Elementary Curriculum
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First Grade Science
Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles The Sun, Moon, and Stars
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Observe and record the changes in the sun over a day and throughout the year, how the Moon’s illumination changes each day, how the stars can be seen, and the amount of daylight changes over the course of a year.
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Investigate the changes throughout the day of an object’s shadow and explain a pattern based on the changing position of the Sun.
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Utilize a data collection tool to identify that differing amounts of daylight are seen at different times of the year.
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Chart and describe changes that occur in the appearance of the Moon over a 20-day period and identify a pattern in the lunar cycle.
Waves: Light and Sound
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Discover the cause and effect relationships between vibrations and movement.
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Investigate how sound and light behave in unique ways when they encounter different materials.
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Collect evidence that they can see objects only when they are illuminated.
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Plan and conduct investigations showing the relationship between vibrations and sound.
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Design and redesign “phones” to test which one communicates sound the best over a distance.
Structure, Function, and Information Processing
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Identify and describe patterns in the behaviors of parents and offspring that help offspring survive.
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Argue from evidence using physical characteristics that young plants and young animals are similar to but not exactly like their parents.
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Observe and record how plants and animals use their external parts to overcome challenges to survival.
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Identify real engineering solutions and the external parts of plants and animals that inspired them.
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Design, create, and wear a device that helps them survive, grow, or meet their needs using inspiration from the external parts of plants and animals.
Engineering is Elementary - The Best of Bugs: Designing Hand Pollinators
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Conduct investigations to discover that plants have different parts (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits) that help them survive and grow.
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Identify that everyday objects designed by people as solutions to problems are examples of technology.
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Investigate the parts of a flower and the parts of a bee. Recognize that a system may fail if a part of it is missing or is not working.
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Conduct a fair test to determine which materials and properties of materials are good or poor choices for a design that can mimic a bee’s ability to pick up and deposit pollen.
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Use the Engineering Design Process to engineer their own technologies for pollinating plants by hand.
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