---
title: 1st Grade Science Curriculum - Download a Sample Unit | KnowAtom
description: KnowAtom's 1st grade science curriculum is designed to meet Next Generation Science Standards for 1-ESS1-1. Contact a curriculum specialist to learn more.
image: https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/Sample_Curriculum/NGSS/binder-graphics/1-NGSS-Sample.png
---

# 1st Grade Next Generation Curriculum

In 1st grade, students become scientists and engineers as they explore different questions about the world around them and use their knowledge to solve real-world problems.

![1st Grade STEM Curriculum Next Generation Science Standards](https://www.knowatom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Sample_Curriculum/NGSS/binder-graphics/1-NGSS-Sample.png?width=496&height=355&name=1-NGSS-Sample.png)

### Download Sample Unit

## Select Unit Overview

Unit 1

Unit 2

Unit 3

Unit 4

Unit 5

Unit 6

Unit 7

Unit 8

Unit 9

### Unit 1: Patterns in the Sky

In **Unit 1 Patterns in the Sky,** students investigate patterns in the changing positions of the sun, moon, and stars in the sky. 

- Students create physical models to explore the causes of day and night and the moon cycle.
- They use first-hand observations and sundial models to analyze how the position of the sun in the sky resulting and shadows can be predicted.

**Standard(s) : **[1-ESS1-1](https://www.knowatom.com/1-ess1-1)

![NGSS 1st Grade STEM Curriculum - Patterns in the Sky Lesson Plan - 1-ESS1-1](https://www.knowatom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Knowatom-2017/Image/tabimg.png?width=542&height=408&name=tabimg.png)

### Unit 2: Changing Seasons

In **Unit 2 Changing Seasons,** students explore the relationship between Earth’s movement in the solar system and the changing seasons.

- Students explore seasonal patterns in the changing amounts of daylight, temperature, and the environment.

**Standard(s) : **[1-ESS1-2](https://www.knowatom.com/1-ess1-2)

 

![NGSS 1st Grade STEM Curriculum - Changing Seasons Lesson Plan - 1-ESS1-2](https://www.knowatom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Knowatom-2017/Image/Unit%20Images/MA/unit2-changingseason.jpg?width=542&height=408&name=unit2-changingseason.jpg)

### Unit 3: Seeds and Leaves

In **Unit 3 Seeds and Leaves,** students explore living things, beginning with an investigation into the differences between living and nonliving things.

- Students investigate what plants need to grow and develop the structures they need to survive.

**Standard(s) : **[1-LS1-1](https://www.knowatom.com/1-ls1-1), [1-LS3-1](https://www.knowatom.com/1-ls3-1)

![NGSS 1st Grade STEM Curriculum - Seeds and Leaves Lesson Plan - 1-LS1-1, 1-LS3-1](https://www.knowatom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Knowatom-2017/Image/Unit%20Images/MA/unit3-seeds-leaves.jpg?width=542&height=408&name=unit3-seeds-leaves.jpg)

### Unit 4: Animals on Earth

In **Unit 4 Animals on Earth,** students analyze how animals have body parts that help them survive and grow.

- Students investigate the structures of insects, by building insect models.
- They observe how ants use their body parts to get what they need to survive.

**Standard(s) : **[1-LS1-1](https://www.knowatom.com/1-ls1-1)

 

![NGSS 1st Grade STEM Curriculum - Animals on Earth Lesson Plan - 1-LS1-1](https://www.knowatom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Knowatom-2017/Image/Unit%20Images/MA/unit4-animals.jpg?width=542&height=408&name=unit4-animals.jpg)

### Unit 5: Mimicking Plants and Animals

In **Unit 5 Mimicking Plants and Animals,** students explore how plants and animals have different body parts to help them get what they need to survive and grow.

- Students apply what they know about plants and animal structures to design a prototype that can pick up litter.

**Standard(s) : **[1-LS1-1](https://www.knowatom.com/1-ls1-1), [K-2-ETS1-1](https://www.knowatom.com/k-2-ets1-1), [K-2-ETS1-2](https://www.knowatom.com/k-2-ets1-2), [K-2-ETS1-3](https://www.knowatom.com/k-2-ets1-3)

![NGSS 1st Grade STEM Curriculum - Mimicking Plants and Animals Lesson Plan - 1-LS1-1, K-2-ETS1-1, K-2-ETS1-2, K-2-ETS1-3](https://www.knowatom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Knowatom-2017/Image/Unit%20Images/MA/unit5-plants-animals.jpg?width=542&height=408&name=unit5-plants-animals.jpg)

### Unit 6: Animal Behaviors

In **Unit 6 Animal Behaviors,** students investigate how animal parents help their offspring survive by analyzing protecting, feeding and comforting behaviors.

- Students mimic the beaver’s behavior of building dams to design their own dams that solve the problem of protecting a town from a river’s flood water.

**Standard(s) : ** [1-LS1-1](https://www.knowatom.com/1-ls1-1), [1-LS1-2](https://www.knowatom.com/1-ls1-2), [1-LS3-1](https://www.knowatom.com/1-ls3-1), [K-2-ETS1-1](https://www.knowatom.com/k-2-ets1-1), [K-2-ETS1-2](https://www.knowatom.com/k-2-ets1-2), [K-2-ETS1-3](https://www.knowatom.com/k-2-ets1-3)

 

![NGSS 1st Grade STEM Curriculum - Animal Behaviors Lesson Plan - 1-LS1-1, 1-LS1-2, 1-LS3-1, K-2-ETS1-1, K-2-ETS1-2, K-2-ETS1-3](https://www.knowatom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Knowatom-2017/Image/Unit%20Images/MA/unit6-animal-behaviors.jpg?width=542&height=408&name=unit6-animal-behaviors.jpg)

### Unit 7: Hearing and Sound

In **Unit 7 Hearing and Sound,** students explore how some animals communicate using sound.

- Students investigate the cause-and-effect relationship between vibrating materials and sound, using their senses of hearing, touch, and sight.
- Students build kazoos using different materials for the membrane to see how the sound changes depending on the material used.

**Standard(s) : **[1-PS4-1](https://www.knowatom.com/1-ps4-1)

![NGSS 1st Grade STEM Curriculum - Hearing and Sound Lesson Plan - 1-PS4-1](https://www.knowatom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Knowatom-2017/Image/Unit%20Images/MA/unit7-hearing-sound.jpg?width=542&height=408&name=unit7-hearing-sound.jpg)

### Unit 8: Sight and Light

In **Unit 8 Sight and Light,** students continue to learn about senses, exploring the cause-and-effect relationship between sight and light.

- Students investigate how objects can only be seen when they are illuminated.
- They compare objects that produce their own light with objects that need an outside source of light to be illuminated.

**Standard(s) :  **[1-PS4-2](https://www.knowatom.com/1-ps4-2), [1-PS4-3](https://www.knowatom.com/1-ps4-3)

 

![NGSS 1st Grade STEM Curriculum - Sight and Light Lesson Plan - 1-PS4-2, 1-PS4-3](https://www.knowatom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Knowatom-2017/Image/Unit%20Images/MA/unit8-sight-light.jpg?width=542&height=408&name=unit8-sight-light.jpg)

### Unit 9: Communicating Over Distances

In **Unit 9 Communicating Over Distances,** students apply sound and light concepts from Unit 8 to design a communication device that uses either light or sound signals to send a message over a long distance.

**Standard(s) :  **[1-PS4-4](https://www.knowatom.com/1-ps4-4), [K-2-ETS1-1](https://www.knowatom.com/k-2-ets1-1), [K-2-ETS1-2](https://www.knowatom.com/k-2-ets1-2), [K-2-ETS1-3](https://www.knowatom.com/k-2-ets1-3)

![NGSS 1st Grade STEM Curriculum - Communicating Over Distances Lesson Plan - 1-PS4-4, K-2-ETS1-1, K-2-ETS1-2, K-2-ETS1-3](https://www.knowatom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Knowatom-2017/Image/Unit%20Images/MA/unit9-distances.jpg?width=542&height=408&name=unit9-distances.jpg)

## Take the Next Step

[Talk to Curriculum Specialist ](https://www.knowatom.com/cs/c/?cta_guid=fdb5a9f5-0348-470e-b117-ce865d938924&signature=AAH58kF_D_q3AoGwH13g8jBGsX-Epo0s5A&portal_id=347944&pageId=5429567040&placement_guid=1481b851-091b-430a-b003-a7b20c4f1f61&click=c5e17383-1a29-48d0-aed5-a9c317069f51&redirect_url=APefjpEXzX4WHD5U_Zx7wF8Tp78bArpkMu2XXMYKZs2XUGPoPesH0YkzPc_m7HKSQP4B0E68276OHVnnxTXO3lxRwjRs1iFKdJ5aCFYajY2ThjztE7orfFqBFUUza9869JidV6cOFwIa&hsutk=03ad84aaed20a53ed3f86f7bac04a314&canon=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.knowatom.com%2Fngss-2nd-grade&ts=1728983848575&__hstc=47010040.03ad84aaed20a53ed3f86f7bac04a314.1728983850117.1728983850117.1728983850117.1&__hssc=47010040.1.1728983850117&__hsfp=2296146515&contentType=standard-page)

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