simplegirl
asks:
In Topics:
Helping my child with school work and home work, Helping my child with science
Q:
My daughter is in public school first grade and science is not being taught. Is that typical?
> 60 days ago
What the Expert Says:
Additional Answers (3)
Hi Simplegirl,
I am not certain whether science is part of first grade curriculum. I only can share what’s the case at my second grader’s school. My son goes to a public school too.
There are four first grade classes at my son’s school. Last year, my son did quite a bit of science in his class including experiment on air resistance (with a parachute), observing the different types of clouds, wind direction, liquid flow rate, matter (liquid, solid, gas), plant growth, and growing a butterfly are the things that come to mind. They did quite a bit more than what I’ve listed.
However, the other three classes did not do as much. The only thing I heard that the other classes did was growing butterfly, observing clouds, and plant growth. I did have an opportunity to ask my son’s first grade teacher about the science curriculum and she informed me that she does a bit more than most teacher because she feels that science is important. She also mentioned that the science curriculum at first grade is very minimal.
If you want to supplement science into your child’s learning, you can try doing some simple but really fun science fair project for elementary kids. These projects are very similar to the ones my son’s first grader teacher used. Check out the link below.
Hope this helps!
Vicki
I am not certain whether science is part of first grade curriculum. I only can share what’s the case at my second grader’s school. My son goes to a public school too.
There are four first grade classes at my son’s school. Last year, my son did quite a bit of science in his class including experiment on air resistance (with a parachute), observing the different types of clouds, wind direction, liquid flow rate, matter (liquid, solid, gas), plant growth, and growing a butterfly are the things that come to mind. They did quite a bit more than what I’ve listed.
However, the other three classes did not do as much. The only thing I heard that the other classes did was growing butterfly, observing clouds, and plant growth. I did have an opportunity to ask my son’s first grade teacher about the science curriculum and she informed me that she does a bit more than most teacher because she feels that science is important. She also mentioned that the science curriculum at first grade is very minimal.
If you want to supplement science into your child’s learning, you can try doing some simple but really fun science fair project for elementary kids. These projects are very similar to the ones my son’s first grader teacher used. Check out the link below.
Hope this helps!
Vicki
Resources:
> 60 days ago
My children had a similar experience in their school. I volunteered to set up and run a once a week science program for the students. I found other Mom's (I was a stay at home at the time), and we talked to the teacher to find out what else was going on in the classroom. We found science experiments that fit (they read a story about wind and rain, and we did a thing about vortexes using a glass jar and Monopoly pieces), then they talked about colors of the rainbow (we did a chromatography experiment where they separated the colors of ink using coffee filters and water). Each of our lessons took about 30-40 minutes. The teacher let us run the show, but stayed in the room (she got her paperwork done, so she loved the break). It was such a hit, we recruited more parents and expanded it to higher grades. We even found an engineer to come in to the 4th graders and explain about gears. The key was to start small, keep the experiments simple for us, but have enough info to keep the students interested. Also, the teacher's started using some of the vocab words on spelling tests, and we found a way to incorporate basic math (word problems) based on the experiment of the week. If the lack of science bothers you, try it. You may get more out of the experience than the students do!
> 60 days ago
To my experience, they do not have a Science book in 1st grade, but Science is covered. There were class projects and there is a Science center in the class room. Weather is taught along with tornadoes, volcanoes, rain, etc. Also, animals is covered, owls, bats, life cycles of sunflowers, birds, etc. It is an age appropriate approach to beginning Science. Keep in your mind your first grader, may be doing Science, but just don't know that it is Science, speak with your teacher, I think you'll find that Science is being covered. Look on this site and you will find activities and worksheets that you can cover with your child in 1st grade science.
> 60 days ago
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