Corvallis School district 509J

Hands on Science:
Science Kit Descriptions ~ 1st Grade

>  Balance in Motion:  Balance cardboard shapes and pencils.  Make mobiles to explore balance, counterbalance, and stability.  Investigate spinning motion with tops, zoomers, whirlers, and rolling motion with wheel-and-axle systems and rolling cups.  Make ramps and experiment with wheels of different sizes.  Use flexible marble runways to investigate motion.  Includes a Book Kit with a selection of books to supplement the hands on lessons.

>  New Plants:  Grow plants from seed using rapid-cycling brassica (fast growing grass) under a grow light and observe the life cycle in one month.  Plant monocots (rye grass) and dicots (alfalfa) together in a "lawn" and compare the results of mowing.  Closely examine seed germination in a straw.  Propagate houseplants from cuttings and  watch them grow into new plants.  Plant onion and garlic bulbs and observe their development. Includes a Book Kit with a selection of books to supplement the hands on lessons.

>  Observing an Aquarium:   Students learn how to maintain an aquarium and observe the interaction of organisms that live in an underwater ecosystem.  They learn how interconnected living things are and how delicate the balance of nature is.  Students discover they share many of the same characteristics and behaviors of the animals around them and that animals respond in observable ways to changes in their environment and to other animals.  Students learn to share responsibility for another living creature.

>  Pebbles, Sand and Silt:  Learn about rocks by rubbing, sorting, washing, comparing, and seriating them.  Separate mixtures of rocks with screens and investigate clay and soil.  Do projects that demonstrate how people use earth materials in their daily lives.  Go on a rock walk to look for earth materials in use.  Put together and take apart soils; compare homemade soil to local samples. Includes a Book Kit with a selection of books to supplement the hands on lessons.