Science for Ohio: Academic Content Standards Alignment for Science--FIRST GRADE
www.environmentaleducationohio.org

Click here to view all Grade K-2 Benchmarks and Standards.

For a complete listing of Science for Ohio inquiries, click here.

Other Information

Note: Generally, a Science for Ohio inquiry is not included in in a grade level unless it has one or more of the Earth and Space, Life, or Physical science (content-oriented) strands. Indicator statements for these three strands are listed below under the heading Ohio Academic Standard.

Dig This! Erosion Investigation

Ohio Academic Standard: Explain that all organisms cause changes in the environment where they live; the changes can be very noticeable or slightly noticeable, fast or slow (e.g., spread of grass cover slowing soil erosion, tree roots slowly breaking sidewalks).

Modify the original lesson as follows:

• Gather the following materials:
  • one square of sod from a local landscaping store
  • half a bucket of soil (soil from around your schoolyard will work well)
  • dishtubs (2)
  • two liter bottles (3).
• Using a drill with a 1/4 inch bit or larger, drill a hole in the corner of each dishtub.
• Trim the tops off of two of the two liter bottles. Label one bottle Soil with Plants and the other Soil with No Plants.
• Trim the piece of sod grass to fit in one of the dishtubs. Remove loose soil due to trimming.
• Place a comparable amount of soil in the second dishtub.
• Fill the uncut two liter bottle with water. Add half of the bottle to each tub.
• Tip each tub to allow water to drain out of the hole, and collect the percolated water in the labeled two liter bottles.
• Repeat several times.
• Compare and discuss your findings

This inquiry, as written, is designed for older students, but can be modified as described after reviewing the original lesson.

Ohio Academic Standard:

• Explain that the supply of many resources is limited but the supply can be extended through careful use, decreased use, reusing and/or recycling.
• Organisms that are hard to see (bacteria, fungi, worms, mites) cause changes in the environment where they live.

Fall Slumbers

This inquiry has primary modifications that work well for grades 1-3 as written. Grades K and 1 can modify by making the primary lesson a whole class activity center.

This inquiry, as written, is designed for older students, but can be modified as described after reviewing the original lesson.

Ohio Academic Standard: Explain that the supply of many resources is limited but the supply can be extended through careful use, decreased use, reusing and/or recycling.

Modify the original lesson as follows:

• Direct each student to bring in one recyclable and one non-recyclable item from home.
• Conduct a whole-class sort to identify recyclable and non-recyclable objects as you discuss
• Set up a Reuse Center and a Recycle Center in your classroom

This inquiry, as written, is designed for older students, but can be modified as described after reviewing the original lesson.

Ohio Academic Standard:

• Explore that organisms, including people, have basic needs which include air, water, food, living space and shelter.
• Explain that food comes from sources other than grocery stores (e.g., farm crops, farm animals, oceans, lakes and forests).
• Recognize that seasonal changes can influence the health, survival or activities of organisms.

Ohio Academic Standard:

• Explore that organisms, including people, have basic needs which include air, water, food, living space and shelter.
• Recognize that seasonal changes can influence the health, survival or activities of organisms.

Ohio Academic Standard: Classify objects according to the materials they are made of and their physical properties.

• Collect an assortment of seeds prior to class and/or during a student hike around your school.
• Conduct a whole-class sorting activity to describe this variety of seeds according to their attributes (e.g., size, color, and shape)
• Involve parents by having them sort a collection of seeds with their child at home.

This inquiry, as written, is designed for older students, but can be modified as described after reviewing the original lesson.

The Water Cycle

Ohio Academic Standard: Identify that resources are things that we get from the living (e.g., forests) and nonliving (e.g., minerals, water) environment and that resources are necessary to meet the needs and wants of a population.

Ohio Academic Standard: Describe that energy can be obtained from many sources in many ways (e.g., food, gasoline, electricity or batteries).

Modify the original lesson as follows:

• Discuss the concept of food chain
• Make a food chain/web on chart paper that shows how energy is obtained from a meal (see the Family Page of this inquiry for more information).
• Bring in a snack and drink and have students write and illustrate this food chain/web on drawing paper

This inquiry, as written, is designed for older students, but can be modified as described after reviewing the original lesson.

Ohio Academic Standard:

• Identify that resources are things that we get from the living (e.g., forests) and nonliving (e.g., minerals, water) environment and that resources are necessary to meet the needs and wants of a population.
• Explain that the supply of many resources is limited but the supply can be extended through careful use, decreased use, reusing and/or recycling.
• Explore that organisms, including people, have basic needs which include air, water, food, living space and shelter.

Modify the original lesson as follows:

Day 1

• Use the sorting activity at the beginning of the lesson to introduce the concepts of living and nonliving
• Discuss the acronym SWEAT (Space, Water, Energy, Air, Time) as a way to remember what all living things need (see Background Information).
• Take students on a hike to collect living and nonliving objects (hand lenses and Ziploc bags recommended)
• Complete a final sort of living and nonliving objects after the hike and have students illustrate by drawing the sorted images onto a T-chart

Day 2

• Use the sorting activity at the beginning of the lesson to introduce the concepts of "natural" and "man-made"
• Take students on a hike to collect "natural" and "man-made" objects
• Complete a final sort of "natural" and "man-made" objects after the hike and have students illustrate by drawing the sorted images onto a T-chart
• use the Matter Cycles pages as a guide in demonstrating via chart paper, felt board, etc. that ALL "man-made" objects can be traced back to natural resources, and that recycling extends these resources.

This inquiry, as written, is designed for older students, but can be modified as described after reviewing the original lesson.

Ohio Academic Standard: Things can be done to materials to change their properties

Modify the original lesson as follows:

• Conduct as a whole class demonstration with three of each treatment cup made the day before. Create enough cups of control Jell-O for each student to eat.
• Use a microwave to demonstrate "what happens when" Jell-O is heated (becomes liquid again).

This inquiry, as written, is designed for older students, but can be modified as described after reviewing the original lesson.

What's the Matter with My Orange? Center

Ohio Academic Standard: Organisms that are hard to see (yeast, bacteria) cause changes in the environment where they live.

Modify the original lesson as follows:

• Use the Student Background Information pages for teacher reference.
• Rotate groups of two or three students to smell the oranges, observe the oranges, measure the mass of the oranges, and report to the class once each week

This inquiry, as written, is designed for older students, but can be modified as described after reviewing the original lesson.