CALIFORNIATHE GOLDEN STATE
California Grade 1 Science Online Center
No state science assessment in grade 1 or 2. The California Science Test (CAST) is given in grades 5 and 8 and once in high school. Grade 1 is where the habit of looking closely gets built, so this page keeps it small and hands-on: six short practice tests, 7 skill quizzes, and every California science standard for this grade, free.
Standards source: Content Standards, California Department of Education.
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California Science by Grade
Every California 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.
California Grade 1 Science Practice Test 1
Start here. A first look across every science idea for this grade.
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California Grade 1 Science Practice Test 2
Another full set across every science idea for this grade.
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California Grade 1 Science Practice Test 3
Another full set across every science idea for this grade.
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California Grade 1 Science Practice Test 4
Another full set across every science idea for this grade.
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California Grade 1 Science Practice Test 5
Another full set across every science idea for this grade.
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California Grade 1 Science Practice Test 6
Another full set across every science idea for this grade.
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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.
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Light, Seeing, and Shadows
A short check on light, seeing objects, and shadows, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Daylight Through the Year
A short check on how daylight changes with the seasons, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
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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.
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Grade 1 Science Quick Review
Every must-know idea for this grade on one page, grouped by science area, with the vocabulary for each one.
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California Grade 1 Science Topics
These are the 12 science standards California sets for grade 1, from the California Next Generation Science Standards (CA NGSS), grouped the way the state groups them. Each one carries its official code so you can trace it straight back to the state document.
Physical Science
- 1-PS4-1Sound and Vibrations
- 1-PS4-2Light and Seeing Objects
- 1-PS4-3Light Through Materials
- 1-PS4-4Doing Science
Life Science
- 1-LS1-1Plant and Animal Parts
- 1-LS1-2Parents and Offspring
- 1-LS3-1Young Look Like Their Parents
Earth and Space Science
- 1-ESS1-1Patterns in the Sky
- 1-ESS1-2Daylight and the Seasons
Engineering Design
- K-2-ETS1-1Engineering Design
- K-2-ETS1-2Engineering Design
- K-2-ETS1-3Engineering Design
California Grade 1 Science Standards
Every grade 1 science standard in the California Next Generation Science Standards (CA NGSS). If your California classroom or report card mentions a code, you will find it here with its full wording.
Physical Science
- 1-PS4-1Sound and VibrationsPlan and conduct investigations to provide evidence that vibrating materials can make sound and that sound can make materials vibrate.
- 1-PS4-2Light and Seeing ObjectsMake observations to construct an evidence-based account that objects in darkness can be seen only when illuminated.
- 1-PS4-3Light Through MaterialsPlan and conduct investigations to determine the effect of placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light.
- 1-PS4-4Doing ScienceUse tools and materials to design and build a device that uses light or sound to solve the problem of communicating over a distance.
Life Science
- 1-LS1-1Plant and Animal PartsUse materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use external parts to survive, grow, and meet needs.
- 1-LS1-2Parents and OffspringRead texts and use media to determine patterns in behavior of parents and offspring that help offspring survive.
- 1-LS3-1Young Look Like Their ParentsMake observations to construct an evidence-based account that young plants and animals are like, but not exactly like, their parents.
Earth and Space Science
- 1-ESS1-1Patterns in the SkyUse observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted.
- 1-ESS1-2Daylight and the SeasonsMake observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year.
Engineering Design
- K-2-ETS1-1Engineering DesignAsk questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change, to define a simple problem.
- K-2-ETS1-2Engineering DesignDevelop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a problem.
- K-2-ETS1-3Engineering DesignAnalyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.
California Grade 1: Math and English Too
Science is one of three California grade 1 centers. Same format, same standards-first approach, for the other two subjects.
California Grade 1 Math
Six full practice tests, printable worksheets, step-by-step lessons, and every California grade 1 math standard.
California Grade 1 English
Reading, writing, and language standards for California grade 1, broken into short skill targets with practice for each one.
California Grade 1 Science FAQ
Does California test science in grade 1?
No state science assessment in grade 1 or 2. The California Science Test (CAST) is given in grades 5 and 8 and once in high school. The standards on this page are still what grade 1 teachers in California teach, and they are what later science testing is built on.
Which standards does grade 1 science in California follow?
California follows the California Next Generation Science Standards (CA NGSS). All 12 of this grade’s standards are listed further down this page with their official codes.
How long are the practice tests?
Each of the six practice tests has 14 questions and no timer. A first grader can work through one in about ten to fifteen minutes, and there is no clock counting down while they think.
My child cannot read the questions yet. Can we still use this?
Yes, and that is how most families use it. The questions are written short and plain so you can read them aloud, and the explanation after each answer is written for you, not for the child. It says why the right answer is right and suggests something you can try together.
Is any of this free?
Yes. Every practice test and quiz on this page is free and needs no login. Progress is saved in your own browser and nowhere else.
What is the fastest way to use this page?
Do practice test 1 together, without helping. Look at the breakdown by science area, pick the weakest one, and do that skill quiz. There are 7 quizzes, one per idea, so you can work on the shaky part instead of everything at once.
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 California. Take a timed test, see which area is thinnest, and fix that one before it compounds.