1st - 2nd Grade Science

1st - 2nd Grade Science Photos:

CURRENT Photos: 2019-2020 / (last year photos: 2018-2019)

Curriculum:

• LWS Science Curriculum is aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

First Term of 2018-2019: This fall, the 2nd grade scientists focused on Physical Science and Life Science.

In Physical Science, the children studied the following topics:

• Matter and its Interactions – The children learned about the three states of matter and how matter can change.
• Materials – The class explored different kinds of materials, where they come from, and how they are used.
• Electricity – Static Electricity – The class experienced electricity through the use of a Van De Graaff Generator.

In Life Science, the children studied:

• Interactions of Living Things (Plants vs. Animals) – The children learned that all living things need food and air to keep living. They also need water and a place to live.
• Adaptations – Traveling Seeds – The students explored some features of plants and animals that help them survive. The class studied the incredible world of plants! We explored the surprising idea that plants can actually move around. The primary way they do this is by dispersing their seeds.
• Experiment/Engineering – each child chose one of three seed models to build, and practiced dropping the seeds from a height. The goal was to avoid the dreaded "zone of darkness" (i.e. the shade!). Together as a class we practiced gathering and recording data for our Traveling Seed experiment.
• Trees, Parts of Trees – We played the ‘Build a Tree’ game from Joseph Cornell’s book Sharing Nature with Children. The children really enjoyed their roles as Heartwood, Sapwood, Cambium, Phloem, bark, etc. and staying strong and working together through attacks by a beetle (played by the teacher).
• Life Cycles of Organisms, Plant Life Cycles – The children learned that the entire process of growing, producing seeds, and germination is the plant life cycle. The class explored Photosynthesis as part of the topic.

In 2018, guest student teacher, Akshay, an LWS alumnus, guided the class through a mechanical engineering experience in which students discovered the inner workings of remote control cars. They learned about radio waves, control panels, motors, and steering mechanisms.

Our class lessons include hands-on activities, experiments, fill-in notes, group games, and regular assessments in the form of simple “Show What You Know”, Crossword or Word Search activities. In almost every class, we perform experiments that support the current topic. Additional learning opportunities are also available in the form of Mystery Science lessons.