New Jersey Science — Grade 1
Comprehensive Course Syllabus
Course Overview
Our New Jersey Grade 1 Science course is designed around the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (NJSLS-S). The curriculum introduces young learners to living things, plants and animals, weather, seasonal patterns, light, sound, space, Earth's resources, engineering, and scientific investigation.
Students learn science through observation, questioning, simple experiments, hands-on activities, models, and real-world examples that encourage curiosity and evidence-based thinking.
Scientific Investigation & Engineering
Asking Scientific Questions
Students learn to observe their surroundings, ask questions, identify problems, and think about how they can investigate them.
Making Observations
Students use their senses and simple tools to observe, describe, compare, and record objects and events.
Collecting & Recording Data
Students organize observations using drawings, numbers, simple charts, and other age-appropriate representations.
Engineering Design
Students identify simple problems, imagine possible solutions, build models, test them, and improve their designs.
Plants & Living Things
What Makes Something Living?
Students identify characteristics of living things and distinguish living organisms from nonliving objects.
Plant Parts
Students explore roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds and learn how different parts help plants survive.
Plant Needs
Students investigate what plants need to grow, including water, light, air, nutrients, and suitable environmental conditions.
Plant Life Cycles
Students observe how plants grow and change from seeds into mature plants that can produce new seeds.
Animals & Their Needs
Animal Characteristics
Students observe similarities and differences among animals and identify basic physical characteristics.
Animal Needs
Students learn that animals need food, water, air, shelter, and appropriate environments to survive.
Animal Body Parts
Students explore how animal body parts help organisms move, eat, sense their surroundings, and survive.
Animal Behaviors
Students observe how animals use behaviors to find food, protect themselves, communicate, and adapt to their environments.
Life Cycles & Seasonal Patterns
Animal Life Cycles
Students compare the growth and development of different animals and recognize that animals change as they grow.
Parent & Offspring
Students compare young animals with their parents and identify similarities and differences in appearance and behavior.
Seasonal Patterns
Students observe how weather, daylight, plants, and animals change during different seasons.
Seasonal Adaptations
Students explore how plants and animals respond to seasonal changes in their environments.
Weather & Earth's Systems
Weather Patterns
Students observe and describe daily weather conditions such as temperature, precipitation, wind, and cloud cover.
Weather Data
Students record weather observations and use simple charts and graphs to identify patterns.
Seasonal Weather
Students compare weather conditions across different seasons and identify predictable patterns.
Severe Weather & Safety
Students learn about common weather hazards and basic safety practices for storms and other severe weather conditions.
Sun, Moon & Sky
Observing the Sky
Students observe objects in the sky, including the Sun, Moon, stars, and clouds.
Day & Night
Students explore patterns of daylight and darkness and develop an early understanding of Earth's daily cycle.
Sunlight & Earth's Surface
Students investigate how sunlight affects Earth's surface and contributes to warming.
Moon & Star Patterns
Students observe changes in the appearance and position of the Moon and recognize patterns in the night sky.
Light, Sound & Materials
Sources of Light
Students identify natural and artificial sources of light and investigate how light interacts with objects.
Shadows
Students explore how shadows form when objects block light and investigate how shadow size and position can change.
Sound
Students investigate how sounds are produced by vibrations and compare different sounds based on their characteristics.
Materials & Their Properties
Students observe and describe materials based on properties such as color, texture, flexibility, hardness, and ability to absorb or repel water.
Earth's Resources
Natural Resources
Students identify resources such as water, air, soil, plants, animals, sunlight, and rocks that people and living things depend on.
Soil & Rocks
Students observe different types of soil and rocks and compare their basic properties.
Water Resources
Students explore the importance of water for people, plants, animals, and Earth's ecosystems.
Conservation
Students learn how people can conserve water, energy, plants, animals, and other natural resources.
Ecosystems & Environment
Habitats
Students identify habitats and explain how they provide living things with food, water, shelter, and space.
Living Things & Their Environment
Students explore how plants and animals depend on their surroundings for survival.
Environmental Changes
Students investigate how changes to habitats can affect plants, animals, and people.
Caring for the Environment
Students learn practical ways to protect local environments and reduce waste.
Motion & Simple Engineering
Describing Motion
Students observe and describe how objects move from one location to another.
Pushes & Pulls
Students investigate how pushes and pulls can change an object's movement or direction.
Materials for Design
Students compare materials and select appropriate materials for simple engineering challenges.
Building & Testing Models
Students create simple models, test their designs, identify problems, and make improvements.
Science in Everyday Life
Science Around Us
Students recognize how science helps explain everyday observations and activities.
Health & Safety
Students explore basic concepts related to healthy living, personal safety, hygiene, nutrition, and caring for their surroundings.
Technology & Tools
Students learn how scientists and engineers use tools and technologies to observe, measure, communicate, and solve problems.
Science Careers
Students are introduced to scientists, engineers, veterinarians, environmental scientists, doctors, and other science-related careers.
STEM Exploration & Science Projects
Hands-On Science Experiments
Students conduct simple, safe investigations involving plants, weather, materials, light, sound, and motion.
Science Models
Students use drawings, physical models, diagrams, and demonstrations to explain scientific ideas.
STEM Challenges
Students solve age-appropriate engineering and science challenges using creativity, teamwork, and logical thinking.
Science Project Presentation
Students organize observations and findings and communicate what they learned through simple reports, models, posters, and presentations.
Teaching Methodology
Our Grade 1 Science classes focus on curiosity, observation, experimentation, hands-on learning, and scientific reasoning. Students learn through:
Learning Outcomes
By the end of Grade 1, students will be able to:
Assessment & Progress Tracking
Student progress is evaluated through: