Our first science unit for the year was about “Day and Night,” but half of the unit focuses on the seasons of the year and what changes are noted. We made a large bulletin board showing the signs of each season and talked about how the year is sort of like a circle and the seasons are the big pieces of the pie. Because of the time of year, we put a special emphasis on autumn and read many books and watched videos highlighting the Signs of Autumn. We took a field trip to Mrs. French’s Farm and watched for all the signs we had talked about. We took a hayride, did a scavenger hunt and had a snack and a story before we picked a pumpkin and headed back to school. We also took a science hike to the back of the school property and along the Red Cedar River to look for more signs of autumn. We drew pictures using Kid Works Deluxe showing a special tree in our Outdoor Classroom and took part in an Internet project showing the temperature and sunrise and sunset times for a week. Mrs. Dunn made Kidspiration activities for each of the seasons that were a lot of fun for us to do AND served as an assessment of all we had learned. After we had moved the pictures in the activity, we printed them off and they will be shared with our parents at Parent/Teacher Conferences next month. We had a blast “Falling into Autumn!”

Michigan Curriculum Framework: Science
Grade: Elementary
Strand: Use Scientific Knowledge from the Earth and Space Sciences in Real-World Contexts
Content Standard: All students will compare and contrast our planet and sun to other planets and star systems; describe and explain how objects in the solar system move; explain scientific theories as to the origin of the solar system; and explain how we learn about the universe. (Solar System, Galaxy and Universe)
 Benchmark 4. Explain why seasons occur on earth. Real-world contexts: changes in length of day and height of sun in sky, changes in average daily temperature globes and diagrams showing earth’s tilt and motions of the sun and earth relative to each other.

Michigan Curriculum Framework:
Arts: Visual Arts
Grade: Elementary
Strand: Performing  Content Standard: All students will apply skills and knowledge to perform in the arts.
Benchmark 1. Use materials, techniques, media technology, and processes to communicate ideas and experiences.

Michigan Curriculum Framework: Career and Employability Skills
Grade: Elementary
 Strand: UNDERSTANDING SYSTEMS
 Content Standard: All students will learn to understand, monitor, and improve complex systems, including social, technical, and mechanical systems, and work with and maintain a variety of technologies.
 Benchmark 8. Access and use computers and other technology to find and use information.