First Grade

This STEM journal entry demonstrates the student’s ability to think critically about important inventions and communicate their ideas through both drawing and writing. The student chose the Printing Press and connected it to Benjamin Franklin, showing an understanding of how inventions can impact society. By labeling their drawing and writing sentences to explain their thinking, the student practiced important STEM skills such as observation, reasoning, and communication. This activity encourages students to reflect on how technology and innovation help share knowledge and advance learning. 

In this STEM journal entry students illustrated the fundamental needs of living things. Each student chose a favorite animal and placed it at the center of their page, acting as the focal point for their survival web. Following the first-grade science standard for life systems, they carefully drew and labeled the five essential pillars of survival: air, food, water, shelter, and space. 

First grade students took on the role of engineers in this STEM challenge connected to the work of paleontologists. Students were asked to design a plan to help keep paleontologists cool while working outside in the hot sun at a dig site. In their STEM journals, students brainstormed and sketched ideas for structures that could provide shade and protection from the sun’s heat. In this design, the student created a structure that would allow the heat from the sun to bounce back, helping keep the paleontologists cooler while they work. Through planning, drawing, and explaining their ideas, students practiced thinking like engineers and solving real-world problems. 

In his STEM journal, this student explored the differences between two types of pumpkins and an apple. He carefully observed their shapes, sizes, and textures, then drew detailed pictures to show each one. His illustrations clearly highlight how each fruit is unique, and he shows thoughtful attention to detail and curiosity about the natural world.

Our first grade scientists have been learning how to observe, compare, and record information about animals. In this activity, students researched deer and reindeer, drew detailed diagrams, and wrote about the similarities and differences they discovered. Using both pictures and words, students practiced important STEM skills such as observing, comparing, and communicating their ideas like real scientists. We loved seeing their creativity and the thoughtful details they included in their work! 

This STEM journal entry demonstrates how the students build on backround information they may have on a given topic. This student made use of a KWL (Know, Want to know, and Learned) chart to organize their process of research. Students were able to collaborate with peers and use a variety of sources to answer questions they came up with. They were able to use photographs, books, and credible websites to find answers to their peer created questions.

This STEM journal entry shows how students have built their knowledge on habitats. Students can observe the living animals on our school's campus and think about what they need to live. Students can think about the tools farmers might use to take care of the animals. Students can see that people build barns, fences, and shelters to keep the animals safe. Students can count the animals, measure how much food the animals need, or compare how many sheep and chickens are on the farm.  

In first grade, our young scientists have been exploring the exciting world of magnets. Students investigated how magnets work by testing different objects to see which materials are attracted to a magnet and which are not. Through hands-on exploration, they made predictions, recorded their observations, and shared their discoveries with classmates. 

Students worked together to design and build their own bridges using the STEM design process. First graders brainstormed ideas, sketched simple plans, and then collaborated with their teammates to create their bridges using classroom materials. Throughout the activity, students asked questions, tested their designs, and made improvements when their bridges needed to be stronger. This hands-on project kept students highly engaged as they worked together, shared ideas, and problem-solved as a team. 

Our STEMsgiving Day Parade is a fun and meaningful way to engage students in STEM learning by connecting science concepts to a creative, hands-on experience. In our parade, students used their TGAL as “Weather Wizards” to explore different types of weather and then showcase their learning through costumes, signs, and parade elements representing rainbows, storms, bilzzards, and more. 

This photo shows a first-grade student proudly presenting his Severe Weather House during our Think Global, Act Local (TGAL) Night, where families celebrate student learning. As part of our Weather Wizards project, students designed and built homes that could withstand severe weather. He is holding both his design plan and his 3-D prototype, built from recycled materials. Students also tested their structures in a teacher-run “tornado simulation,” using strong fan winds to see if their designs could withstand the storm.

The classroom transformed into a miniature meteorology lab as the first graders dove into the "Make It Rain" experiment, a hands-on exploration of precipitation. Using a cup of water to represent the atmosphere and a fluffy mound of shaving cream as a cumulus cloud, the students practiced the scientific method by first estimating how many "raindrops" their cloud could support. As they carefully squeezed droplets of blue food coloring onto the foam, they observed the saturation process in real-time. The excitement peaked when the "cloud" finally became too heavy to hold the liquid, sending vibrant blue streaks dancing down through the water, perfectly mimicking the moment gravity pulls rain from the sky. 

Using vertical whiteboards helped actively engage students in STEM by encouraging collaboration, movement, and visible thinking. As students researched facts about Theodore Roosevelt, they used technology and critical thinking to gather information and write key facts together. This hands-on approach strengthened students’ communication, teamwork, and research skills while making learning interactive and meaningful.

First grade students became engineers during our STEM challenge connected to the journey of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Students were given a real-world scenario: Lewis and Clark needed a way to protect the maps they were creating while traveling through different types of weather. Working in teams, students brainstormed, designed, and built solutions to keep their maps safe from rain, wind, and other weather elements. Through collaboration and problem-solving, students tested their ideas and improved their designs, learning how engineers create solutions to real challenges explorers once faced. 

The classroom floor turned into a digital playground as the first graders took their first steps into the world of computer science using programmable coding robots. By inputting simple sequences of commands—like "forward," "turn right," and "pause"—the students learned that robots only follow the specific instructions they are given. This hands-on activity transformed abstract logic into a physical challenge as they worked together to navigate their robots through custom-built obstacle courses. Watching a student’s face light up when their robot successfully reached its final destination after a series of trial-and-error attempts perfectly illustrates the power of active learning. 

Our first grade scientists had the exciting opportunity to observe a chrysalis up close! Students used careful observation skills to notice changes, ask questions, and make predictions about what will happen next in the butterfly life cycle. Through this hands-on experience, students practiced thinking like scientists by watching closely, discussing their ideas, and learning about metamorphosis. We can’t wait to see the butterflies emerge! 

The classroom buzzed with excitement as the first graders donned VR goggles, instantly transporting them from their desks to the heart of the African savanna and the depths of the Great Barrier Reef. This immersive experience allowed students to virtually walk alongside the animals they had been studying, providing a 360-degree view of how different species interact with their specific habitats. By observing the dense canopy of a rainforest or the frozen expanse of the Arctic, students moved beyond textbook definitions to see firsthand how environmental features—like climate and vegetation—dictate where an animal can survive. This high-tech exploration directly supports first-grade science standards by helping students identify the diverse characteristics of habitats and the organisms that call them home. 

First grade is proud to partner with the American Red Cross as our community partner. Through this partnership, students learn about different types of severe weather and how they can stay safe before, during, and after storms. Representatives from the American Red Cross help teach our students about emergency preparedness, recognizing weather hazards, and simple steps families can take to be ready for severe weather events. This real-world connection helps our first graders see how science, safety, and community helpers work together to protect people and make our communities stronger. 

Students were excited to participate in a special presentation from Sawnee EMC about how severe weather can cause power outages in our communities. During the presentation, students learned how strong winds, lightning, heavy rain, and fallen trees can damage power lines and interrupt electricity to homes and businesses.

Representatives explained how electricity travels from power plants through power lines to reach our homes, and what can happen when storms interfere with that system. Students also learned about the important work lineworkers do to safely restore power after storms and how communities prepare for severe weather events.

This real-world connection helped students better understand how severe weather impacts daily life and why it is important for communities to be prepared. The presentation supported our Think Global, Act Local (TGAL) project by helping students see how weather events affect people locally while also occurring in communities around the world.

In first grade, we have been taking a close look at the weather and learning how scientists observe patterns over time. Each day, students help monitor and record the weather, looking for trends and discussing what we notice. Our first graders have also taken on the exciting role of guiding the rest of the school through the daily weather forecast during the morning news. Students love sharing what they have learned and explaining the expected weather for the day 

Our Think Global, Act Local (TGAL) Night was a wonderful celebration of student learning and community involvement. This year, we were excited to welcome 32 families who came to see the incredible work our first-grade Weather Wizards have been doing throughout their severe weather project. Families had the opportunity to explore student displays, learn about the engineering designs, and hear students proudly explain their thinking. It was a special evening that highlighted the strong partnership between our school and families while celebrating our young scientists and engineers. 

Providing first grade students with opportunities to participate in school-wide morning news is an engaging way to integrate authentic STEM learning into daily instruction. During these activities, students report the daily weather, share the high and low temperatures and the weather conditions. This experience connects directly to STEM Education by allowing students to apply skills such as observing, collecting data, graphing information, and communicating results. By taking on the role of young reporters, students become active participants in the learning process rather than passive observers. 

Our TGAL focus on weather connects directly to STEM by giving students the opportunity to observe, record, and analyze real-world data each day. Students track daily weather conditions and create graphs that help them identify patterns and changes over time, building skills in science, math, and data analysis. Displaying the graphs in the hallway allows students to share their learning with the school community while reinforcing the importance of observation, prediction, and scientific thinking.