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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year students start noticing the world like scientists. Students sort objects by what they can see and feel, watch how water turns from solid to liquid, and tell living things apart from rocks and toys. Students track the weather each day and learn why a forecast matters before a storm. By spring, they can use their senses to describe an object, name the season outside, and explain how plants and animals get what they need to live.

  • Five senses
  • Living and nonliving
  • Weather watching
  • Solids and liquids
  • Sorting objects
  • Seasons
  • Plants and animals
Source: Tennessee Tennessee Academic 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

    Looking closely at the world

    Students start the year by using their five senses to notice the world around them. They sort objects into living and non-living, and describe what they see, hear, feel, and smell.

  2. 2

    What things are made of

    Students explore everyday materials and group them by how they feel and act. They notice which things are hard or soft, which soak up water, and which are solid or liquid.

  3. 3

    Building and taking apart

    Students take small pieces like blocks or snap cubes and build something new. They learn that the same set of pieces can come apart and turn into a different object.

  4. 4

    Plants, animals, and families

    Students look at how plants and animals live, grow, and meet their needs. They notice that baby animals look like their parents but not exactly the same.

  5. 5

    Weather and the seasons

    Students track the weather using a thermometer and a rain gauge. They draw simple weather charts and learn what to expect in spring, summer, fall, and winter.

  6. 6

    Caring for our place

    Students think like young engineers. They look at how people and animals get food, water, and shelter, and they share simple ideas for keeping their local land, water, and air clean.

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

  • Matter and Its Interactions

    K.PS1

    Students sort everyday objects by what they look like and feel like, noticing that materials such as wood, water, and metal have different properties.

  • Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer

    K.PS4

    Students learn that light and sound are types of waves. They explore how a drum makes noise, how a flashlight cuts through the dark, and how waves carry information from one place to another.

  • From Molecules to Organisms

    K.LS1

    Living things like plants and animals have body parts that help them survive. Students learn to spot those parts and explain what each one does.

  • Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

    K.LS3

    Students notice that baby animals look like their parents but not exactly alike. A puppy looks like its mother, but no two puppies in the litter are identical.

  • Earth’s Systems

    K.ESS2

    Students learn how the sky, land, and water around them change with the seasons and weather. They observe clouds, wind, and sunlight to describe what happens in the natural world.

  • Earth and Human Activity

    K.ESS3

    Students learn how Earth's resources, like water and soil, connect to everyday human needs. They also explore how weather and the environment shape the way people live.

  • Engineering Design

    K.ETS1

    Students look at a problem, think of a solution, and build or draw something to test whether it works.

  • Links Among Engineering, Technology, Science

    K.ETS2

    Students learn how the tools and objects people build connect to science and everyday life. A spoon, a wheel, a phone, each one solves a problem someone had. Wait, I used an em dash. Let me fix that. Students learn how the tools and objects people build connect to science and everyday life. A spoon, a wheel, a phone: each one solves a problem someone had. Hmm, that's 38 words and two sentences. Let me also check: no three-part rhythm issue with "spoon, wheel, phone" as a list of three. Let me reduce to two examples. Students learn how the tools and objects people build connect to science and everyday life. A spoon or a wheel solves a problem someone had, and science helps explain how. That's 36 words. Good. Let me review against all rules. - No em dashes or en dashes: good - No three-part rhythm: good - No curricular meta-language opener: good - Concrete: good - Doesn't restate title verbatim: good - 36 words: good Students learn how the tools and objects people build connect to science and everyday life. A spoon or a wheel solves a problem someone had, and science helps explain how.

Matter and Its Interactions

  • Plan and conduct an investigation using patterns to classify different kinds of…

    K.PS1.1

    Students sort everyday materials like wood, plastic, and fabric by what they can observe: color, texture, hardness, and whether the material soaks up water or bends. They also notice whether each material comes from nature or was made in a factory.

  • Conduct investigations to understand that matter can exist in different states

    K.PS1.2

    Students explore everyday materials like water, ice, and clay to learn that matter comes in two forms: solid and liquid. They observe how each one looks, feels, and behaves differently.

  • Construct an evidence-based account of how an object made of a small set of…

    K.PS1.3

    Students take apart a simple object built from blocks or cubes, then use those same pieces to build something new. The pieces don't change, just the shape they make together.

Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer

  • Record data from an investigation using senses to detect light, sound

    K.PS4.1

    Students observe light, sound, and vibrations up close, then record what they noticed. They might describe a ringing bell, a flashlight beam, or a surface that shakes when tapped.

From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

  • Use information from observations to identify the differences between plants…

    K.LS1.1

    Students look at real plants and animals and describe how they are different. They notice things like how each one moves, eats, and grows.

  • Recognize differences between living organisms and non-living materials and…

    K.LS1.2

    Students sort plants, animals, rocks, and other objects into two groups: living things and non-living things. They use what they can see, touch, or hear to decide which group each one belongs to.

  • Explain how animals, including humans, use their five senses to interact with…

    K.LS1.3

    Animals use their eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin to learn about the world around them. Students explore how each sense helps animals find food, stay safe, and respond to what's nearby.

Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

  • Collect and analyze observational data to show that young living things are like

    K.LS3.1

    Students look at pictures or real animals and plants to find ways baby creatures look like their parents and ways they look different. A puppy looks like a dog, but not exactly.

Earth’s Systems

  • Make observations to gather weather data

    K.ESS2.1

    Students step outside (or look out the window) and record what the weather is doing, using tools like a thermometer to measure temperature or a rain gauge to measure rainfall.

  • Use simple graphs and pictorial weather symbols to describe weather patterns…

    K.ESS2.2

    Students track weather by filling in picture charts showing sun, clouds, or rain each hour or day. Over time, those charts reveal patterns, like which type of weather shows up most often.

  • Develop and use models to predict weather and identify patterns in spring…

    K.ESS2.3

    Students learn the four seasons and what weather each one brings. They use drawings or simple charts to spot patterns, like why winter is cold and summer is warm.

Earth and Human Activity

  • Use a model to represent the way the environment meets the basic needs

    K.ESS3.1

    Students look at pictures or simple diagrams showing how animals and people get what they need from the place they live, like water from a stream or shelter from trees.

  • Explain the purpose of weather forecasting to prepare for

    K.ESS3.2

    Weather forecasts warn people about storms, ice, and other dangerous conditions before they arrive. Students learn why those forecasts matter and what families and communities do to stay safe.

  • Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact from humans on land, water…

    K.ESS3.3

    Students think of simple ways people can take better care of the land, water, and air nearby, then share those ideas with others.

Engineering Design

  • Apply an engineering design approach to identify and solve practical problems

    K.ETS1.1

    Students spot a simple problem, think of a way to fix it, and try out their idea to see if it works.

  • Use drawings and labels to communicate ideas and designs accurately

    K.ETS1.2

    Students sketch a design and label the parts so others can understand what it is and how it works.

  • Ask and answer questions about the scientific world and gather information…

    K.ETS1.3

    Students ask questions about the world around them and use their eyes, ears, hands, and nose to find answers.

Links Among Engineering, Technology, Science, and Society

  • Use appropriate tools

    K.ETS2.1

    Students pick the right tool for the job, like a magnifying glass to see something tiny or a small scale to compare weights, then use it to find an answer to a science question.

Common Questions
  • What does science look like this year?

    Students explore the world by sorting, watching, and asking questions. They learn about materials, plants and animals, weather, and the five senses. Most lessons happen by handling real objects and talking about what they notice, not by reading a textbook.

  • How can families build science thinking at home?

    Go outside and name what is happening. Talk about whether it is sunny, windy, or cold. Sort laundry by color or texture, point out which toys are hard or soft, and ask what plants and pets need to stay alive. Five minutes of noticing counts.

  • What does a child need to know by the end of the year?

    Students should sort objects by what they see and feel, tell living things from non-living things, name the four seasons and basic weather, and use their senses to describe the world. They should also be able to ask a question and try a simple test to answer it.

  • How should weather be sequenced across the year?

    Start in fall with daily weather watching using a thermometer and picture symbols. Build a class chart over each season so students can compare. By spring, students can predict tomorrow's weather from patterns and explain why a forecast matters during storms.

  • My child says science is just playing. Is that right?

    Most of the year is hands-on for a reason. Sorting blocks, watching a snail, or feeling rain are how five-year-olds gather evidence. The thinking shows up when students explain what they noticed and why.

  • Which topics usually need the most reteaching?

    Living versus non-living trips students up, especially with things like seeds, eggs, and water. The difference between weather and seasons also takes repeated practice. Plan to revisit both across the year instead of teaching them once.

  • What tools should be in the classroom?

    A thermometer, rain gauge, magnifying glasses, and a simple balance scale cover most of the year. Add picture cards for weather symbols and a sorting tray for materials. Students need to use the tools themselves, not just watch a demo.

  • How do I help if my child gets stuck on a science question?

    Ask what they see, hear, or feel before asking for an answer. Questions like What do you notice? and What changed? give students a way back in. It is fine to say I don't know, let's look together.