Common Core Science Incorporated

Friends~One thing that I love about the Common Core is how easily it is to incorporate it  into various subjects. I love a good theme but I always want my lessons to make connections across the curriculum.  One of my very favorite ways to do this is through Science!  It is so super easy to connect Science lessons to reading. writing and math.  Check out some of the fun I have had in past years making those curriculum connections.   

2.P.1.1 Understand the relationship of vibrating objects and columns of air

I always start off Forces and Motion with a Listening Walk.  Like I said, I like to incorporate other subject areas so I begin with the book The Listening Walk.  It is a great story that gets the students thinking about where sounds come from.  

I use it to incorporate:

 RL2.1 Ask and answer questions from a text to demonstrate understanding of the text.  

We take a listening walk and describe the sounds we hear.  That leads us into our discussion of vibrations.  I use the tuning fork to demonstrate this by having students come up and cover their eyes.  When I tap the tuning fork,  I hold it to one ear and they have to raise their hand to tell which side the fork is on.  They are listening for vibrations.  I also have them observe vibrations using water with the experiment below.  

2.P.2.1 Understand properties of solids and liquids and the changes they undergo

I love teaching Matter Properties and Change!  There are so many ways to incorporate this into your core subjects.  One of the first things that we do is sort matter by it's attributes.  

  This hits one of our math goals 2.G Reason with shapes and their attributes.  

We also look at the 3 forms of water.  

Here is a visual that I use for RI 2.7 Explain how a diagram contributes to and clarifies a text.  

We observe the 3 forms from Ice to Water and write to journal prompts on the specific stages. 

W2.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects such as science experiments.

2.E.1.1   Understand patterns of weather and factors that affect weather

Who doesn't start their weather unit off with The Wind Blew by Eve Bunting?  I love this book because it really gets the students talking about how weather can effect our day!  

RI 2.6 Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants us to answer or explain.  

It is great for sequencing too!

We also spend 2 weeks observing and graphing our weather! 

 Hello!  MD2.10 Draw a Bar Graph to represent data! 

Our Cloud Races are always so much fun!  

MD 2.3 Measure and estimate lengths in standard units.

Last but not least: RI 2.10 Read and comprehend informational texts!

This text comes along with our FOSS Inquiry Based Science Kits.

2.L.1.1  Understand animal life cycles

I soooo love this unit!  We studied Frogs last year and it was so much fun!  Bring on some Frogs by Gail Gibbons for RI 2.10 (Informational Text)  I love a good anticipation guide! 

We also work on the life cycle with these cuties!

2.L.2.1  Remember that organisms differ from or are similar to their parents based on the characteristics of the organism.

For this standard I keep it pretty simple.  We compare frogs and tadpoles.  We also compare ourselves to our parents.  They kiddos always get a kick out of this! 

I am so exhausted thinking about all the ways we as teachers make connections across the curriculum.  I am totally sure that I missed some.  The Common Core is pretty new to me so I am just now getting the hang of some of it. I hope this helped you to get thinking about more ways to make some great connections for your students.  

All of the above activities are from my new 80 page Simply Second Grade Science.  It is a year's worth of integrated science lesson fun!  I sure hope you will check it out:)