Scope and sequence · Science
Grade 1 Life Science: Animal Homes and Habits
A year of read-aloud visits to the homes God made for His creatures, from the squirrel burying acorns in the forest and the beaver building its dam on the pond to the great whales of the sea, the camel in the desert, the polar bear on the ice, the falling leaves of autumn and the giant footprints of the dinosaurs, each one looked at closely, counted, measured and then tried at the kitchen table with a little child’s own hands.
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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: Forest
- MUST COVER 1.1 Squirrels and Acorns ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.2 Deer · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.3 Owls at Night · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.4 Bears in Winter · unit test
Unit 2: Pond
- MUST COVER 2.1 Frogs ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.2 Ducks · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.3 Beavers Build Dams · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.4 A Close Look at Pond Water · unit test
Unit 3: Ocean
- MUST COVER 3.1 Whales: The Great Whales ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.2 Octopus ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.3 Sea Turtles · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.4 Jonah and the Great Fish · unit test
Unit 4: Desert
- MUST COVER 4.1 Camels ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.2 Lizards · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.3 Cactus · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.4 Elijah Fed by Ravens · unit test
Unit 5: Arctic
- MUST COVER 5.1 Polar Bears ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.2 Penguins of the Antarctic ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.3 Caribou · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.4 Staying Warm: The Blubber Glove Experiment · unit test
Unit 6: Trees and Flowers
- MUST COVER 6.1 Leaves of Fall ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.2 Lilies of the Field (Matthew 6:28) · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.3 Tree Rings · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.4 Bark Rubbing · unit test
Unit 7: Dinosaur Days
- MUST COVER 7.1 Stegosaurus Plates ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.2 Long Necks · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.3 Duck-Billed Dinosaurs · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.4 Dinosaur Footprints You Can Measure · unit test
Unit 8: My Senses
- MUST COVER 8.1 Seeing ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.2 Hearing · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.3 Smelling and Tasting · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.4 Touching · unit test
Unit 9: Bonus: Nature Lab OPTIONAL unit
- OPTIONAL 9.1 Nature Journal Walk
- OPTIONAL 9.2 Backyard Survey
- OPTIONAL 9.3 Zoo, Farm or Museum Visit
- OPTIONAL 9.4 Specimen Collection
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 Squirrels and Acorns: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 2 | Session 1: Lesson 1.2 Deer: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 3 | Session 1: Lesson 1.3 Owls at Night: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 4 | Session 1: Lesson 1.4 Bears in Winter: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 1 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 5 | Session 1: Lesson 2.1 Frogs: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 6 | Session 1: Lesson 2.2 Ducks: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 7 | Session 1: Lesson 2.3 Beavers Build Dams: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 8 | Session 1: Lesson 2.4 A Close Look at Pond Water: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 2 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 9 | Session 1: Lesson 3.1 Whales: The Great Whales: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 10 | Session 1: Lesson 3.2 Octopus: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 11 | Session 1: Lesson 3.3 Sea Turtles: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 12 | Session 1: Lesson 3.4 Jonah and the Great Fish: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 3 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 13 | Session 1: Lesson 4.1 Camels: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 14 | Session 1: Lesson 4.2 Lizards: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 15 | Session 1: Lesson 4.3 Cactus: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 16 | Session 1: Lesson 4.4 Elijah Fed by Ravens: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 4 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 17 | Session 1: Lesson 5.1 Polar Bears: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 18 | Session 1: Lesson 5.2 Penguins of the Antarctic: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 19 | Session 1: Lesson 5.3 Caribou: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 20 | Session 1: Lesson 5.4 Staying Warm: The Blubber Glove Experiment: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 5 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 21 | Session 1: Lesson 6.1 Leaves of Fall: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 22 | Session 1: Lesson 6.2 Lilies of the Field (Matthew 6:28): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 23 | Session 1: Lesson 6.3 Tree Rings: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 24 | Session 1: Lesson 6.4 Bark Rubbing: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 6 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 25 | Session 1: Lesson 7.1 Stegosaurus Plates: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 26 | Session 1: Lesson 7.2 Long Necks: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 27 | Session 1: Lesson 7.3 Duck-Billed Dinosaurs: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 28 | Session 1: Lesson 7.4 Dinosaur Footprints You Can Measure: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 7 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 29 | Session 1: Lesson 8.1 Seeing: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 30 | Session 1: Lesson 8.2 Hearing: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 31 | Session 1: Lesson 8.3 Smelling and Tasting: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 32 | Session 1: Lesson 8.4 Touching: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 8 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 33 | Session 1: Lesson 9.1 Nature Journal Walk: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 34 | Session 1: Lesson 9.2 Backyard Survey: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 35 | Session 1: Lesson 9.3 Zoo, Farm or Museum Visit: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 36 | Session 1: Lesson 9.4 Specimen Collection: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 9 review and unit project |
Grading: Oral narration (tells the story or lesson back in his or her own words) 40%, Make and do (takes part, follows steps, counts or measures) 25%, Nature notebook (one dated drawing each lesson) 20%, Unit reviews (oral, 20 points each) 15%. Scale: No letter grades. Mark each checklist item: Got it ✓, Growing ~, or Try again later. If a report is needed, use Satisfactory, Needs time, or Excellent.