ByDesign

I believe that the study of science helps students better understand who the Creator is and how much he cares for His Creation.

DAN WYRICK, Director of Nature by Design

Addressing the needs of multi-grade classrooms

The ByDesign program provides resources for the multi-grade teacher. The resources align the topics across grades 1–4 and grades 5–8, allowing a teacher with multi-grade combinations to teach the same topic across grade levels. This is accomplished by rotating instructional topics throughout a four-year cycle.

To assist teachers with instructional planning, the program includes a cycle chart, a yearly scheduling chart, curriculum maps for grades 1–4 and grades 5–8, and four Teacher Guides with yearly cycles of lesson plans for grades 1–4 and four cycles of lesson plans for grades 5–8.

Student materials include 16 Student Science Journals activities with four journals per cycle organized by unit for grades 1–4, and 16 Science Journals with four journals per cycle organized by unit for grades 5–8. The customized activities follow the topic alignment chart developed specifically for multi-grades classrooms.

Grades 1-4 Multi-Grade Classroom Cycle 1-4

Cycle 1 Cycle 2 Cycle 3 Cycle 4
1st Quarter Life Science Classification and Animals Cells and Genetics Ecosystems and Adaptation Classification and Plants
2nd Quarter Human Body Health

Body Systems 1

*Lifestyle Challenge/ Guided Inquiry: Exercise program

Body Organization:
Skeletal system
Muscular system
Integumentary system
Reproductive system (grades 5-8)

Body Health 1

*Lifestyle Challenge/ Guided Inquiry: Diet

Immune System
Disease
Body and Lifestyle

Body Systems 2

*Lifestyle Challenge/ Guided Inquiry: Sleep

Body Organization:
Circulatory system
Respiratory system
Digestive system
Excretory system

Body Health 2

*Lifestyle Challenge/ Guided Inquiry: Media Use

Nervous System
Drugs
Health Resources
First Aid and Safety

3rd Quarter Physical Science Energy Magnetism and Electricity Force and Motion Chemistry
4th Quarter Earth and Space Science Meteorology and Oceanography Geology Space Earth's Resources

*Each unit (quarter) in the ByDesign program will include a Lifestyle Challenge.

Grades 5-8 Multi-Grade Classroom Cycle 1-4

Cycle 1 Cycle 2 Cycle 3 Cycle 4
1st Quarter Life Science Classification
Vertebrates
Origin of Life
Living Organisms
Cells
Genetics
Overview of Life
Adaptation
Ecology
Bacteria
Fungi
Protists
Plants
2nd Quarter Human Body Health Body Organization
Skeletal Muscular System
Reproductive System
Human Growth and
  Development
Immune System
Disease
Communicable
  Disease
Genes and Disease
Respiratory System
Circulatory System
Digestive System
Excretory System
Sexuality
Life Style and Health
Health Choices
Health Professionals
Safety
First Aid
3rd Quarter Physical Science Forms of Energy
Electromagnetic
  Spectrum
Energy Waves
Light/Sound
Energy Movement
Magnetism
Electricity
Forces
Motion
Machines
Matter
Properties of Matter
Atomic Theory
Chemical Bonds
Chemical Reactions
4th Quarter Earth and Space Science Weather
Climate
Oceans
Minerals
Rocks
Earth’s Structure
Earth Processes
Earth History
Exploring Space
Solar System
Stars
Galaxies
Universe
Earth’s Resources
Conservation
Climate Change

*Each unit (quarter) in the ByDesign program will include a Lifestyle Challenge.