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Hello everyone!

My name is Alyssa and I am currently working towards my masters in teaching at the University of Arkansas. I am so excited to be learning more about teaching science in the elementary grades and hope more than anything to be able to land a teaching job in upper elementary science. However, what I was wondering is how to better implement science in the lower grades when time is often very limited for subjects other than reading and writing. I know it does occur but in my own field experience classrooms I have not been exposed much to science in grades K-3. What are some engaging lessons that are simple enough yet still meaningful for the lower grades. And, what do you do if your school's curriculum chooses not to focus much on science yet you realize the importance and want to implement it more into your own classroom? 

Hi Alyssa! I am also a preservice teacher, but in what I have observed, teachers sometimes do literacy type work with science subjects. In a kindergarten class I was in, the teacher did a read aloud and it was regarding weather and then the students got to draw weather and explain why it happens according to the book. I think even if the school does not have a science curriculum there are sneaky ways to get it in your classroom! I hope that helps!

You can creatively incorporate science in many themes.  My favorite kindergarten was metamorphosis.  We did an Eric Carle unit so we read The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  Instead of just reading the story and doing an activity, I also brought in manipulatives of the different stages that they could touch and feel.  I also took the kids on a nature walk to see if we saw any signs of the various stages.  The more you can teach them through exploration rather than just telling, the better.

Hey, Alyssa.

I have read and seems teacher incoorporting litercy time and science together since in primary grade, they focus more on literacy and math. You could read a books that are related to science, like books about moon, nonfiction book is always good book for science. We all know that they put language art and math focus before content, but there are many ways that you can teach content through literacy and math time as well. I hope this helps!

Hi Alyssa! This is a great question. I do think that there are ways to incorporate science lessons even in the younger grades. I find it can be implemented in reading and literacy circles as well! It's all about finding creative ways to make it work. I am sure you will find some great resources on this site. 

I am a preservice teacher learning to teach science in the younger grades. I am loving the creative aspect. For example, right now I'm keeping an eye on the Monarch butterfly population migrating to Mexico. Journeynorth.org is a great digital resource. Traveling Butterflies by Susumu Shingu is a beautiful book you could use as a readaloud. Then incorporate your math and/or literacy activities under the guise of a 'butterfly theme' and sneak in the science angle of butterfly migration. It's the perfect timing for this with the migration currently in progress. Some are already arriving in Mexico!

Alyssa, I once worked with a teacher who brought science into her class by making all of her class trips science-based, so we went to the local community garden and were allowed to plant flowers there, we went to the farm, and the aquarium as well. After each trip, we would do an activity around that trip and the teacher would incorporate the trips into whatever lessons she was teaching for the week. We also would grow plants in the window in our classroom and put science books in our classroom library. 

Hello,

I am pre-service teacher too!

What my mentor and other teacehrs do is they will read the book relate to the sciecne topic and simply read the book as read alound during  literacy time.