Life Systems - This OECTA Teacher resource provides a variety of activities for the Grade One Ontario Curriculum expectations.

The Body

• Top Five Body Shop explores the sketal, muscular, nervous, and digestive systems as well as the importance of exercise and good nutrition.
• My Body and Me
• All About Me - worksheet

Nutrition

• Canada's Food Guide -- Background Information for Educators from Health Canada
• Canada's Food Guide -- view the guide online
• Eating Under the Rainbow - a lesson designed to help children understand the concepts of healthy eating and a balanced diet

My class did the activites in the "Eating Under the Rainbow" lesson plans. Prepare a rainbow to display on the board: yellow is for grain products, green is for fruits and vegetables, blue is for milk products, and red is for meat and alternatives. Each student cut out three foods that they like from grocercy store flyers and then placed them in the appropriate food group section on the "rainbow." We talked about how many servings they need from each food group. . Foods that did not fit into any food group were set aside into the "other" group and we talked about them another day. We discussed how they were less healthy than other foods because of a high sugar or fat content. Before talking about "junk" foods, read "The Bearenstien Bears, Too Much Junk Food."

Getting To Know the Food Groups To get to know the four food groups students working in groups of 4 were given a sorting mat labeled with the four food groups and an envelop containing a variety of foods from all the food groups. Their task was to take turns picking pictures from the envelop and place them in the proper food group section. Before doing this activity have ready 5 envelops of laminated food pictures cut from magazines and flyers.

These group lessons were followed up with an individual activity in which the children planned a menu for one meal. Their menu had to include foods from all four food groups.

• The Food Groups - activities to learn the content of the food groups
• Eat Right - a nutrition/art activity
• Healthy Choices for Kids - lots of activities and worksheets

Books To Read

• Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food by Stan and Jan Berenstain
• Eating the Alphabet, Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z by Lois Ehlert
• To Market To Market by Anne Miranda
• Rabbit Stew by Donna Kosow
• The Little Red Hen by Judith Bauer Stamper
• The Little Red Hen, Childcraft, Once Upon a Time
• Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini
• Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr. Suess
• Grandma’s Good Food - Info Read, Nelson Language Arts
• Where Does Food Come From - Info Read, Nelson Language Arts
• Snacktime - Info Read, Nelson Language Arts

Song

• Let’s Go To The Market, Music and Movement in the Classroom CD

Computer Activities

• Healthy foods
• Grouping Food

Senses

• Five Senses Literacy Stations
• The Senses  This site includes activities to help children learn about the location and function of each sense organ and includes sensory stations to set up in the classroom.
• Ten activities for teaching the five senses
• The Senses   A 44 page unit plan.
• Indentifying the Five Senses
• Come To Your Senses
• Taste Buds - Students learn the location of different taste buds in their mouths.
• Using the senses - write about a fireworks show

Computer Activities

• Kid Pix - use the stamp pad to find things you hear, taste, see, feel, smell

Animals

Animals from A - Z

How Animals Move - Lesson plan

Understanding the basic needs of animals (e.g., food, air, water, light).

Common characteristics of animals - The subject area was animals with focus on the different types of coverings and movements.

Characteristics of animals and humans - To understand how human beings are alike and different from other animals

Building Nests: A lesson plan to demonstrate how birds build nests and an activity in which the students can build a bird's nest.

Plants

The Inside Garden - understanding the basic needs of plants

Understanding the basic needs of plants

Life Cycles

Life Cycles in the classroom Ideas for sea monkeys, mealworms, frogs, and chicks in the classroom.

Butterfly

• Observe the life cycle of the butterfly in the classroom. Includes information for ordering a butterfly kit.
• The Butterfly Unit - lots of good ideas here
• Sequence the stages of the butterfly - a fun activity to do from your browser
• All About Butterflies - information about all stages of the butterfly including a life cylce sheet to print out
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar - A Thematic Unit which includes nutrition, life cycles, and creative writing
• Life Cycle of the Butterfly -- worksheet to label

Frog

• Life Cycle of the Frog - worksheet to label
• Life Cycle of the Frog - Pictures to sequence

• Monarch Butterfly, by Gail Gibbons, Scholastic Inc., 1989.
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle, Scholastic, 1969.

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Last modified: 05/11/2002
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