What does a student learn in StateDistrict of Columbia,GradeGrade 1,SubjectScience?

Students learn to ask "why" and "how" questions about the world around them, then figure out which ones can actually be tested or solved. It's the habit of wondering with a purpose.

Students draw or build simple models to show how something in nature works or how a design solves a problem. A model might be a drawing of a cloud, a diagram of a plant, or a sketch of a bridge.

Students plan a simple test, gather information from it, and use what they find to check whether their idea holds up.

Students look at information collected during an investigation and describe what they notice. They spot patterns, like which plant grew tallest or which material got wettest fastest.

Students use counting, simple math, or basic patterns to explain what they observed. For example, they might count how many seeds sprouted or compare measurements to decide which object is heavier.

Students look at what they observed or tested, then use that evidence to explain why something happened or to come up with a way to fix a problem.

Students look at two possible explanations or solutions, then use what they observed or tested to argue which one holds up better.

Students gather facts from books, pictures, or a teacher's explanation, then share what they found through drawings, words, or simple charts.

Students touch, sort, and describe everyday materials to figure out what they are made of and why they behave the way they do. They learn that the stuff around them has structure, even when it is too small to see.

Students push, pull, and nudge objects to see what makes them move, speed up, slow down, or stay still. Simple experiments show why a heavy block is harder to shift than a light one.

Students explore how energy shows up in different forms, like light, heat, and sound, and notice what happens when energy moves from one place to another. They also observe that energy is not lost, just changed.

Students explore how waves move energy from place to place, like sound traveling through air or light bouncing off a mirror. They also look at how waves carry information, the way a phone call or a radio signal does.

Students look at how living things are built and how they work, from tiny parts inside a plant or animal to the bigger systems that keep it alive.

Students look at how plants, animals, and other living things in a place depend on each other for food and survival. They explore how energy moves from the sun to plants to animals and back into the soil.

Students look at plants or animals and notice which features (like leaf shape or fur color) get passed from parents to offspring, and which ones turn out different.

Students look closely at plants and animals to see what makes them alike and what makes them different. Over time, living things change in ways that help them survive.

Students look at patterns in how the sun, moon, and stars move across the sky, and learn how Earth fits into the larger solar system.

Students look at how land, water, air, and living things work together on Earth. They explore what happens when one part changes and how that affects the others.

Students look at how people change the land, water, and air around them, and what happens when floods, storms, or other natural events disrupt everyday life.

Students look at a problem, come up with ideas to fix it, then test and improve their best idea. It's the same loop engineers use: try it, see what breaks, make it better.

Students explore how inventions change everyday life and how people's needs shape what engineers build next.