Get ready to explore the amazing world of how living things survive! In this unit, “Investigating Organisms and Environments,” we'll discover that organisms depend on each other and their environment to live and thrive. You'll learn how plants and animals rely on the physical characteristics of their surroundings like food, water, shelter, and a favorable temperature.
Animals need specific things such as light, soil, and space, and different plants survive better in settings that meet their varied needs for water, minerals, and sunlight.We'll also dive into how living things depend on each other.
You'll create food chains to understand how animals get their food from plants or other animals, identifying producers (like plants that make their own food) and consumers(animals that eat others). Plus, we’ll explore how plants, even though they can't move, often rely on animals, wind, or water for pollination and seed dispersal to reproduce and spread. These interactions are crucial for their growth, survival, and reproduction.
Learning the Facts about Organisms and Environments for First Grade
Okay, “Guided Research” sounds like a super formal term… but what it really means is that these are the activities that we do together as a class and there is typically a right or wrong answer.
This is where I introduce new vocabulary using my teaching posters and I am “guiding” students through books or videos to find new information.
These activities are completed at the beginning of the unit when students are just starting to build their knowledge base, so these activities might seem easy, but remember, they are BUILDING their knowledge on the subject.
I love using fill in the blank activities like the “Words to Know” activity that directly correlates with an easy to use Vocabulary Teaching Poster.
As a first grade teachers, I found my self scrambling (struggling if I'm being honest) to find resources that explained the topics that my worksheet activities addressed, so…
I created Teaching Posters with definitions and GREAT visuals that go along with each and every activity! This unit is truly an all-in-one unit, including answer keys which make it super easy to leave for a subsitute!
Addressing Misconceptions about Organisms and Environments
Misconceptions can be a valuable asset in the learning process. By identifying and addressing these pre-existing ideas, teachers can create a more engaging and effective learning environment.
Through strategies like pre-assessments, discussions, and real-world examples, teachers can challenge misconceptions and foster critical thinking.
Encouraging students to share their thoughts and debate alternative viewpoints creates a safe space for learning and growth.
By providing opportunities for reflection and revision, students can solidify their understanding and develop a deeper appreciation for the complexities of organisms and environments.
Interactive Organism and Environments Journals and Cut and Paste Activities
Next up comes cut and paste activities. These are PERFECT for when students are ready to become a little more independent.
(and for those who are a little less independent, this is a good practice for following directions – my best tip is to highlight the cuts with them first so that they cut away all the trash and throw the trash away before cutting the individual pieces apart)
You can still complete these together as a class, OR you can have students complete the activities independent FOR… wait for….
EXTRA INTERVENTION time for math and reading!!
What??
YES! I use my last 30 minutes of the day (for social studies or science) to sneak in a little more intervention time.
I get my students going on an independent activity such as a cut and paste, then I pull back a group of 3-4 students for extra reading or math intervention rather than having them complete the social studies activity… because what's really more important?
You can read more here:
Independent Writing about Organisms and the Environments
I always love to wrap up my first grade Exploring Organisms and Environments unit with a creative writing activity which I encourage students to complete as independent writing.
I feel like this is the optimal way for students to show me what they have learned and also improve on their writing skills!
For students who are pretty independent, I let them work on their own. For students who are struggling a little bit, I provide them with sentence stems to help generate their own responses.
I always like to encourage students to use real life examples in their writing which is SO easy because properties of objects examples are all around us!
Here are some specific ways to incorporate writing into science in second grade:
- Science Journals: Have students keep a science journal to record observations, predictions, questions, and reflections on experiments and activities.
- Descriptive Writing: Ask students to write detailed descriptions of objects, organisms, or phenomena they observe in nature or during experiments.
- Narrative Writing: Have students write stories about scientific concepts or their own science experiments.
- Expository Writing: Guide students in writing informative reports or explanations of scientific topics.
- Persuasive Writing: Encourage students to write persuasive arguments about science-related issues, such as the importance of recycling or the dangers of pollution.
By incorporating writing into science, you can create a more engaging and effective learning experience for your second-grade students.
Organisms & Environments Check In (Assessment Activities)
3 Reasons you should have your 2nd grade students completing short answer assessments:
Short answer activities are a valuable tool for developing critical thinking and writing skills in second-grade students. Here's why they're important:
1. Comprehension and Analysis:
- Short answer questions require students to process information, identify key details, and understand the overall meaning of a text.
- This encourages them to think critically about what they've read and form their own interpretations.
2. Writing Skills Development:
- Short answer activities provide opportunities for students to practice writing concise and coherent responses.
- They learn to organize their thoughts, use appropriate language, and express their ideas clearly.
- This lays the foundation for more complex writing tasks in the future.
3. Critical Thinking:
- Short answer questions often ask students to explain, compare, or evaluate information.
- This encourages them to think beyond simple recall and develop higher-order thinking skills.
Second Grade Organisms and Environments
Spark your students' interest in learning about how living things interact with and depend on their environment and each other with this engaging unit! This unit has everything you need in one easy, no prep resource!
Here’s what you’ll get:
· Teaching Posters
· Printable Worksheets
· Informational and Creative Writing Pages
· Interactive Journals
· Answer Keys
More First Grade Science Favorites
