So often when we talk with teachers about science, they remark that there is not enough time to teach the subject. Many schools we go to are locked into “reading blocks” or other prescribed curriculum allocation. Instead of science, they have to teach reading and writing. Well, last week we saw a wonderful example of teachers integrating science with reading and writing.

 

In our animals unit, “What is an Animal?,” Lesson 2A is about the basic needs of all animals. The students use Missouri Department of Conservation posters of local natural environments. The posters show fauna and flora of prairies, forests, wetlands, etc. As the students explore the posters, they are given Post-its to record the kinds of animals they see. It was a joy to see a group of first-graders fearlessly write the names of animals -- “mno,” “rcon” and “lobstr” (for crayfish) -- they identified.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The names of the different animals could be used in several different ways If you wanted to stick with ”science”, the students could group them according to class, or those that live in water. But what about also using those “science” words for spelling or for alphabetizing? Given the task of researching facts about the animals can be an opportunity to teach the process of researching, and reporting. And in a rudimentary way, those names could also be used for math-graphing the number of aquatic animals or the number of limbs each animal has.

 

National Science Education Standards K-4 states “during the first years of school, students should be encouraged to observe closely the objects and materials in their environment, note their properties, distinguish one from another and develop their own explanations of how things become the way they are”, (NRC, 1996, p.130)

 

This week, on the Investigation Station, as we were discussing the basic needs of animals, using live crickets , one of the Program Specialists first asked the children if they knew what a cricket was. One child said, “Yes, it’s that new cell phone company.” Our job in “helping students develop their own explanations of how things become the way they are”, will apparently also have to cover marketing strategy!