Raising a baby chick from an egg is a science experiment your whole class can share. Have all the children take part so they understand the needs of the chicken. Go to a farm near your school and talk about acquiring a chicken egg. Once you care for the egg and hatch it, return it to the farm. Set up a special area in your classroom for the incubator. Set the egg into the incubator and explain the temperature and moisture needs of the egg. Allow the children to run routine maintenance on the egg habitat under your supervision. Let the children appreciate the chick once it hatches before you return it to the farm. Have the children write a short report about their experiences taking care of the egg.
First graders are mature enough to learn about the fundamentals of plant growing. Bean plants aren’t picky about the care they receive, which makes them an ideal plant for a first grader to grow. Dampen a paper towel and fit it inside a clear plastic sandwich bag. Place a lima bean inside the bag. Set it in a sunny place and wait for the bean seed to sprout. The children can observe the plant sprouting its roots and leaves without soil as an obstruction.
Ants naturally enjoy sugary food because it makes an ideal meal for the queen of the colony. Challenge your first graders to find the preferred food of the ants. Ask them to set out locally grown fruit as well as candy with synthetic sweeteners on the playground. Have the first graders observe the ant activity around the food. After a day, come back to the food to determine which item is getting the most attention from the ants.
Children in the first grade may not realize that plants have veins just as humans have all through their bodies. Help children map out these veins with a simple experiment, which also shows how the plant absorbs water and distributes it through the stem and leaves. Ask the children to mix a glass of water and red food coloring until it forms a solid red color. Stick a piece of celery into the glass of red water and watch it spread up the veins of the stalk.