First Grade Science in Language Arts

Introduction to First Grade Science Language Arts

-Common Core English Language Arts CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.1-1.10 and Next Generation Science Standard* 1-ESS1-1

This lesson on the solar system is a First Grade Science in Language Arts cross curricular study. We began by collecting some grade appropriate books on the solar system.

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You can find tons of great books about the solar system.  The particular books we used for this lesson were: The Planets by Gail Gibbons, The Solar System by Gregory Vogt, The Solar System by Dana Meachen Rau, and Shooting Stars by Franklyn M. Branley.  You can get our full lesson for this project including worksheets, a lesson plan, and assessment from Teachers Pay Teachers.

Materials List for First Grade Science in Language Arts

–Floracraft solar system kit
–paint
–paper clips
–Command hooks
–fishing line
–The Solar System lesson

Step 1: Download the First Grade Science in Language Arts –The Solar System lesson and complete the worksheets

Here is a sample worksheet from our lesson:

Step 2: Sort the foam balls and paint them according to the color key on the box

We were going to collect all of the items for this project individually but then we found this great solar system kit from Floracraft.  We wanted to paint the system ourselves, but you can purchase one that is pre-painted.  If you do want to paint it yourself and have to buy some paint, why not support a great company called Yoobi by purchasing paint from them through Amazon.com or from Target stores.  This company is a one for one company which gives a matching item of whatever you buy to a school in need in the USA.  I love one for one companies!

Step 3: Bend large paper clips so that they can be stuck into the foam balls and put strings through the loop in the paper clips

When we were finished painting, we used paper clips and bead stringing wire to get the foam balls set up to be hung from the ceiling in our activity room.

Step 4: Hang the planets from the ceiling in the order the planets orbit the sun

The bead stringing wire is not the best item to use as you can see in this video below.  Fishing line may work better, or possibly even garden wire or pipe cleaners.

Here is our completed solar system!  We love it and we had such a fun time making it.  Maybe soon we will be adding other items as well, such as moons, asteroids and comets, oh my!

Step 5: Complete the assessment from the First Grade Science in Language Arts –Solar System lesson

Here is a sample assessment page from the lesson:

Source:

NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

*”Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.”