Investigations - classified by big ideas most dominant
First grade, kindergarten, preschool
Inquiry
- Living Organisms - Inquiry into what all living organisms have in common.
Unified Processes
Order and organization
- Classification - dichotomous key - tree key -
Evidence, Explanations, and Models
- Asking investigatable questions - water balloons
- Observation Senses 1 - Five senses also classification
- Observation Senses 2 - Five senses
- Observation Record sheet
- Observation - Blue jeans
- Observation - Properties that can be Measured chart
- Observation - Ways to Use Measurement chart
- Observatioin - Power poles observations and measurement
- Observation - Tracks
- Observation - Snow White comic - observation and inference
- Evidence - Light, wave, insulator, rock hardness, mold, taste buds
- Relative Position and Motion - sample sequence
- Charts - Colored Water
- Evidence, explanations, diagrams as models Light unit plan - grade four,
- Models 1 - black boxes, insect condos, earth
- Model 2 - humdingers, black boxes, drought stopper, fog chamber, go carts, electric circuit
- Models 3 - standards, concepts, development, black boxes, and rope pipe
- Models 4 - cells
- Model 5 - Moon craters
Change, Constancy, and Measurement
- Measurement Observations - collection sheet 1 - collection sheet 2
- Measurement - linear, volume, mass, temperature
- Metric, measurement, matter, density - directed inquiry activities for sixth grade review linear, mass, volume, matter, and introduce density sixth grade
- Motion - spinners, tops, zoomers, twirlers, rolling wheels, rolling cups, rolling spheres
Evolution and Equilibrium
- Pressure and Equilibrium - balloons, fizz keepers, and two-liter plastic bottles | Plastic bag piercing |
- Evolution and natural selection - marbles in a bucket activity
- Animals 1 - feathers, beaks, mealworms,
- Animals 2 - camouflage moths, simulation activities, echolocation, penguin - temperature
- Adaptation - Mealworms, bird beaks, feathers...
Form and Function
Physical Science
- Air - as matter, occupies space, and pressure
- Balloon Piercing | Plastic bag piercing |
- Bubbles 1 - bubbles, gases, liquids
- Bubbles 2 - Alka-seltzer, measuring, color
- Chemistry - nuts and bolts activity
- Colored Water - liquids as matter, mass, density
- Density - Unit with many activities, pop float, wood, metal, plastic, integrated properties, variables, operational definitions
- Electricity - static electricity, conductor/nonconductor, circuit, electromagnets
- Electricity planning for current electricity, circuits, models...
- Energy - activities and concepts - no instructional suggestions
- Gravity, inertia, friction -
- Heat Energy and transfer with many activities - variety of activities using water, ice, boiling, bubbles
- Heat energy - teacher directed inquiry of heat energy by mixing hot and cold water in one and two containers
- Heat and temperature - study of heat with inquiry of mixing water at different temperatures
- Heat energy and conservation - candle and heat
- Kitchen science - food groups, fat test, acid test, sugar test, yeast
- Levers - activities with detailed procedures
- Levers - three classes of levers, inquiry, attitude, community concepts
- Light -
- Light - optical illusions
- Light unit plan - grade four, evidence, reasoning, diagrams as models
- Matter and density - directed inquiry activities for sixth grade review linear, mass, volume, matter, and introduce density sixth grade
- Magnets - properties of magnets
- Magnets_2 - magnets attraction, human magnets, poles
- Mixtures - Solid, liquid, filter, solutions
- Pressure and Equilibrium - balloons, fizz keepers, and two-liter plastic bottles | Plastic bag piercing |
- Probes - experiments that use electronic probes and data collecting software
- Propulsion -
- Rolling Speres - motion, relative position and motion, inquiry, diagrams
- RubberBandOlogy - elasticity and inquiry activies
- Senses -
- Simple Machines - inclined plane, pulley,
- Solid, Liquid, Gas -
- Evaporation and Condensation -
- Liquids - properties, liquids, ooblick
- Sound unit - for fourth grade including notes on its development
- States of matter properties chart
- Static electricity -
- Surface tension 1 - Paper clips and coins in a cup full of water, Drops on coins, floating objects, plain water, soapy water
- Surface tension 2 - coins in a cup full of water. surface tension, pepper in water, tooth pick attract.
- Temperature by touch - Developing explanations for why different objects feel different temperatures
- Temperature< -activities and concepts including thermometers, no instructional procedures
- Water - absorption, cohesion, adhesion
- Water cycle - condensation, transpiration, percolation, absorption, condensation
Life Science
- Animal sequence for early grades - gerbils, responsibility, habitat, movement, seasonal adaptations, classification, food, zoo
- Animal classification - list of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish - cut them out, mix them up, and sort them
- Animals in a lawn
- Animals - camouflage moths, simulation activities, echolocation, penguin - temperature
- Arthropods
- Cells - make a model of cells
- Cells - properties and function of cells
- Community - Environment - Ecosystem
- Dinosaurs
- Ecosystem - Community -
- Environment
- Environment - Community - Ecosystem
- Living Organisms - what do all living organisms have in common?
- Make a dolphin - problem for energy chain or food chain or food web
- Nutrition - food pyramid
- Earth worms and soil -
- Grasslands annotated resource list
- Grasslands - Sandhills notes
- GreatRiver Hisory - historical story of ficticious river
- Insects -
- Leaf guide - dichotomous key diciduous dichotomous coniferous
- Soils and trees - explore types of soils for water absorption, compaction, penetration,
Human Anatomy
- Personal health - inventory and notes
- Transportation - blood, respiration, circulation,
- Bones - the human body, skeletal system
Earth, Atmosphere, and Space Links
Earth
- Earth - Limestone and acid, erosion, crystals
- Earth_2 - Land, water, wind, ice, temperature, chemical, mountain building
- Earth Materials -
Erosion - temperature, glacier, wind, water, chemical- Soil and Earth Worms -
- Equinox and the circumference of the Earth
- Pollution air - land - water
- Rock cycle -
- Water cycle -
Atmosphere
- Weather - clouds, rain, and the water cycle
- Weather - comprehensive outline of concepts and activities, no instructional suggestions
Space
Technology
Personal
Kitchen science - food groups, fat test, acid test, sugar test, yeast
Social
History of Science
- History and Nature - rainbows, colors in plants, plant dyes
- History, nutrition, health, vitamins, and science
- History and nature of science - notes chart
Nature of Science
Integrated ideas
- Beggining plan for water theme
- Outdoor Education activities (people create and care for parks, black bear simulation, mapping parks, light and temperature probe activities, orienteering, team building activities, tree comparisons, tree data collection sheets)
General information - Integrated school curriculum planning
Dr. Robert Sweetland's Notes ©