Subject: Science
Grade: 1
Technology
tools: Computer(s)
Tools
used: Interactive
website, Video, Digital text / ebook, Science Techbook Discovery Education
Activity
type: Lesson,
Unit, Assessment, Research
Competency Goal 2: The learner will make observations
and use student-made rules to build an understanding of solid earth materials.
Objective: 2.03
Observe the various components that combine to make soil.
Viewmont First Grade has been using the ScienceTechbook on Discovery Education as part of our Science activities. Our students have completed units on Soil,
Needs of Living Things, and Plants.
Science Techbook provides online and hands on science
activities that are aligned with the NC Science Standards by grade.
The online sessions are an excellent way to access
prior knowledge as well as build background information needed so the students
may successfully build their understanding of each concept.
Students have been completely engaged with the online
Science Techbook and able to write down great facts on their "Learn"
portion of their individual KWLs explaining what they have learned after each
session.
The Science Techbook provides planned online lessons
with many suggestions for hand on activities in the 5 E format - Engage,
Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate - we do one 20 minute session each
day.
The online sessions provide a great visual review of
content vocabulary and concepts (this has been successful for all our students and
such a benefit for our students that are English Language Learners) for each
goal and are fun to watch and discuss.
The Science Techbook is set up by Grade level and NC
Science Goals. To use you just login to
Discovery Education (subscription-based) and click on Science Techbook and click to select your
grade level.
Here is an example of our week on Soil:
Day 1. Engage - Science Techbook - Earth and Space
Science - Land and Water - Link: What is Soil?
APK: Together the class discussed how scientists
observe and reviewed the hands on activity portion of What is Soil? sharing how
the students were observing the soil. As
a class students explored a small area of soil outside on the playground and
made their own observations about the soil.
Together, students started a class KWL sharing what they already knew
about soil and what they wanted to know.
Students created their own KWL and updated daily as they researched more
about soil.
Day 2 - Explore -Types of Soil - (During our Literacy
Hour students read nonfiction books on soil and complete graphic organizers
comparing different soils - we also use the Know It section on the World Book
Online website to research more about soil with a parent volunteer)
Students update the Learn portion of KWL.
Day 3 -Explain - Needs of Soil - discuss together -
update Learn portion of KWL
Day 4 - Elaborate - Earthworms and Soil - (this was
their favorite part - many of the students came back from Library with books on
earthworms -soil - and were so excited
to share their findings with each other during our MIRP share time!
Day 5 - Evaluate - students present their findings to
the class using their completed Learn portion of their KWL.
Being first graders, of course, we all made
"soil" and ate it - with plenty of gummy worms in our great cookie
and pudding soil! As the students
enjoyed eating their "soil" they were explaining to each other that
the crushed cookies were really crushed leaves and rock and that the worms
helped the soil by burrowing tunnels that let in air and water!
Students presented their completed Learn portion of
the KWL they created before the start of the Unit on Soil. Students continually
updated their Learn portion of the KWL as they completed hands on activities
and online research using the Science Techbook.
Two favorite parts of Science Techbook include the
background information it provides students with in such an engaging manner and
also that students continue to discuss facts that they have learned weeks after
completing a unit.
First Grade, Viewmont Elementary
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