Ireland · NCCA Curriculum Specifications
1st Class Young Explorers: Investigating Our World
A hands-on introduction to scientific inquiry where students observe patterns in nature, test the properties of materials, and explore how energy moves. This course emphasizes the development of process skills through active investigation and outdoor exploration.
Living Things and Their Environments
Students explore the diversity of plants and animals while identifying the basic needs required for survival.
Identifying body parts and investigating how our five senses help us understand the world around us.
Observing the growth of seeds into plants and identifying what they need to stay healthy.
Exploring the school grounds to find where small creatures live and why they choose those spots.
Materials and Change
An investigation into the properties of everyday objects and how they can be transformed.
Classifying objects based on physical properties like texture, flexibility, and transparency.
Observing how temperature changes the state of materials like water, chocolate, or wax.
Exploring what happens when different substances are combined and whether they can be separated.
Energy, Forces, and Motion
Students explore how things move and the different types of energy we use every day.
Investigating how forces start, stop, or change the direction of an object's movement.
Discovering how vibrations create sound and how sound travels to our ears.
Investigating light sources and how shadows are formed and changed.
Earth and Sky
Observing the patterns of the weather, the seasons, and the objects in the night sky.
Recording daily weather and understanding how it affects our daily lives.
Identifying the characteristics of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter in Ireland.
Observing the apparent movement of the sun and the changing shape of the moon.
Caring for Our Environment
Developing an awareness of how humans impact the Earth and how we can protect it.
Investigating waste and learning how to sort materials for recycling.
Exploring where our water comes from and how to use it responsibly.
Using scientific knowledge to build a simple structure or tool that solves a problem.