Science and Technology

In this unit you will learn what makes something alive, and how living and non-living things in an environment are connected. You will learn the basic needs of all living things (air, water, food, heat, shelter and space), the parts of plants and animals that help them live, and the main parts of your own body, including your five senses. Then you will learn what a healthy environment is, how people can harm or help it, and how living things (including people) depend on each other, with the Haudenosaunee Three Sisters as one example.

Along the way you will work like a scientist and engineer: observing, doing a fair test with seeds, investigating with your senses safely, and designing something useful from reused materials.

Curriculum expectations covered: B1.1, B1.2, B2.1, B2.2, B2.3, B2.4, B2.5, B2.6, with STEM skills A1.1, A1.2, A1.3, A1.4, A1.5, A3.1 and A3.3 (Ontario Science and Technology, Grade 1, 2022).

In this unit you will learn that energy is the ability to move or change something. You will discover that the sun is Earth's most important source of energy, that food gives living things energy, and that we use many energy sources (wind, moving water, fuels, batteries and electricity) for light, heat, movement and sound. You will think about what life would be like without electricity, learn that some energy resources are limited, and see how Canadians use energy differently in winter and summer. Finally, you will become an energy saver!

Along the way you will do fair tests with ramps and melting ice, collect information about food, design a draft stopper, and write simple code for an energy-saving robot.

Curriculum expectations covered: C1.1, C1.2, C2.1, C2.2, C2.3, C2.4, C2.5, C2.6, with STEM skills A1.1, A1.2, A1.3, A1.4, A1.5, A2.1, A2.2, A3.1 and A3.3 (Ontario Science and Technology, Grade 1, 2022).

In this unit you will become a scientist and an engineer! You will learn that objects are made of materials like wood, metal, plastic, glass, fabric, paper and rubber, and you will use your senses to observe them. You will discover properties of materials (hard, soft, waterproof, absorbent, see-through) and why people choose certain materials for certain jobs. You will find out where materials come from in nature, including how First Nations and Inuit have used materials from the land. Then you will explore structures that hold up a load, design and build your own structure, learn about fasteners that hold things together, and make a plan to create less waste.

Every lesson has a hands-on activity using things from home, practice questions and a short quiz.

Curriculum expectations covered: D1.1, D1.2, D2.1 to D2.8 (Ontario Science and Technology, Grade 1, 2022), with STEM skills from Strand A (A1.1 to A1.5, A2.1, A3.1, A3.3).

In this unit you will learn how the Sun gives Earth light and heat, and how Earth's spinning gives us day and night. You will discover that day and night and the four seasons are cycles that repeat again and again. You will observe and record the weather, including temperature and precipitation, and see how daylight changes from summer to winter. Then you will explore how plants and animals adapt to the seasons (including the maple syrup season First Nations have known for a very long time) and how people prepare for daily and seasonal changes, with inventions that let us play and work all year long. You will also design and test a shelter to protect an ice cube from the Sun's heat.

Every lesson has a hands-on activity, practice questions and a short quiz.

Curriculum expectations covered: E1.1, E1.2, E2.1 to E2.6 (Ontario Science and Technology, Grade 1, 2022), with STEM skills from Strand A (A1.1 to A1.5, A2.1, A3.1, A3.3).