Scope and sequence · Science
Grade 1 Engineering & Physics
A read-aloud year of real building stories, from the seesaw and the Ferris wheel to the Brooklyn Bridge, the Eiffel Tower, the Mayflower and the first hot-air balloon, with a simple build to test at the kitchen table every week.
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What to cover
32 of 36 lessons are MUST COVER. They are tested on the unit tests and exams, or are skills the SAT/ACT relies on. OPTIONAL lessons are enrichment. Do them if time allows. The course is complete when the MUST COVER lessons are done.
Unit 1: Simple Machines
- MUST COVER 1.1 Levers and the Seesaw · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.2 The Wheel and Axle: George Ferris’s Great Wheel · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.3 Ramps: Boats That Climbed Hills · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.4 Pulleys: A Bucket on a Rope · unit test
Unit 2: Bridges
- MUST COVER 2.1 Beam, Arch and Suspension Bridges · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.2 A Craft-Stick Beam Bridge · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.3 The Roman Arch and the Aqueducts · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.4 The Brooklyn Bridge: A Family Builds a Bridge · unit test
Unit 3: Buildings
- MUST COVER 3.1 Building Materials and the House on the Rock · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.2 Strong Shapes: The Triangle and the Barn Raising · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.3 The Pyramids of Egypt · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.4 The Eiffel Tower · unit test
Unit 4: Electricity
- MUST COVER 4.1 A Battery and a Bulb: Volta’s Pile · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.2 Conductors and Insulators: Stephen Gray’s Long Thread · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.3 Magnets and the Compass · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.4 Benjamin Franklin’s Kite · unit test
Unit 5: Water, Power and Roads
- MUST COVER 5.1 Water Towers and Pipes · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.2 From Power Plant to Your Lamp · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.3 Sewers and the Treatment Plant · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.4 Mail, Telephone Lines and Roads · unit test
Unit 6: Boats
- MUST COVER 6.1 Floating and Sinking: The Iron Ship · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.2 Boat Shapes: The Fast Clipper Ships · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.3 Paddles and Sails: Joshua Slocum’s Spray · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.4 The Mayflower · unit test
Unit 7: Flight
- MUST COVER 7.1 Air Is Real: Guericke’s Two Bowls · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.2 Parachutes: Garnerin’s Jump · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.3 Gliders: Otto Lilienthal’s Wings · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.4 The Montgolfier Hot-Air Balloon · unit test
Unit 8: Robots and Inventions
- MUST COVER 8.1 Robots That Help People: The Space Shuttle’s Arm · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.2 Step-by-Step Code Without a Computer · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.3 Sensors Are Like Our Senses: The Sojourner Rover · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.4 A Marble-Run Invention and the Engineering Fair · unit test
Unit 9: Toy Lab OPTIONAL unit
- OPTIONAL 9.1 The Yo-Yo
- OPTIONAL 9.2 Marbles and the Marble Machine
- OPTIONAL 9.3 The Kaleidoscope
- OPTIONAL 9.4 The Jack-in-the-Box and Springs
36-week pacing calendar
From the course’s own 36-week pacing guide, with catch-up and review weeks added to fill a 36-week (180-day) year.
| Week | Plan | Done | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | Session 1: Lesson 1.1 Levers and the Seesaw: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.1 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 2 | Session 1: Lesson 1.2 The Wheel and Axle: George Ferris’s Great Wheel: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.2 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 3 | Session 1: Lesson 1.3 Ramps: Boats That Climbed Hills: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.3 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 4 | Session 1: Lesson 1.4 Pulleys: A Bucket on a Rope: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.4 build project and engineer’s notebook Session 3: Unit 1 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 5 | Session 1: Lesson 2.1 Beam, Arch and Suspension Bridges: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.1 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 6 | Session 1: Lesson 2.2 A Craft-Stick Beam Bridge: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.2 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 7 | Session 1: Lesson 2.3 The Roman Arch and the Aqueducts: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.3 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 8 | Session 1: Lesson 2.4 The Brooklyn Bridge: A Family Builds a Bridge: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.4 build project and engineer’s notebook Session 3: Unit 2 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 9 | Session 1: Lesson 3.1 Building Materials and the House on the Rock: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.1 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 10 | Session 1: Lesson 3.2 Strong Shapes: The Triangle and the Barn Raising: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.2 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 11 | Session 1: Lesson 3.3 The Pyramids of Egypt: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.3 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 12 | Session 1: Lesson 3.4 The Eiffel Tower: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.4 build project and engineer’s notebook Session 3: Unit 3 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 13 | Session 1: Lesson 4.1 A Battery and a Bulb: Volta’s Pile: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.1 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 14 | Session 1: Lesson 4.2 Conductors and Insulators: Stephen Gray’s Long Thread: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.2 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 15 | Session 1: Lesson 4.3 Magnets and the Compass: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.3 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 16 | Session 1: Lesson 4.4 Benjamin Franklin’s Kite: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.4 build project and engineer’s notebook Session 3: Unit 4 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 17 | Session 1: Lesson 5.1 Water Towers and Pipes: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.1 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 18 | Session 1: Lesson 5.2 From Power Plant to Your Lamp: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.2 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 19 | Session 1: Lesson 5.3 Sewers and the Treatment Plant: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.3 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 20 | Session 1: Lesson 5.4 Mail, Telephone Lines and Roads: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.4 build project and engineer’s notebook Session 3: Unit 5 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 21 | Session 1: Lesson 6.1 Floating and Sinking: The Iron Ship: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.1 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 22 | Session 1: Lesson 6.2 Boat Shapes: The Fast Clipper Ships: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.2 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 23 | Session 1: Lesson 6.3 Paddles and Sails: Joshua Slocum’s Spray: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.3 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 24 | Session 1: Lesson 6.4 The Mayflower: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.4 build project and engineer’s notebook Session 3: Unit 6 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 25 | Session 1: Lesson 7.1 Air Is Real: Guericke’s Two Bowls: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.1 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 26 | Session 1: Lesson 7.2 Parachutes: Garnerin’s Jump: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.2 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 27 | Session 1: Lesson 7.3 Gliders: Otto Lilienthal’s Wings: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.3 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 28 | Session 1: Lesson 7.4 The Montgolfier Hot-Air Balloon: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.4 build project and engineer’s notebook Session 3: Unit 7 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 29 | Session 1: Lesson 8.1 Robots That Help People: The Space Shuttle’s Arm: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.1 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 30 | Session 1: Lesson 8.2 Step-by-Step Code Without a Computer: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.2 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 31 | Session 1: Lesson 8.3 Sensors Are Like Our Senses: The Sojourner Rover: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.3 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 32 | Session 1: Lesson 8.4 A Marble-Run Invention and the Engineering Fair: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.4 build project and engineer’s notebook Session 3: Unit 8 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 33 | Session 1: Lesson 9.1 The Yo-Yo: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.1 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 34 | Session 1: Lesson 9.2 Marbles and the Marble Machine: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.2 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 35 | Session 1: Lesson 9.3 The Kaleidoscope: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.3 build project and engineer’s notebook | ||
| Wk 36 | Session 1: Lesson 9.4 The Jack-in-the-Box and Springs: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.4 build project and engineer’s notebook Session 3: Unit 9 review and portfolio project |