Science instruction in the first grade builds upon the science skills developed in kindergarten and from the child's life experiences. Students have increasing opportunities to explore how living things change, how they interact with their environment, and how they acquire food.  Students discover that many objects are made of different parts and characteristics.  Students learn ways objects change, move, the materials of which they are composed, and their physical properties.  Students recognize and realize that natural resources are limited and can be extended by recycling or decreasing use.  First graders explore ways people learn about science through questioning, comparing, investigating, and observing.  

Grade One Indicators

Earth and Space Sciences

Earth Systems        

1.   Identify that resources are things that we get from the living (e.g., forests) and nonliving (e.g., minerals, water) environment and that resources are necessary to meet the needs and wants of a population.

2.      Explain that the supply of many resources is limited but the supply can be extended through careful use, decreased use, reusing and/or recycling.

Processes That Shape Earth        

3.   Explain that all organisms cause changes in the environment where they live; the changes can be very noticeable or slightly noticeable, fast or slow.  (e.g., spread of grass cover slowing soil erosion, tree roots slowly breaking sidewalks).

Life Sciences

Characteristics and Structure of Life       

1.   Explore that organisms, including people, have basic needs which include air, water, food, living space and shelter.

2.      Explain that food comes from sources other than grocery stores (e.g., farm crops, farm animals, oceans, lakes and forests).

3.      Explore that humans and other animals have body parts that help to seek, find and take in food when they are hungry (e.g., sharp teeth, flat teeth, good nose, sharp vision).

Diversity and Interdependence of  Life      

4.   Investigate that animals eat plants and/or other animals for food and may also use plants or other animals for shelter and nesting.

5.   Recognize that seasonal changes can influence the health, survival or activities of organisms.

Physical Sciences

Nature of Matter        

1.   Classify objects according to the materials they are made of and their physical properties.

2.      Investigate that water can change from liquid to solid or solid to liquid.

3.      Explore and observe that things can be done to materials to change their properties (e.g., heating, freezing, mixing, cutting, wetting, dissolving, bending, exposing to light).

4.      Explore changes that greatly change the properties of an object (e.g., burning paper) and changes that leave the properties largely unchanged (e.g., tearing paper).

Forces and Motion        

5.   Explore the effects some objects have on others even when the two objects might not touch (e.g., magnets).

6.      Investigate a variety of ways to make  things move and what causes them to change speed, direction and/or stop.

Nature of Energy          

7.   Explore how energy makes things work (e.g., batteries in a toy, electricity turning fan blades).

8.      Recognize that the Sun is an energy source that warms the land, air and water.

9.      Describe that energy can be obtained from many sources in many ways (e.g., food, gasoline, electricity or batteries).

Science and Technology

Understanding Technology       

1.   Explore that some kinds of materials are better suited than others for making something new (e.g., building materials used in the Three Little Pigs).

2.      Explain that when trying to build something or get something to work better, it helps to follow directions and ask someone who has done it before.

3.      Identify some materials that can be saved for community recycling projects (e.g., newspapers, glass and aluminum).

4.     Explore ways people use energy to cook their food and warm their homes  (e.g., wood, coal, natural gas, electricity).

5.     Identify how people can save energy by turning things off when they are not using them (e.g., lights and motors).

Abilities To Do Technological Design       

6.   Investigate that tools are used to help make things and some things cannot be made without tools.

7.   Explore that several steps are usually needed to make things (e.g., building    with blocks).

8.      Investigate that when parts are put together they can do things that they could not do by themselves (e.g., blocks, gears and wheels).

Scientific Inquiry

Doing Scientific Inquiry       

1.   Ask “what happens when” questions.

2.   Explore and pursue student-generated “what happens when” questions.

3.      Use appropriate safety procedures when completing scientific investigations.

4.      Work in a small group to complete an investigation and then share findings with others.

5.      Create individual conclusions about group findings.

6.      Use appropriate tools and simple equipment/instruments to safely gather scientific data (e.g., magnifiers, timers, simple balances and other appropriate tools).

7.      Make estimates to compare familiar lengths, weights and time intervals.

8.      Use oral, written and pictorial representation to communicate work.

9.      Describe things as accurately as possible and compare with the observations of others.

Scientific Ways of Knowing

Nature of Science        

1.   Discover that when a science investigation is done the same way multiple times, one can expect to get very similar results each time it is performed.

2.      Demonstrate good explanations based on evidence from investigations and observations.

Science and Society        

3.   Explain that everybody can do science, invent things and have scientific ideas no matter where they live.

K-2 Science Benchmarks

By the end of the K-2 program the learner will:

Earth and Space Sciences

A.     Observe constant and changing patterns of objects in the day and night sky.

B.      Explain that living things cause changes on Earth.

C.     Observe, describe and measure changes in the weather, both long term and short term.

      D.    Describe what resources are and recognize some are limited but can be extended through recycling or 

      decreased use.

Life Sciences

A.   Discover that there are living things, non-living things and pretend things and describe the basic needs of living things (organisms).

B.    Explain how organisms function and interact with their physical environment.

C.   Describe similarities and differences that exist among individuals of the same kind of plants and animals.

Physical Sciences

A.   Discover that many objects are made of parts that have different characteristics. Describe these characteristics and recognize ways an object may change.

B.    Recognize that light, sound and objects move in different ways.

C.   Recognize sources of energy and their uses.

Science and Technology

A.   Explain why people, when building or making something,  need to determine what it will be made of and how it will affect other people and the environment.

B.    Explain that to construct something requires planning, communication, problem solving and tools.

Scientific Inquiry

A.    Ask a testable question.

B.     Design and conduct  a simple investigation to explore a question.

C.     Gather and communicate information from careful observations and simple investigation through a variety of methods.

Scientific Ways of Knowing

A.   Recognize that there are different ways to carry out scientific investigations. Realize that investigations can be repeated under the same conditions with similar results and may have different explanations.

B.    Recognize the importance of respect for all living things.

C.   Recognize that diverse groups of people contribute to our understanding of the natural world.