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First Grade Science & Engineering

Course Description

In first grade, students investigate light and sound, including vibration from sound waves and the effect of different materials on the path of a beam of light. Students use their understanding of light from the Light & Sound unit to understand why the sun, moon, and stars are visible. Students will explore the sequential nature of computer programs through hands-on activities both with and without a computer. The final unit focuses on animals and includes exploration of animal life cycles and survival needs. The concept of variation is introduced by learning that young animals are similar to but not exactly like their parents and that the needs of young animals are sometimes different that those of adults. Students will also explore the design concept of biomimicry - in which structures found in nature are used to design solutions to human problems.

Grade Level(s): First Grade

Related Priority Standards (State &/or National):  K-5 Science Missouri Learning Standards & Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

Essential Questions

  • How do we learn about the world around us?
  • How do we design solutions to problems?
  • How can I learn about something I wonder about or solve a problem that is important/interesting to me?
  • How can I identify the presence or absence of cause/effect relationships in the natural world?
  • How can patterns be used to classify and explain events in nature?
  • What kinds of relationships exist in the natural world?

Enduring Understandings/Big Ideas

  • Learning about the world and solving problems begins with wonder, observations and questions.
  • Science is both a body of knowledge that can be learned and a process of discovery of the natural world.
  • Engineering is the process of identifying problems and using scientific knowledge to design solutions.
  • Learning about and engaging in the practice of science and engineering requires curiosity, hard work, and persistence.
  • Simple tests can be designed to gather evidence to support or refute student ideas about causes.
  • Patterns in the natural world can be observed, used to describe phenomena, and used as evidence.
  • The shape and stability of structures of natural and designed objects are related to their function(s).
  • There are patterns in the behavior of animal parents and offspring that enable the offspring to survive.
  • Structures in nature match their function; humans can find ideas for solutions to problems by observing structures found in nature.

Course-Level Scope & Sequence (Units &/or Skills)

Unit 1: Light and Sound

Students investigate light and sound, including vibration from sound waves and the effect of different materials on the path of a beam of light. After students develop understandings of light and sound, they are challenged to design a model to solve a design problem. Students use the design process to sketch, build, test, and reflect on a device that uses light or sound to communicate over a distance.  Students will:

  • Plan and conduct investigations collaboratively to produce evidence to answer a question.
  • Make observations (firsthand or from media) to construct an evidence-based account for natural phenomena.
  • Use tools and materials provided to design a device that solves a specific problem.
  • Identify a cause/effect relationship between the characteristics of a vibrating object and the sound it produces, using evidence to formulate a well-supported claim.
  • Understand that objects can be seen only when illuminated and that different types of materials will affect a beam of light in different ways.
  • Use their knowledge of cause/effect relationships in light and sound phenomena to design something that will enable them
    to communicate over a distance.

Unit 2: Patterns in the Sky

This unit begins with a two-week introduction to the sun, moon, and stars at the end of the first quarter. Students use their understanding of light from the Light & Sound unit to understand why the sun, moon, and stars are visible. Students will be introduced to websites and/or apps that can be used to track the position of the sun, moon, and stars and a way to record data. After this two-week introduction, recording data about the position of objects in the sky will become a weekly event. In the second part of third quarter, students will examine their data to look for patterns. They will also engage in activities that will help them understand how the motion of the sun, moon, Earth and stars create patterns they observe.  Students will:

  • Explain why the sun, moon, and stars appear to move in the sky and explain why the moon goes through phases.
  • Make and record observations of the amount of daylight each day at different times of the year.
  • Make predictions based on their observations.

Unit 3: Animated Storytelling

In this module, students will develop the ability to create digital animated stories on a tablet. Students will: 

  • Explore the sequential nature of computer programs through hands-on activities both with and without a computer. 
  • Work in pairs to design and program a simple digital animated story that interacts with the reader.  

Unit 4: Animals - Needs, Offspring, & Variation: Biomimicry

Students will build upon their understanding of the basic needs of plants and animals developed in Kindergarten. This unit focuses on animals and includes exploration of animal life cycles and survival needs. The concept of variation is introduced by learning that young animals are similar to but not exactly like their parents and that the needs of young animals are sometimes different that those of adults. Students will also explore the design concept of biomimicry - in which structures found in nature are used to design solutions to human problems. This unit has intentionally been placed in the beginning of 4th quarter to coincide with the springtime birth of many young animals and weather that is more suitable to outside observation.  Students will:

  • Make observations (firsthand or from media) to construct an evidence-based account for natural phenomena.
  • Use materials to design a device that solves a specific problem or a solution to a specific problem.
  • Read grade-appropriate texts and use media to obtain scientific information to determine patterns in the natural world.
  • Describe how a structure found on a plant or animals matches its function.
  • Use structures and functions found in nature to solve human problems.
  • Make claims based on evidence from observations.
  • Identify examples of variations among plants and animals of the same types.

Course Resources & Materials: PLTW Launch, BrainPop Jr, and various district-created resources to support instruction

Date Last Revised/Approved: 2015