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Alaska Grade 1 Science
Explore Grade 1 science with a daylight observation activity, Alaska curriculum references, sound and living-things lessons, and related skill quizzes.
Focused lessons · Useful practice · Clear next steps
Standards source: Alaska Standards and Instruction, Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.
Notice daylight patterns, then explain the evidence
Alaska’s first-grade science document asks children to observe and graph daylight across the year. Start with what a child can see and describe: lighter or darker, longer or shorter, and what changed between observations. Alongside sky patterns, this grade develops ideas about sound, light, animal families, and the parts living things use.
Curriculum source: Alaska’s Grade 1 science document, part of the 2019 standards linked by the state science office.
An observation chart that a first grader can explain
Imagine a teacher-made example with three sets of picture cards labeled winter, spring, and fall. The winter set shows less daylight than the other two sets. These invented cards illustrate how to compare observations; they are not measurements from an Alaska community. Ask the child to arrange the cards and draw a chart showing the relative amounts of daylight.
Explain the result
A useful explanation is: ‘The winter pictures show a shorter time with daylight than the spring pictures. I used the pictures to compare them.’ The child points to evidence before making the comparison. Keep the same kind of observation in each set so the chart does not confuse the number of pictures with the amount of daylight.
What to check in a student’s explanation
If the child says a cloudy day means the sun has disappeared, separate cloud cover from whether it is daytime. If the chart has no labels, add the season names together. The state’s first-grade boundary uses relative daylight comparisons; calculating exact daylight hours is not needed for this target.
Plan the next activity
- Choose teacher-selected images or records from the same community at different times of year.
- Label each set, compare the daylight, and draw a simple picture chart.
- Ask the child to finish ‘I noticed…’ and point to the observation that supports the sentence.
Return to the Daylight lesson for a shorter explanation, then choose its related quiz. Another day, change the investigation: make a sound with a gently plucked string and describe the vibration. This connects observations to a cause instead of asking children to memorize a list of terms.
References behind this investigation
| Reference | Focus | State document |
|---|---|---|
| 1-ESS1-2 | Seasonal daylight comparisons | Read the requirement |
| 1-ESS1-1 | Sky and tide patterns | Read the requirement |
The Alaska reference includes tides in sky-pattern observations. First graders can notice a repeated pattern; explaining the mechanism that causes tides is outside this target’s assessment boundary.
Grade 1 Science: Learn, Practice, and Quiz
Read a short lesson, work through its example, and try a related science-area quiz. States organize these ideas differently; use your state standards to choose what matches your class.
Physical Science
Life Science
Earth & Space
Alaska Science by Grade
Every Alaska science center, grade 1 through grade 8.
Start With a Practice Test
Six grade 1 science practice tests, 14 questions each, no timer, instant scoring, and a written explanation for every question. They are short enough to read aloud together in one sitting. Each one opens right here.
Alaska Grade 1 Science Practice Test 1
Start here. A first look across a range of science ideas.
Start test 1 →
Alaska Grade 1 Science Practice Test 2
Another full set across a range of science ideas.
Start test 2 →
Alaska Grade 1 Science Practice Test 3
Another full set across a range of science ideas.
Start test 3 →
Alaska Grade 1 Science Practice Test 4
Another full set across a range of science ideas.
Start test 4 →
Alaska Grade 1 Science Practice Test 5
Another full set across a range of science ideas.
Start test 5 →
Alaska Grade 1 Science Practice Test 6
Another full set across a range of science ideas.
Start test 6 →
Grade 1 Science Skill Quizzes
Pick one science idea, answer 8 questions, and see exactly where it broke down. Every answer comes with a short explanation written for the grown-up reading along. Each quiz opens right here.
Sound and Vibrations
A short check on sound and vibrations, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
Start quiz →
Light, Seeing, and Shadows
A short check on light, seeing objects, and shadows, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
Start quiz →
Communicating with Light and Sound
A short check on using light or sound to send a message, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
Start quiz →
Plant and Animal Parts
A short check on the parts that help plants and animals survive, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
Start quiz →
Parents, Offspring, and Growing Up
A short check on how young plants and animals grow and resemble their parents, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
Start quiz →
Patterns in the Sky
A short check on the patterns of the sun, moon, and stars, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
Start quiz →
Daylight Through the Year
A short check on how daylight changes with the seasons, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
Start quiz →
Grade 1 Science Study Tools
A few minutes of review between practice tests, easy enough to do together. Both open right here.
Grade 1 Science Flashcards
All 56 words this grade is expected to know, written to be read aloud. Search the deck, filter by science area, star the tricky ones, and mark off what your child has down.
Start flashcards →
Grade 1 Science Quick Review
A short science review on one page, grouped by science area, with the vocabulary for each one.
Open quick review →
Build a balanced Grade 1 science review
Review sound and light, plant and animal parts, similarities between young organisms and parents, sky patterns, and simple design reasoning.
Choose one area from the lesson and quiz directory, then compare the learning goal with the Alaska curriculum references. Use the worked investigation above to practice explaining evidence before moving to a mixed test.
Alaska Grade 1 Science Standards
Use these brief study labels to locate a curriculum area. Read the official Grade 1 document for the requirements, examples, and boundaries. The list separates 9 grade-specific performance expectations from engineering work shared across Grades K–2.
Physical Science
- 1-PS4-1Sound and Vibrations
- 1-PS4-2Light and Seeing Objects
- 1-PS4-3Light Through Materials
- 1-PS4-4Sending Messages with Light and Sound
Life Science
- 1-LS1-1Learning from Plant and Animal Parts
- 1-LS1-2Parents and Their Young
- 1-LS3-1Similarities Between Young Organisms and Parents
Earth and Space Science
- 1-ESS1-1Patterns in the Sky
- 1-ESS1-2Daylight Through the Seasons
Engineering design: shared Grades K–2
These are grade-band expectations. See the state’s K–2 engineering section.
- K-2-ETS1-1Define a design problem
- K-2-ETS1-2Model a proposed solution
- K-2-ETS1-3Compare test results
Alaska Grade 1: Math and English Too
Science is one of three Alaska grade 1 centers. Same format, same standards-first approach, for the other two subjects.
Alaska Grade 1 Math
Six full practice tests, printable worksheets, step-by-step lessons, and Alaska math curriculum references.
Open the math center →Alaska Grade 1 English
Reading, writing, and language standards for Alaska grade 1, broken into short skill targets with practice for each one.
Open the English center →Alaska Grade 1 Science: planning questions
Does Alaska give a state science assessment in Grade 1?
Grade 1 is outside Alaska’s state science assessment grades. The state assessment is administered in Grades 5, 8, and 10. Consult your school and the state guidance for current testing arrangements. Read the state guidance.
Which curriculum source should I use for Grade 1?
Use Alaska’s 2019 science standards and the linked Grade 1 document. Engineering expectations cover Grades K–2 as a band. The study labels on this page help locate a topic; they do not reproduce the complete requirements. Read the state guidance.
How should we use the investigation and quizzes?
Read the worked investigation, ask the student to explain the evidence, and choose a lesson or related quiz for the next learning need. Follow the directions and access information in each resource. These independently published activities do not predict an official Alaska assessment score.
Grade 1 Science in Other States
Standards, practice tests, and quizzes for grade 1 science in every state and Washington, D.C.
Start With One Practice Test
Grade 1 is a building year for science in Alaska. Read a short practice test together, review the answer explanations, and choose one idea to explore next.
Start a practice testA USEFUL NEXT STEP
Alaska Grade 1 Science: study questions
Does Alaska give a state science assessment in Grade 1?
Grade 1 is outside Alaska’s state science assessment grades. The state assessment is administered in Grades 5, 8, and 10. Consult your school and the state guidance for current testing arrangements.
Official source ↗Which curriculum source should I use for Grade 1?
Use Alaska’s 2019 science standards and the linked Grade 1 document. Engineering expectations cover Grades K–2 as a band. The study labels on this page help locate a topic; they do not reproduce the complete requirements.
Official source ↗How should we use the investigation and quizzes?
Read the worked investigation, ask the student to explain the evidence, and choose a lesson or related quiz for the next learning need. Follow the directions and access information in each resource. These independently published activities do not predict an official Alaska assessment score.
Resources from Effortless Math · Editorial standards · Test details checked October 5, 2026