steppin' up to first grade: Super Science

Well I don't really know where to start, but I figured it's better to just jump back in then continue procrastinating. Man it has been an extremely busy school year! Pregnancy, teaching, tutoring and running an auction has left me little time for blogging, but I promise to devote my last few weeks before my baby arrives to updating you on all the fun we've been having this year.

I've decided to go back a bit and review some of the academic highlights of the year. The next few blog posts are going to focus on the units we've studied this year with a few fun updates thrown in the mix.

So here goes... Today I'm gonna focus on our super science projects.

Our first major project was all about cells.

We kicked off science this year by learning about the amazing world of cells.

We learned about the differences between plant and animal cells.

Thanks to some great youtube videos, my students were able to soak up all the info like sponges.

Our favorite video was created by a teacher for her 6th grade students. Its called Cells Cells-Parts of the Cell and the rap is pretty catchy.

I have to warn you, if you click on this link the song may be stuck in your head for a good long while- consider yourself warned ;)

I introduced our cell unit with these awesome posters (TPT freebie), which helped break down the information in simple terms and gave awesome visual examples for each of the cell parts.

After our unit of study, we wrapped things up with a fun take home project and an art activity.

We used the unit: CELLS- Cell Model Project for the Middle Grades created by Tied 2 Teaching to help set the expectations for the cell projects students worked on at home. They were required to complete both a plant and animal cell model and explain 3 major differences between the two models.

Here are a few examples of what my students came up with:

Two of my first graders! I was so impressed that they could hold their own and complete and present this (3rd grade level) project.

A completely edible animal cell! (It was pretty tasty) ;)

Each model needed to include labels for each of the required cell parts.

We used the inspiration of the photography exhibit "Life Magnified" which explored the hidden world of cells, to integrate our science unit into an amazing art project.
Can you believe how cool these are? I think my kiddos did a fantastic job!

Animal Classification & Food Chains

We spent some time learning how to research and classify different animals. My kids loved using google to search their favorites!

We also learned about food chains. I absolutely loved this fun little freebie and thought it laid a great foundation to help my students understand the concept of a food chain.

After we worked on the same project together, I gave my students the option of creating their own food chain.

First they sketched a draft in their journals, and afterwards they recreated it with construction paper.

Pretty cute, if I do say so myself!

To ring in the new year, we decided to celebrate by doing a balloon activity.
I was inspired by a unit created by Jessica Hursh at The Teacher Talk. It had lots of great activities, but the one that made the biggest learning impact was the balloon rocket experiment.

I divided the students into groups. The groups were given the following materials: a balloon, yarn, cut straws and tape.
Their mission was to use the materials to create a balloon rocket. They had to make the balloon move from one point in the room to another by using all of the materials provided.
I gave the groups 20 minutes to brainstorm and work together.

After the experiment, I let each group share how their experience went. I encouraged them to share what went well and what was frustrating.

After the kids shared, we discussed Newton's 2nd Law: Acceleration is produced when a force acts on a mass. The greater the mass (of the object being accelerated) the greater the amount of force needed (to accelerate the object).

We wrapped things up by watching this video and then trying the experiment as a whole group. After we watched the video, it made a lot more sense and it was definitely easier to execute accurately.

Biomes

We had an absolute blast learning all about biomes!
Before assigning this project, I spent time delving into the differences between abiotic (non-living) and biotic (living) factors.
Having that foundation was a great base on which to build.

I let my students choose a biome to research and work on at home.
I found this unit created by Teaching Touchdowns which provided an awesome rubric and parent letter to send home.
I tweaked the project just a bit so it was an at home project (did not include any group work or work at school).

Here are few examples of the amazing projects they came up with: