Free Direct Instruction Curriculum and Training/Science 1

Created: 2006 10 05 | Percent completed:

What is Free Direct Instruction Science 1 (Free DI Science 1) Image:25%.svg
Free DI Science 1 is the teacher's guide for teaching science at the second or third grade level depending on ability of learner and state standards.

Each section is numbered and can be taught in one day. Each section also contains scripted instructions for the teacher. Most sections contain workbook pages, images, and/and video clips.

Short video clips (5 to 20 seconds) can be added to integrate current events into the curriculum. For instance, the idea of science is to ask questions and get answers. Could there be life on Mars? To answer that we sent rockets and rovers to Mars to get pictures and samples of the surface. You can show video clips, often free from NASA, a government agency, that shows rover taking samples.

Also, pictures can be added to enhance and describe scientific ideas, experiments, or events.

What order do I teach this in?
Each state has different standards that include subject matter to be taught at specific times. This makes teaching this science module more difficult. It might be a good idea to align your state standards to this curriculum and make some modifications. Please make a note of your state standards and it's alignment to this program in the talk section (discussion tab).

Understand structure and properties of matter.

 * Objects that sink and float
 * Describe shapes of objects

Chemical & Physical Changes

 * Water in open container disappears, water in closed container doesn't
 * Water in glass is shorter than same amount of water that is frozen

Force

 * Difference between resting and moving objects
 * Things fall to the ground unless they are held up

Energy - interactions & transformations

 * Sun is a source of energy and warms land, air, and water
 * Without the sun, it would be very cold

Organisms: Understand the characteristics, structure, and functions of organisms.

 * Sort and classify collections by features (flies, swims, gills)
 * Use senses to find out about the world around you and yourself (smell, touch, hear, see)
 * Living things are people, animals & plants
 * All living things need water, food, and air

Heredity: traits in living things

 * When animals have babies they are called offspring
 * Many offspring have 2 parents
 * People might keep animals from having offspring (dogs, cats)
 * Sequence parts of a cycle

Diversity/interdependence

 * Plants & animals may look alike and do similar things but others are different
 * Living things are everywhere but in different places
 * Habitats of weeds, aquatic plants, insects, worms, and amphibians
 * Ways in which animals & plants depend on each other (i.e. animals depend on plants & animals)

Earth materials

 * Made of rock, soil, water, air
 * Materials can be used again (recycled)
 * Observe changes in weather (clouds, precipitation)

Earth in solar system & universe - Earth, sun, moon, and solar system

 * Identify the sun & moon during the day (have calendar with moon phases)
 * Identify moon and stars seen at night (moon is either crescent or big)

Ask questions and get answers based on observations - hypothesis

 * Raise questions about the world around the students
 * Describe things in terms of their number, shape, size, and color
 * Make observations

Design investigation to answer question

 * Follow a list of steps

Collect and present data

 * Describe or draw simple observations
 * Record data on form
 * Transfer from form to simple graphs
 * Observe changes in world

Concepts

 * May not work if parts are missing (batteries)
 * Observe and describe changes
 * Difference between statement & question
 * One person can have an effect on others
 * Magifiers can help people see things that they couldn't otherwise

Resources

 * Check for videos (amazon)
 * Check for activity books
 * Check books.google.com for science experiments
 * Cross check with BCP

General Materials needed

 * Colored pencils, pens, or crayons
 * Pencils
 * Paper: construction
 * Paper: lined
 * Paper: plain white
 * Glue sticks
 * Scissors
 * Tape
 * Water
 * Worksheets (not yet developed)

Lesson specific materials needed

 * Cardboard boxes [lesson xx, xx]
 * Chalk [lesson xx, xx]
 * Chalkboard eraser [lesson xx, xx]
 * Cotton [lesson xx, xx]
 * Crayons [lesson xx, xx]
 * Food: jelly beans [lesson xx, xx]
 * Food: M&Ms snack sized [lesson xx, xx]
 * Food: M&Ms 1/4 pounder [lesson xx, xx]
 * Index cards [lesson xx, xx]
 * Paper cups [lesson xx, xx]
 * Paperclips [lesson xx, xx]
 * Rocks (3") [lesson xx, xx]
 * String [lesson xx, xx]
 * Shoe box [lesson xx, xx]
 * Yarn [lesson xx, xx]
 * Heavy book [lesson xx, xx]
 * Bowls: 6 transparent equal sized [lesson xx, xx]
 * Dowels: 1/4" [lesson xx, xx]
 * Hole punch [lesson xx, xx]
 * Ruler [lesson xx, xx]
 * Various sized, weighted, and colored school objects (paper clips, erasers, pens, pencils) [lesson xx, xx]
 * Spool: empty thread [lesson xx, xx]
 * Tennis balls, raquet balls - small balls that bounce [lesson xx, xx]