Curriculum
Kindergarten topics for 2011-2012 school year: What Plants Need to Grow, Sunshine and Shadows, Air is Everywhere, Balls and Ramps, Design Technology, plus whatever else sparks our interest!
Grade 1 topics for 2011-2012 school year: Composting and Soils, Growing Plants, Liquids, Design Technology, plus whatever else sparks our interest!
Grade 2 topics for 2011-2012 school year: Ponds, Sound, Rocks and Minerals, Human Body, Introduction to Linx building system (design technology), plus whatever else sparks our interest!
Sound:
By the end of the unit, students will know:
- Sounds are caused by vibrations.
- The loudness (volume) of a sound is affected by the strength of the vibration causing the sound and the amount of vibrating material causing the sound.
- Sound is transmitted by several materials.
- Pitch of strings and drums is related to tension and the size of the vibrating object.
- Sound travels through waves.
Liquids:
By the end of the unit, students will know:
- All liquids pour and take the shape of their containers.
- Characteristic properties of liquids, such as color, clarity, density, cohesion, viscosity and ability to mix with other liquids, vary.
- Solid objects in liquids will either float on the surface, sink part way down, or sink completely.
- Buoyancy is related to the weight, density, and shape of the object, and to the density of the liquid.
Balls and Ramps:
By the end of the unit, students will know:
- Balls have different physical properties and characteristics.
- There is a relationship between the physical properties of balls and their motion.
- There is a relationship between the physical properties of balls and their behavior on inclined planes.
- There is a relationship between the steepness of an inclined plane and the motion of balls.
Soils:
By the end of the unit, students will know:
- Soil contains particles of different sizes.
- Soil may contain animals, plants, and their remains.
- Over time, dead plants become part of soil.
- Composting – especially with worms – is an effective way to recycle old plants and other discarded organic matter.
- Sand, clay and humus are three of the basic components in soil.
- Every soil component has unique properties that can be identified using simple tests.
- Different soils absorb water at different rates.
- Many factors, including soil, affect plant and root growth.
Rocks and Minerals:
By the end of the unit, students will know:
- Rocks are solid, naturally occurring earth materials.
- Minerals are rocks made up of only one substance.
- Minerals vary in their physical characteristics.
- Rocks and Minerals break down over time.
Air:
By the end of the unit, students will know:
- Air occupies space.
- Air has weight.
- Warm air rises.
- How a suction cup works.
- What compressed air is and how it can help humans carry out tasks.
- Wind is the movement of air.
Human Body:
The goal of the human body unit is for students to be introduced to some of the major systems of the body: Skeletal System, Muscular System, Nervous System, Respiratory System, Circulatory System and Digestive System. Students are introduced to some of the major body organs and their uses.
Linx:
The Linx system is a system of tools students use to engage in design technology. Students use graph paper to plan out projects then measure and cut small pieces of wood. The wood pieces can then be glued together to form a variety of structures. In second grade, students use the system to build electric lanterns.
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