healthy soil, and the impacts of human activities on soil health. Using soil collected from different locations at Island Lake, students will describe the characteristics of different soil types and will conduct experiments to try to determine which type of soil is the healthiest. They will further their learning with a read-aloud of Lessons from Mother Earth and a discussion of the ways soil supports life on earth & the importance of our role as soil protectors. In the fall and spring, students will investigate the connections between native plants, healthy soils, and the food web that supports all life. (Program duration: 1.5h)

Living Soils Curriculum Connections - Grade 1

SCIENCE
Life Systems - Needs & Characteristics of Living Things
B1. Relating Science and Technology to our Changing World
Assess the importance of a healthy environment for living and non-living things, and the responsibilities of humans in contributing to a healthy environment
B2. Exploring & Understanding Concepts
demonstrate an understanding of the basic needs and characteristics of living things, including humans

MATH
Data Management
D1.2 collect data through observations, experiments, and interviews to answer questions of interest that focus on a single piece of information; record the data using methods of their choice; and organize the data in tally tables

Wetland Wonders

Using dip nets and basins, students will explore the pond at Island Lake and will identify the living things they find there, from fish to birds to freshwater invertebrates. A read-aloud of The Water Walker and follow-up art activity will encourage students to think about ways they can protect water in their everyday lives. (Program duration: 1.5h)

Wetland Wonders Curriculum Connections - Grade 1

SCIENCE
Life Systems - Needs & Characteristics of Living Things
Overall expectations 1 & 2
B1. Assess the importance of a healthy environment for living and non-living things, and the responsibilities of humans in contributing to a healthy environment
B2. demonstrate an understanding of the basic needs and characteristics of living things, including humans

LANGUAGE
Reading
1.4 demonstrate understanding of a text by retelling the story or restating information from the text, including the main idea
1.5 use stated and implied information and ideas in texts to make simple inferences and reasonable predictions about them
1.6 extend understanding of texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge and experience, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them

MATH
Data Management
D1.2 collect data through observations, experiments, and interviews to answer questions of interest that focus on a single piece of information; record the data using methods of their choice; and organize the data in tally tables

Indigenous Ingenuity

Students will build their own shelter in the forest using found materials and in the process will learn about strong and stable structures. This experience will be contextualized within a larger exploration of Indigenous contributions in the fields of architecture, engineering, science, and the arts. (Program duration: 2h)

Indigenous Ingenuity Curriculum Connections - Grade 1

SCIENCE
A. Applications, Connections, and Contributions
A3.1 describe practical applications of science and technology concepts in their home and community, and how these applications address real-world problem

A3.2 investigate how science and technology can be used with other subject areas to address real-world problems
A3.3 analyse contributions to science and technology from various communities

D. Structures & Mechanisms
2.2 identify structures that are objects designed to support a load, incluidng those acting as supporting frameworks for objects
2.4 describe observable characteristics of various everyday objects, including structures, using qualitative information gathered through their senses
2.8 identify sources in nature of some common materials that are used to make various objects, including structures

MATH
E. Spatial Sense
2.1 identify measurable attributes of two-dimensional shapes and three dimensional objects, including length, area, mass, capacity, and angle
2.2 compare several everyday objects and order them according to length, area, mass, and capacity