This activity requires a few supplies and helps teach first-grade students about the cycles of growth. Teachers will need small clay pots, acrylic paints, paintbrushes, grass seed and potting soil. Each child can paint his or her own pot with designs featuring flowers, the sun and raindrops. Once the paint has, fill each pot with soil about 1 inch from the top. Let each student sprinkle a handful of seeds on top of the soil and tap them gently into it. Sprinkle water on top of the seeds but do not soak the soil. Keep the soil damp and the seeds will sprout in about a week. Place the pots along the sills of windows that attract sun. When the grass grows thick, have students "mow" the grass with scissors. Each child also can keep a chart to record the growth of the grass.
This lesson can help first-graders learn about solids and liquids with a sweet twist. Grab some plastic bottles, liquids such as water and dish soap and solids such as wooden blocks and pieces of plastic. Other items to have are a sink or basin, maple syrup, a saucepan, a heating element and a notebook to record results. Pour different liquids into different plastic containers to demonstrate how liquids take the form of the container holding them. Write down the observations. Have students describe each solid and how it looks and feels. Write down the differences between liquids and solids in the notebook. Now, pour maple syrup into a saucepan over low heat and stir it constantly to show students how the syrup will thicken as it heats up. Continue to stir for about 15 minutes until the syrup transforms into a soft mass. Allow students to record these observations in their notebooks, then share the maple candy made with the class.
Testing theories on whether an item will float or sink is a way for first-grade students to learn what a hypothesis is. Teachers will need a block of wood, a plastic bottle cap, aluminum foil, modeling clay and a large bowl of water. Ask the students to hold the items in their hand and guess which one is heavier, which will sink and which will float. Have the students test their predictions by placing an item in the bowl of water to see which floats or sinks. Shape the clay into a ball and see whether it sinks, and form it into a boat to see whether it will float. Use this lesson to explain how different shapes can affect the outcomes.
A science walk is a fun way for first-grade students to build observation skills. The only tools needed are magnifying glasses and a notebook to record observations. Have students walk around the playground or take a field trip to a park. While exploring, have the students examine things with the magnifying glass such as dirt, leaves, flowers, plants, rocks and insects. Ask the students to describe what they see and write their observations down in notebooks. Ask questions, such as, "It is hard or soft?" or "Is it alive?" Also ask students to compare items such as rocks and flowers and describe how they are alike and different.