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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year science becomes about looking for patterns and testing simple ideas. Students learn that sound comes from things that vibrate and that we only see objects when light hits them. They watch how baby animals and young plants look like their parents but not exactly, and they track how the sun and moon move in ways they can predict. By spring, students can plan a small test, like shining a flashlight through different materials, and explain what they saw.

  • Light and sound
  • Plants and animals
  • Parents and babies
  • Sun moon and stars
  • Simple investigations
  • Building to solve problems
Source: Nevada Nevada Academic Content Standards
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
  1. 1

    Sound and how it travels

    Students explore how sound is made by things that shake or buzz, like a rubber band or a drum. They test how sound can also make other objects move.

  2. 2

    Light and what we can see

    Students figure out that objects are only visible when light hits them. They try shining a flashlight through different materials to see what blocks light and what lets it pass.

  3. 3

    Building tools to send messages

    Students use what they learned about light and sound to design a simple device that sends a message across the room, like a paper-cup phone or a flashlight signal.

  4. 4

    Plants, animals, and their young

    Students look at how animals and plants use their parts to survive, and how parents care for their young. They notice that baby animals and plants look like their parents but are not identical.

  5. 5

    Sun, moon, and seasons

    Students watch the sky over time and track patterns in the sun, moon, and stars. They notice how the amount of daylight changes from summer to winter.

Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 1.

  • Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer

    1-PS4

    Students learn how light and sound travel as waves and how those waves carry information. They explore how mirrors reflect light and how phones and radios use waves to send messages from one place to another.

  • From Molecules to Organisms

    1-LS1

    Plants and animals have body parts that help them survive. Students learn what those parts do and why living things need them.

  • Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

    1-LS3

    Students observe that baby animals look similar to their parents but not identical. They learn that some features are passed down and some vary, the way a puppy might have its mother's spots but a different coat color.

  • Earth's Place in the Universe

    1-ESS1

    Students learn how the sky changes throughout the day and across seasons. They observe the sun's position, the moon's shape, and patterns in daylight to understand how Earth moves through time.

  • Engineering Design

    K-2-ETS1

    Students figure out a problem, come up with an idea to solve it, and build or draw their solution to see if it works.

Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer

  • Plan and conduct investigations to provide evidence that vibrating materials…

    1-PS4-1

    Students shake or tap objects, then listen and feel how vibrating things make sound. They also discover that sound itself can make nearby objects move or buzz.

  • Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that objects can be…

    1-PS4-2

    Students test which objects they can see in a dark room and which ones they can't, then explain why light makes the difference.

  • Plan and conduct an investigation to determine the effect of placing objects…

    1-PS4-3

    Students shine a light and place different objects in its path to see which ones block the light, let it pass through, or bend it.

  • Use tools and materials to design and build a device that uses light or sound…

    1-PS4-4

    Students build a simple device, like a flashlight signal or a string telephone, that sends a message to someone far away. The project teaches that light and sound can carry information across a distance.

From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

  • Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants…

    1-LS1-1

    Students pick a plant or animal body part that solves a problem (a duck's webbed foot, a cactus spine) and use simple materials to build something that works the same way for people.

  • Read texts and use media to determine patterns in behavior of parents and…

    1-LS1-2

    Students look at books, videos, and photos to find patterns in how parent animals care for their young. The goal is understanding which of those behaviors help offspring survive.

Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

  • Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that young plants and…

    1-LS3-1

    Students look at pictures or real plants and animals to figure out how babies resemble their parents and how they differ. A puppy looks like its mother but not exactly like her.

Earth's Place in the Universe

  • Use observations of the sun, moon

    1-ESS1-1

    Students watch how the sun, moon, and stars move across the sky each day and season. They look for patterns that repeat, so they can predict what comes next.

  • Make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight…

    1-ESS1-2

    Students track how daylight changes across the seasons, noticing that summer days stay light longer and winter days get dark earlier.

Engineering Design

  • Ask questions, make observations

    K-2-ETS1-1

    Students look at something that isn't working well, ask questions about it, and gather information to describe the problem clearly before trying to fix it.

  • Develop a simple sketch, drawing

    K-2-ETS1-2

    Students draw or build a simple model to show how an object's shape helps it do its job. A wide base keeps something from tipping over; a pointed tip helps something push through.

  • Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to…

    K-2-ETS1-3

    Students test two different solutions to the same problem, then compare how well each one works and where each one falls short.

Common Questions
  • What will my child actually study in science this year?

    Students explore sound and light, look at how plants and animals use their bodies to survive, notice how baby animals are like their parents, and watch patterns in the sun, moon, and stars. They also try simple design projects, like building something that sends a signal across the room.

  • How can I help with science at home in just a few minutes?

    Step outside at the same time each evening for a week and notice where the sun sets. Tap a spoon on the table and feel it buzz. Compare a pet or a houseplant to a picture of its parent. Small noticing moments matter more than worksheets at this age.

  • My child wants to know why the sky gets dark earlier in winter. Is that part of this year?

    Yes. Students track how much daylight there is at different times of year and connect shorter days to winter, longer days to summer. A bedtime conversation about when it got dark today is real practice.

  • Does my child need to memorize science facts?

    Not really. First grade science is about observing carefully and explaining what they saw. Asking questions like what did you notice and how do you know builds the habit teachers are looking for.

  • How should I sequence these topics across the year?

    A common order is light and sound in the fall, sky patterns through the winter so students can track daylight over months, then plant and animal structures in the spring when outdoor observation is easier. Engineering design fits inside each unit as the build task.

  • Which ideas usually need the most reteaching?

    Two trip students up most often. First, that we see objects because light bounces off them, not because eyes send something out. Second, that sound is something vibrating, not just something loud. Plan extra hands-on time for both.

  • What counts as a real investigation at this age?

    A first grade investigation is a planned try with a clear question, like which materials block the flashlight beam. Students predict, test a few objects, and draw what happened. Written conclusions can be one sentence or a labeled picture.

  • How do I know students are ready for second grade science?

    By June, students should be able to describe a pattern they observed in the sky, explain that vibrations make sound, sort materials by how light passes through them, and sketch a simple design that solves a problem. Clear observation matters more than vocabulary.