The First Great Lesson in Lower Elementary

The core of our elementary curriculum is the Great Lessons. Lower Elementary students were thrilled by the story of the birth of the universe and the beginnings of Earth, the First Great Lesson. The first part of this lesson was presented before the solar eclipse.

The second part of this lesson, the beginning of our planet Earth, includes several demonstrations for students to replicate over the next several weeks. The activities represent:

• Layers of the Earth
• Volcanoes
• The three states of matter
• The water cycle 

The First Great Lesson begins our journey into:

• Astronomy: solar system, stars, galaxies, comets, constellations
• Meteorology: wind, weather, erosion, water cycle, clouds, glaciers
• Chemistry: states of matter, changes, mixtures, reactions
• Physics: gravity, energy, light, sound, heat, friction, motion, magnetism
• Geology: types of rocks, minerals, land forms, volcanoes, earthquakes, eras of the Earth
• Geography: maps, globes, latitude/longitude, climates, land/water form names, continent and country research

Below: students use their bodies to represent the way molecules behave in the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas.