1st grade Science: how to help at home
What your child learns in 1st grade science in the Alabama Course of Study, and simple things to try at home.
Focus areas this year
- Light and sound, plant and animal parts, parents and young, and patterns in the sky
- Science and engineering practices: planning simple tests and designing solutions
- Engineering design: solving real problems in Alabama and beyond
Easy ways to practice science at home
- Go on a nature walk and name what you see: leaves, bugs, clouds, puddles.
- Plant a bean seed and check it together each day.
- Ask “What do you notice?” before you explain anything.
- Talk about the weather each morning and what to wear for it.
What each unit covers
Light & Sound
Sources of light and sound, loud and quiet, high and low sounds, shadows, and how light passes through glass but not walls.
Light and Sound
Sound is made by vibrations and can bounce, travel and be absorbed. Light comes from sources such as the Sun, fire and electricity, travels in straight lines and bounces off surfaces. Children also learn to protect their eyes and ears.
Signals Far Away
Practices how light and sound can carry a message over a distance, from flashlights and whistles to drums and signal flags, and how to design a simple signal.
Animal Survival
Body features (thick fur, webbed feet, shells, camouflage) and behaviors (hibernating, migrating, storing food) that help animals survive.
Animal Features
Noticing body parts like fur, feathers, fins and shells, and how features help animals and plants live where they do.
Plant Parts at Work
Practices what each outside part of a plant does to help it survive and grow, from roots that drink water to thorns that keep animals away.
Ideas from Nature
Practices how plants and animals use their outside parts to survive, and how people copy those parts to design solutions, like burrs and hook-and-loop straps.
Our Bodies & Senses
The five senses, the body part linked to each, and the jobs of the heart, lungs, brain, bones and stomach.
Parents & Babies
Practices how animal parents feed, protect and teach their young, and how young plants and animals are like, but not exactly like, their parents.
Bird, Mammal & Fish Life Cycles
Practices the basic life cycles of a bird (egg, chick, adult), a mammal (born live, young drinks milk, adult) and a fish (egg, fry, adult).
Sky & Seasons
Day and night, the sun, moon and stars (the moon reflects sunlight), and the order of the seasons.
Sun & Moon Patterns
Practices the pattern of the Sun's position through the day, how shadows change, and how the Moon seems to change shape over about a month. Remind your child never to look straight at the Sun.
What the report card levels look like at home
- Beginning
- Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Approaching
- Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practicing the tricky parts.
- Meeting
- Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Exceeding
- Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Your child’s teacher decides the level on the report card. Read the Alabama report card guide.
Common questions
Go on a nature walk and name what you see: leaves, bugs, clouds, puddles. Plant a bean seed and check it together each day. Keep sessions short, about 10 to 15 minutes, and stop on a success.
The Alabama Course of Study 1st grade science units include Light & Sound, Light and Sound, Signals Far Away, Animal Survival, Animal Features, Plant Parts at Work.
Free printable 1st grade science practice sheet
Questions from every unit, with an answer key.