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Year 1 Science Curriculum
THE EARTH
Essential Questions:
- What is the Earth made of?
- What are the natural forces that affect and shape the earth over time?
- How do those changes affect us?
- How can we manage our resources?
- How does our local geography reflect the Earth’s history?
Unit Questions
- What are the inner and outer layers of the Earth?
- How do water, wind, and temperature change the Earth?
- What causes volcanoes and earthquakes?
- How are rocks classified?
- How do rocks change over time?
- What are ways we use rocks?
- What is the difference between a rock and a mineral?
- How do properties of rocks and minerals determine their use?
- What is a crystal?
- What is soil?
Content
Earth's composition
igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic rocks
properties of rocks
properties of minerals
crystals
weathering
erosion
fossilization
glacial movement
soil structure
rock cycle
plate tectonics
volcanoes
earthquakes
mountain formation
WATER
Essential Questions:
- Where is water located on Earth?
- Why is the water cycle important?
- How is water used?
- How can it be conserved?
- How do we get our drinking water?
- Where does the rainwater go?
- Why do some things sink and others float?
Unit Questions
- What are the properties of water?
- What are the different types of surface water?
- How does a reservoir work?
- How is water naturally filtered?
- How can water become contaminated?
- How is water treated?
- How is water purified?
- How is salt water different from fresh water?
Content
bodies of water
properties of water
water cycle
water conservation
water pollution
floating and sinking
groundwater and runoff
wetlands
water power
OCEANS
Essential Questions:
- How do we learn about the oceans?
- What are the features of the ocean floor?
- What are the oceans’ resources?
- How has marine life adapted to its environment?
- How do human activities affect the marine environment?
Unit Questions
- What are the major oceans and seas on Earth?
- How are landforms found on land and on the bottom of the ocean similar?
- What navigational tools made it possible for early ocean travel?
- What plants and animals live in the ocean?
- What are the food chains in the ocean?
Content
ocean landforms
tides
waves
icebergs
coral reefs
intertidal zone
Ocean light zone
Fish, mammals, invertebrates
Food chains
Producers-consumers-decomposers
Oil spills
compass, astrolabe, quadrant
SOLAR SYSTEM
Essential Questions:
- What makes up our solar system?
- How do planets differ from each other?
- Can other planets support life?
Unit Questions
- What causes day and night? Years?
- What are the planets?
- What is a constellation?
- What are the relationships of Earth, Moon, and sun?
- What are meteors, stars, asteroids?
- How do we study space?
Content
bodies in space: stars, planets, asteroids, meteorites, moon, sun
solar system---revolution and rotation of planets
seasons day and night
phases of the moon
effect of moon’s gravity on earth
space missions
astronauts
INVENTIONS
Essential Questions:
- What is an invention?
- Why do people create inventions?
- Do all inventions benefit people?
- How did inventors get their ideas?
- How did they make their ideas a reality?
- Can I be an inventor?
Unit Questions
- What are some major inventions of each century?
- What caused the invention?
- What as life like before?
- What were the positive and negative effects of the invention?
- What is a patent?
Content
Fashion, art, technology, communication, transportation
“necessity of the mother of invention”
ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM
Essential Questions:
- What is electricity and how does it help us in our everyday lives?
- What is magnetism?
Unit Questions
- How does electricity travel?
- What is the difference between a simple and parallel circuit
- How does a switch work?
- What is an electromagnet?
- What things are attracted and repelled by magnets?
Content
Current
parallel, open, closed, series circuits
resistance
insulators and conductors
electromagnet
compass
fuse
ONGOING: EXPLORING OUR NEW ENVIRONMENT:
- What plant and animal life is found on our property?
- How have humans impacted the environment?
- How does our environment change over time?
