Science Stations
Grade Level: 1
Suggested Order: Week 1
Suggested Time: 1 hour
Lesson Type: Final Topic (Medical Sciences and Wellness)
Overview
Students will learn about the importance of observation in science, and understanding the world
around us. They will practice becoming excellent observers by finding and exploring objects.
Vocabulary
- Observation
- Study
- Investigation
- Procedure
Objectives
- Students will use observation and comparison.
- Students will learn biology and botany, engage in outdoor activity, and experiment with
design elements.
Required Project Materials
- Boxes- shoe boxes work great
- Newspaper clippings, paint, etc. for decorating boxes
- Rulers
- Magnifying glasses
- Tape measures
- Paper
- Crayons
- Found objects
Multimedia Resources
Optional Multimedia Resources
Before the Lesson/ Background Information
- Gather various items, such as leaves, tree bark, shells, rocks, feathers, plants, pinecones,
tree stems, bugs in a bottle or a plastic replica, and other items from nature. You may
bring an item that will change over a few days such as a dogwood branch in bloom,
actual blooming plants or flowers, and leaves that are drying out. As students get
comfortable, you can add some live animals such as tadpoles.
The Lesson
Part 1. Gathering Materials
- Start by reading The Watcher and discussing Goodall’s years of dedicated observation with
the students. Discuss the context, such as the fact that people knew next to nothing about the
behavior of apes in the wild prior to Goodall’s work.
- Show “Pond Life”. Students will learn observation skills by discussing what they saw.
- Work through Watching the Seasons with the students.
- Allow students to gather objects from school grounds for observation and study.
- Students should bring Nature Log Kids: A Kids’ Journal to Record Their Nature Experiences.
They can draw pictures and write in the journal as they like.
Part 2. Investigations and Observations
- Prepare shoe boxes or other plastic bins with like items in them. Students can help decorate
boxes if you prefer. Arrange these boxes to create a “Science Station.”
- Students will sort like items, placing them in the boxes in categories. Then they will label
each box with the type of item.*
- Students take turns choosing one item and a magnifying glass, tape measure, or ruler.
- Students discuss the item they have chosen and share some characteristics with the class:
rough, smooth, colorful, soft etc.
- Students take a piece of paper and crayon and trace the item and color their drawing. Teacher
can also have prepared templates if preferred.
- Students return items to the correct box and complete their drawings.
- Take photos of the science stations and journal entries.
- Share the drawings and photos at the end of the week.
*The class may create boxes for each season, if appropriate, or from different types of
landscapes, ocean, river, lakes, land, trees, mountains, etc.