First grade students began their science studies this fall by learning about the history of the Earth. Students learned about the layers of the Earth, and that the Earth is made of rock. Students discussed how rocks are one of the most important clues we have to what Earth was like before people lived on it. First graders also dove into discussions about volcanoes, erosion, the landscape of the United States, and the development of the Grand Canyon.
Students were introduced to the three types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. As first graders discussed volcanoes and magma & riverbeds and shells, they learned how heat, time, and pressure can change rocks. To demonstrate this phenomenon, students collected rocks around campus and put them into a rock tumbler in the classroom.
While they continue to wait for the four 7-day tumbler cycles to complete, students practice the virtue of patience and have moved on to the study of fossils. Though many first graders brought a wealth of knowledge about dinosaurs and fossils to their peers, students were excited to make connections to their continuing studies of rocks. They learned that Geologists and Paleontologists use the layers of the sedimentary rock to determine the age of fossils. They also made their own dinosaur fossils in class. Once baked and hardened, students wrote and drew how fossils are formed.
As first graders continue to learn about Earth, rocks, fossils, and dinosaurs, they gain an understanding and appreciation for the world around them, and the history of their planet. Students are learning to be critical thinkers, and to ask “how” questions to grow their minds.
