becoming an environmentalist
Subject Area: Science
Grade: 1-2
Allocated Time: 1 hour
Objective: Students will understand some local environmental issues as well as create a solution for one of the problems.
Standard: H.4.4 Develop* a list of issues that citizens must make decisions about and describe* a strategy for becoming informed about the science behind these issues
Materials:
1. Environmentalist group speaker
2. Paper for each group
3. Art supplies for drawing
Prior Knowledge: Students will need to understand the concept of the environment.
Procedure:
1. A local environmentalist will come into the classroom and talk to the students about what they do for their job.
2. Students will then get the opportunity to ask the environmentalist questions about the job, such as why did they do it, how did they become one, what do they do, etc.
3. The environmentalist will talk to students about some local issues in the community that they deal with specifically for their job. Then with the environmentalist and the teacher the students will come up with a large class list of some local environmental issues.
4. Students are divided into small groups and choose any of the local issues from the list to come up with a strategy to solve the problem in their group.
5. The group will draw a step by step plan to achieving and implementing their solutions and strategies.
6. The students share their step by step plan with the class and students can make suggestions to the group about other possibilities.
Assessment: The presentation of the step by step plan, shared with the classroom.
Adaptations: Students working individually or in pairs on their step by step plan.
Extensions: A field trip to the local forest preserve, animal sanctuary, recycling plant, etc. for students to see how some environmental issues are solved.
Grade: 1-2
Allocated Time: 1 hour
Objective: Students will understand some local environmental issues as well as create a solution for one of the problems.
Standard: H.4.4 Develop* a list of issues that citizens must make decisions about and describe* a strategy for becoming informed about the science behind these issues
Materials:
1. Environmentalist group speaker
2. Paper for each group
3. Art supplies for drawing
Prior Knowledge: Students will need to understand the concept of the environment.
Procedure:
1. A local environmentalist will come into the classroom and talk to the students about what they do for their job.
2. Students will then get the opportunity to ask the environmentalist questions about the job, such as why did they do it, how did they become one, what do they do, etc.
3. The environmentalist will talk to students about some local issues in the community that they deal with specifically for their job. Then with the environmentalist and the teacher the students will come up with a large class list of some local environmental issues.
4. Students are divided into small groups and choose any of the local issues from the list to come up with a strategy to solve the problem in their group.
5. The group will draw a step by step plan to achieving and implementing their solutions and strategies.
6. The students share their step by step plan with the class and students can make suggestions to the group about other possibilities.
Assessment: The presentation of the step by step plan, shared with the classroom.
Adaptations: Students working individually or in pairs on their step by step plan.
Extensions: A field trip to the local forest preserve, animal sanctuary, recycling plant, etc. for students to see how some environmental issues are solved.
weather report
Subject Area: Science
Grade: 1-2
Allocated Time: 1 hour
Objective: Students will
Standard: E.4.5 Describe the weather commonly found in Wisconsin in terms of clouds, temperature, humidity, and forms of precipitation, and the changes that occur over time, including seasonal changes
Materials:
1. Flipcameras
Prior Knowledge: Students will know the different types of weather patterns as well as know what a weatherfriend is and their role on the news. They should also know how to record on a flipcam.
Procedure:
1. The teacher will show the students a brief youtube clip of a weather forecast from their local weatherfriend.
2. The teacher and class will talk about predicting the weather, similar to what the weatherfriend does, and students will be told they get to make their own weather forecast with a group using the flipcams.
3. Students break off into their groups and are required to create a day weather forecast about the current conditions outside and what they believe will happen that day.
4. The entire class will go outside where students will be filming their weather forecast. Each student in the group has to be filmed talking about how they think the weather is that day and what they believe the weather will be tomorrow.
5. The class will come back inside and turn in their flipcams.
6. On a later date, after the teacher has edited their footage the weather forecast will be shown to the class.
Assessment: Weather forecast video.
Adaptations: Depending on the weather, students may need to film the videos inside.
Extensions: The local weatherfriend could come in to the class to have discussion with the students and demonstrate how she/he does a weather forecast on the news. Students could also go to the new station and meet the weatherfriend and others who produce the news.
Grade: 1-2
Allocated Time: 1 hour
Objective: Students will
Standard: E.4.5 Describe the weather commonly found in Wisconsin in terms of clouds, temperature, humidity, and forms of precipitation, and the changes that occur over time, including seasonal changes
Materials:
1. Flipcameras
Prior Knowledge: Students will know the different types of weather patterns as well as know what a weatherfriend is and their role on the news. They should also know how to record on a flipcam.
Procedure:
1. The teacher will show the students a brief youtube clip of a weather forecast from their local weatherfriend.
2. The teacher and class will talk about predicting the weather, similar to what the weatherfriend does, and students will be told they get to make their own weather forecast with a group using the flipcams.
3. Students break off into their groups and are required to create a day weather forecast about the current conditions outside and what they believe will happen that day.
4. The entire class will go outside where students will be filming their weather forecast. Each student in the group has to be filmed talking about how they think the weather is that day and what they believe the weather will be tomorrow.
5. The class will come back inside and turn in their flipcams.
6. On a later date, after the teacher has edited their footage the weather forecast will be shown to the class.
Assessment: Weather forecast video.
Adaptations: Depending on the weather, students may need to film the videos inside.
Extensions: The local weatherfriend could come in to the class to have discussion with the students and demonstrate how she/he does a weather forecast on the news. Students could also go to the new station and meet the weatherfriend and others who produce the news.
Field trip: Bakery
Subject Area: Science
Grade: 1-2
Allocated Time: One whole day
Objective: Students will make predictions of what will happen in each step of making bread.
Standard: C.4.2 Use the science content being learned to ask questions, plan investigations, make observations, make predictions, and offer explanations
Materials:
1. Bakery and baker
2. Science journals and writing utensils
Prior Knowledge: Students need to understand the concept of making predictions and offering explanations for events.
Procedure:
1. The day begins with a lovely field trip to the bakery where the teacher tells students today they will be bakers and researchers seeing how bread is made and making predictions about how they believe bread is made.
2. Students then turn to their buddy and together come up with a prediction for how bread is made. Then each pair shares their predictions on the bus ride with the class.
3. The class arrives at the bakery and meets the local baker who talks to them about what their job entails.
4. Then students can ask specific questions about what a baker does and how did he or she become a baker.
5. Students get to see how bread is made and can make predictions during every step.
- They will write down their step by step predictions of what is happening.
6. The bread will be made and students get to discuss with their partner whether their prediction was right or wrong and they get to eat yummy bread. Delicious!
7. Then, students will have a class discussion about whether their predictions were right or wrong, or what surprised them about bakers or making bread.
8. Students turn in an exit slip of two things they learned that day about bread making and being a baker.
Assessment: Student participation in making predictions during the trip and in the whole class discussion at the end.
Adaptations: If the children are older they could perhaps help with the making of the bread.
The class could read the story the Gingerbread Man to the class to talk about the concept of a baker before the field trip.
Extensions: Re-create the experience in the classroom by making bread and following the steps the baker used at the bakery.
Grade: 1-2
Allocated Time: One whole day
Objective: Students will make predictions of what will happen in each step of making bread.
Standard: C.4.2 Use the science content being learned to ask questions, plan investigations, make observations, make predictions, and offer explanations
Materials:
1. Bakery and baker
2. Science journals and writing utensils
Prior Knowledge: Students need to understand the concept of making predictions and offering explanations for events.
Procedure:
1. The day begins with a lovely field trip to the bakery where the teacher tells students today they will be bakers and researchers seeing how bread is made and making predictions about how they believe bread is made.
2. Students then turn to their buddy and together come up with a prediction for how bread is made. Then each pair shares their predictions on the bus ride with the class.
3. The class arrives at the bakery and meets the local baker who talks to them about what their job entails.
4. Then students can ask specific questions about what a baker does and how did he or she become a baker.
5. Students get to see how bread is made and can make predictions during every step.
- They will write down their step by step predictions of what is happening.
6. The bread will be made and students get to discuss with their partner whether their prediction was right or wrong and they get to eat yummy bread. Delicious!
7. Then, students will have a class discussion about whether their predictions were right or wrong, or what surprised them about bakers or making bread.
8. Students turn in an exit slip of two things they learned that day about bread making and being a baker.
Assessment: Student participation in making predictions during the trip and in the whole class discussion at the end.
Adaptations: If the children are older they could perhaps help with the making of the bread.
The class could read the story the Gingerbread Man to the class to talk about the concept of a baker before the field trip.
Extensions: Re-create the experience in the classroom by making bread and following the steps the baker used at the bakery.