Early Elementary

2025-26 School Year

Science

  • Paisano Tutoring’s Early Elementary Science Class meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 - 11 a.m.

  • More than half of our time in science class is spent reading aloud as a group, books on various science-related topics and themes. The remainder of the time is spent completing the Elemental Science curriculum lapbooks or doing hands-on science projects. Students also have the option of working on their ongoing Lego Technic project for the last 15 minutes of each class session.

  • Students Read Aloud to the Group: During each science class session, some books are read aloud to the group by the teacher, while others are read aloud to the group by the students themselves, who take turns reading, with a rotation that changes readers at the end of each page. Paisano Tutoring has multiple copies of each book so that all students can easily see the book and follow along in the text, so as to know when it is their turn to read without a cue. At Paisano Tutoring, students learn to read during their kindergarten year, and are able to participate in the science class read-aloud rotation as early as 1st grade. As for students in our science class who are kindergarteners or delayed readers, there is no pressure to read aloud, but rather to just listen attentively and look at the pictures as the books are read.

  • Benefits of Reading Aloud: This practice of having the students read aloud helps them pay more attention and better retain the information in their memory. In addition, reading aloud to a group of peers fosters key literacy, social, and cognitive skills, including fluency (expression/pacing), comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and confidence. It fosters social-emotional growth through empathy and active listening, while building attention spans and encouraging interaction with literature.

  • Paisano Tutoring Library: All of the books on this list are also available for students to check out from the Paisano Tutoring Library, whether they missed a day of class or just want to enjoy the book again.

Weather Unit

Weather Unit

  • We began the “Weather Unit” in mid-August and completed it in mid-October (approximately 16 class sessions, meeting twice a week).

  • Our weather unit consisted of reading aloud in class the following 50 books and completing the Elemental Science: Science Chunks: Weather Curriculum. All students made a “weather lapbook.”

  • 50 books in 16 class sessions is approximately 3 books per class session, which is what we do.

  • Here’s the list of the 50 books we read as a class during the weather unit:

  • Sun and Atmosphere

    • Sun by Marion Bauer -> 3 copies

    • The Sun by Seymour Simon (with minor edits) -> 1 copy

    • Day and Night by Robin Nelson -> 2 copies

    • What Makes Day and Night by Franklyn Branley -> 2 copies

  • Seasons and Climate

    • Sunshine Makes the Seasons by Franklyn Branley -> 2 copies

    • Watching the Seasons by Edana Eckart -> 2 copies

    • The Reasons for Seasons by Gail Gibbons -> 2 copies

    • A Tree for All Seasons by Robin Bernard (with minor edits) -> 2 copies

    • On the Same Day in March: A Tour of the World’s Weather by Marilyn Singer -> 2 copies

    • Weather and Climate by Barbara Taylor -> 2 copies

  • Weather and Wind

    • Oh Say Can You Say What’s the Weather Today? All About Weather by Trish Rabe -> 2 copies

    • Weather by Seymour Simon -> 1 copy

    • Weather Words and What They Mean by Gail Gibbons -> 2 copies

    • Wind by Marion Bauer -> 3 copies

    • Feel the Wind by Arthur Dorros -> 2 copies

    • The Wind Blew by Pat Hutchins -> 2 copies

    • Tornadoes! by Gail Gibbons -> 2 copies

    • Tornadoes (Blastoff Readers, Level 4) by Anne Wendorff -> 1 copy

    • Tornado Alert by Franklyn Branley -> 1 copy

  • Water Cycle and Clouds

    • Water is Water: A Book About the Water Cycle by Miranda Paul -> 1 copy

    • The Water Cycle by Helen Frost -> 1 copy

    • The Water Cycle at Work by Rebecca Olien -> 1 copy

    • Clouds by Anne Rockwell -> 2 copies

    • Clouds by Marion Bauer -> 3 copies

    • The Cloud Book (with edits) by Tomie dePaola -> 2 copies

    • Fog and Mist by Elizabeth Miles -> 1 copy

    • Fog by Helen Frost -> 1 copy

  • Storms and Rain

    • Down Comes the Rain by Franklyn Branley -> 2 copies

    • Rain by Marion Bauer -> 3 copies

    • The Storm Book by Charlotte Zolotow -> 2 copies

    • Thundercake by Patricia Polacco -> 2 copies

    • Rain! by Linda Ashman (with minor edits) -> 2 copies

    • Rainbow (with minor edits) by Marion Bauer -> 3 copies

    • Rain Drop Splash by Alvin Tressault -> 1 copy

    • Storms! (National Geographic Readers) by Miriam Goin -> 2 copies

    • Super Storms by Seymour Simon -> 1 copy

    • Hurricanes! by Gail Gibbons -> 2 copies

    • Hurricanes (Blastoff Readers, Level 4) by Kay Manolis -> 1 copy

    • Weather Forecasting by Gail Gibbons -> 2 copies

    • What Will the Weather Be? by Lynda DeWitt -> 2 copies

  • Snow and Ice

    • Snow by Marion Bauer -> 3 copies

    • Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner -> 1 copy

    • Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Martin (Caldecott Medal) -> 1 copy

    • The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder by Mark Cassino -> 2 copies

    • The Sleepy Bear and Golden Whispers by T. Anne Mancuso -> 1 copy

    • The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (Caldecott Medal) -> 1 copy

    • Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton -> 2 copies

    • Snow! by Uri Shulevitz (Caldecott Honor) -> 1 copy

    • Water as a Solid by Helen Frost -> 1 copy

Animals Unit

Animals Unit

  • We began the “Animals Unit” in mid-October.

  • Our mammal unit consisted of reading aloud in class the following books and completing the Elemental Science: Biology for the Grammar Stage Curriculum. All students made an “animal lapbook.”

  • Here’s the list of the books we read as a class during the Animal Unit:

  • American Mammals

    • Amazing Armadillos by Jennifer McKerley -> 2 copies

    • Armadillos (Animals Underground) by Emily Sebastian -> 1 copy

    • Skunks (Backyard Wildlife) by Emily Green -> 1 copy

    • Skunks (Animal Prey) by Sandra Markle -> 1 copy

  • African Mammals

    • Face to Face with Lions by Beverly and Dereck Joubert -> 2 copies

    • The Cheetah: Fast as Lightning by Christine and Michel Denis-Huot -> 1 copy

    • Cheetah Cubs by Ginger Clarke -> 1 copy

    • Baby Giraffes by Bobbie Kalman -> 1 copy

    • Giraffes by Jill Anderson -> 1 copy

  • Asian Mammals

    • Amazing Tigers by Sarah Thomson -> 2 copies

    • Curious About Orangutans by Gina Shaw -> 1 copy

    • Orangutan: A Day in the Rainforest Canopy by Rita Goldner -> 1 copy

  • Polar Mammals

    • Amazing Animals of Alaska by George Phila -> 1 copy

    • Artic Fox by Tyler Grady -> 1 copy

    • Walruses by Martha Rustad -> 1 copy

    • Little Walrus Warning by Carol Young -> 1 copy

    • Where Do Polar Bears Live? by Sarah Thomson -> 1 copy

    • Polar Bears by Mark Newman -> 2 copies

    • Face to Face with Polar Bears by Norbert Rosing -> 1 copy

  • Ocean Mammals

    • Amazing Whales by Sarah Thomson -> 2 copies

    • Face to Face with Whales by Flip and Linda Nicklin -> 1 copy

    • Whales by Seymour Simon -> 1 copy

    • Whales by Graham Faiella -> 1 copy

    • Whales and Dolphins (DK Eye Wonder) by Caroline Bingham -> 2 copies

    • Amazing Dolphins by Sarah Thomson -> 2 copies

    • Dolphin Talk: Whistles, Clicks, and CLapping Jaws by Wendy Pfeffer -> 2 copies

    • Face to Face with Dolphins by Flip and Linda Nicklin -> 1 copy

  • Reptiles

    • Alligators and Crocodiles by Gail Gibbons -> 1 copy

    • more on the way (we have not started reptiles yet)

  • Amphibians

    • A by Gail Gibbons -> 1 copy

    • more on the way (we have not started reptiles yet)

  • Fish

    • A by Gail Gibbons -> 1 copy

    • more on the way (we have not started reptiles yet)

  • Birds

    • A by Gail Gibbons -> 1 copy

    • more on the way (we have not started reptiles yet)

  • Insects, Spiders, and Worms

    • About Insects by Cathryn Sill -> 1 copy

    • Bugs and Us by Patricia Murphy -> 1 copy

    • Big Bugs by Seymour Simon -> 1 copy

    • Bugs for Lunch by Margery Facklam -> 1 copy

    • The Backyard Bug Book for Kids by Lauren Davidson -> 1 copy

    • Bugs Are Insects by Anne Rockwell -> 1 copy

    • Ladybugs by Gail Gibbons -> 1 copy

    • Ant Cities by Arthur Dorros -> 3 copies

    • Monarch Butterfly by Gail Gibbons -> 1 copy

    • The Honey Makers by Gail Gibbons -> 1 copy

    • Chirping Crickets by Melvin Berger -> 1 copy

    • The Life Cycle of a Mosquito by Bobbie Kalman -> 1 copy

    • Life Cycle of a Silkworm by Ron Fridell -> 1 copy

    • The Girl Who Drew Butterflies by Joyce Sidman -> 1 copy

    • Wiggling Worms at Work by Wendy Pfeffer -> 2 copies

    • Spinning Spiders by Melvin Berger -> 3 copies

    • Spiders by Gail Gibbons -> 1 copy

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