FOSS 1st Grade New Plants Module Overview

New Plants First Grade Life Science FOSS Module Overview
Big Ideas and Guiding Questions	Big Ideas: Plants have similarities and differences. Plants follow a pattern of change. Plants have a basic structure. Guiding Questions: How are plants the same and how are they different? How do plants change during their life cycle? What are different parts of a plant?
Skills	organize (beginning) compare communicate observe
Vocabulary	change diversity of plant life growth life cycle living plant parts (seed, stem, leaf, root, bulb)

GLEs

1.1.4	Understand that energy keeps things running and comes in many forms.
1.1.6	Understand how to sort familiar living and nonliving things.
1.2.1	(1st Grade) Understand that familiar things are made of parts.
1.2.6	Know that living things are made of small parts.
1.2.7	Understand that plants and animals have life cycles.
1.3.8	Know that most living things need food, water, and air.
1.3.10	Know that plants and animals need food, light, and habitat to live.
2.1.1	Understand how to ask a question about objects, organisms and events in the environment.
2.1.2	(1st Grade) Understand how to conduct simple investigations.
2.1.3	Apply evidence to construct a reasonable explanation using data.
2.1.5	Understand how to record and report investigations, results, and explanations.
2.2.1	Understand that all scientific observations should be reported accurately even when they contradict expectations.
2.2.3	Understand that similar investigations may not produce similar results.

Suggested Teaching Schedule
Investigation	Week 1-2	Week 3-4	Week 5	Week 6	Week 7-8	Week 9-10
1. Brassica Seeds	4 Sessions Send home letter Introduce recording Plant Observer and record sprouts	2 Sessions Observe and record weekly Cross pollinate	2 Sessions Harvest seeds Pull up plants and save soil for cuttings
2. Grass and Grain Seeds	2 Sessions Plant lawns	4 Sessions Mow lawns Observe and record Plant wheat Observe and record	2 Sessions Observe lawns and pull up Observe and record wheat
3. Stems	Find plants for cuttings Buy Potatoes			4 Sessions Plant stems and observe Plant spuds and observe	3 Sessions Observe stems and record Observe spuds weekly	2 Sessions Plant stems in soil Pull up spuds
4. Bulbs and Roots				Buy onion and garlic Buy roots	4 Sessions Plant bulbs Observe and record Plant roots Observe roots	2 Sessions Observe bulbs and record Observe roots

Additional Notes
Getting Ready to Teach	Overview Folio: • To get a Big Picture of the module see pages 18 and 19 • Read the Science Background on pages 3-6 to build your understanding Material Folio: • Be sure to read over the material section and check your kit for items • Some items are included in the kit that might be listed as supplied by the teacher • Be sure to check on the material preparation for lessons, read page 6 and 7
Investigations	Investigations: These are the lesson plans and all include the following ... • Investigation at a glance (page 2-3) • Background for the teacher (p.4-5) • Teaching Children About… (p.6-7) • Investigation Lesson Plans • Interdisciplinary Extensions
Assessments	A suggested assessment schedule is located on the last page fo the assessment section of the binder
Formative Assessments	Teacher Observation: Include anecdotal notes and student interviews (see sheet no. 1 in the Assessment Duplication Masters section). Student Journals: To assess content understanding (see the Getting Ready section in the Investigations to see what to look for in journal entries). Student Sheets: Sheets that students complete during the investigation will provide information on student learning (suggestions on how to score sheets is provided in the Getting Ready section of the Investigations). Assessment Checklist: A checklist is included to record information on assessments. The first checklist provides a space to record scores on journal pages ( ü, +, or -) and the second checklist provides a space to record progress throughout the Science module (see page 5 in the Assessment section for best times to score these goals).
Summative Assessments	End of the Module Assessment: Copies of the Summative Assessment are included in the Assessment Duplication Masters section of the binder. Be sure to read page 7 of the Assessment section for directions on the assessment and acceptable answers. Portfolios: Information about portfolio assessment is also available in the assessment section of the binder.

Contact Tracy Dabbs with any questions or concerns.
tdabbs@be.wednet.edu