Science for 1st Grade

We’ve already picked out and started our science for 1st grade! We will be using and reviewing  Nancy Larson Science 1 this year.

With the age-ranges of my children,there is just enough of a gap that we can’t combine sciences. Well, I could, but it would be over the heads of my younger set. Since I love to teach science and have been doing science-related things with my toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners — I wanted them to have their own hands-on curriculum for this year. I was drawn to{affiliate} Nancy Larson Science 1  because:

• The target age-level is ages 5-8 years (note: the levels do not necessarily correspond to grade levels. See site for more  info.)
• It contains everything I need–from books, student booklets, specimens to examine, picture cards and more.
• It is scripted. Normally I don’t care if things are scripted because I’m good at coming up with things on the fly, but right now I need something easy that doesn’t require much prep work from me due to my current workload. Everything is already planned for me!
• It combines science with language arts.
• It is created to reach multiple learning styles: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic.
• It introduces several themes: Describing the Life Stages of Human Beings; Observing Trees; Exploring Sunlight, Water, and Soil; Investigating Animals and Their Habitats; Discovering What Is Inside Our Bodies; Examining the Characteristics and Life Cycles of Insects.

Currently we are almost finished with the first unit: Describing the Life States of Human Beings. For each unit, students have their own little booklet. I like that the paragraphs are numbered because it is a gentle way to introduce the concept of paragraphs to early readers. It also helps them follow along. My 6yr. old loves that she can read the text.

Each lesson contains one or two vocabulary words. We put them in our pocket chart and also write them on the science vocab. sheet in our binders. This first unit had the students learning words such as scientist, infant, toddler, child, adolescent, and adult. We had fun pulling out our old scrapbooks as a part of this unit.

I am also having my 4.5 year old do this science too. Though I knew the reading and writing would be above her, I also knew that she would not have been content if she didn’t have the same student booklets as her sister. In order to help her out, I write all the answers on labels and then she is able to place them on her page. There is only one worksheet per lesson, so it is not overwhelming at all.  The content is not above her — just the writing aspect. I toyed with getting Science K or Science 1, but I went with what would be on target for my 6yr. old and what would still work for my almost 5yr. old. My 2yr. old sits in on the lessons too and can even tell you what we are learning.

I really love that I have everything I need to teach each lesson. I don’t have to remember to go to the store to get an item. I have all our items stored in a large scrapbooking file folder and a 3-tiered Snap-container. (Oh, I have the Ladybug Land and Butterfly Garden on a shelf since we don’t need them yet.)

Colored pencils, props, specimens (wood chips, plastic bugs) magnifying glasses, and science vocab. cards are all stored in this tote. All I have to do is carry this to the table and we are ready to go!

So far we are enjoying  Nancy Larson Science. I’ll be writing a couple of updates through the year to let you know how it is working for us.

Currently Nancy Larson has 5 levels:

• Nancy Larson^® Science K is recommended for ages 5-7 and is appropriate for older children with limited science experience.
• Science 1 is recommended for ages 5-8 and is appropriate for older children with limited science experience.
• Science 2 is recommended for ages 7-9 and is appropriate for older children with limited science experience.
• Science 3 is recommended for ages 8-11 and is appropriate for older children with limited science experience.
• Science 4 is recommended for ages 9-12 and is appropriate for older children with limited science experience.

If you have any questions, the support at Nancy Larson Science is very helpful. I talked in-length with Madon Dailey about which level I should start with- Science 1 or Science K.  She helped me figure out the best fit for us. You might want to see what my friend Jolanthe thinks about this program too–she’s used several levels already.

Disclosure: I received Nancy Larson Science 1 for review purposes only. I am also an affiliate. I’m sharing our thoughts on the program as we use it. All opinions are my own.