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Massachusetts Grade 1 Science

Massachusetts Grade 1 Science: explore science lessons, skill quizzes, practice tests, and standards references. Use evidence and answer explanations to guide review.

Focused lessons · Useful practice · Clear next steps

Standards source: Current Curriculum Frameworks, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

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

Sounds and VibrationsA sound starts when something vibrates.
LessonQuiz
Light Helps Us SeeWe need light to see an object.
LessonQuiz
Light and Different MaterialsSome materials let light pass through.
LessonQuiz
Sending a MessagePeople can use light or sound to send a message.
LessonQuiz

Life Science

Plant Parts Have JobsA plant has parts that help it live and grow.
LessonQuiz
Animal Parts Have JobsAnimals use body parts to meet their needs.
LessonQuiz
Parents and Their YoungMany animal parents help their young survive.
LessonQuiz
Young Living Things and Their ParentsYoung plants and animals can look like their parents.
LessonQuiz

Earth & Space

Patterns in the SkyWe can observe where the Sun, Moon, and stars appear in the sky.
LessonQuiz
Daylight Through the YearThe amount of daylight changes during the year.
LessonQuiz

Scientific Thinking

Looking Closely and RecordingAn observation tells what we notice.
LessonQuiz
A Small Design ChallengeA design is a plan to solve a problem.
LessonQuiz

Massachusetts Science by Grade

Every Massachusetts science center, grade 1 through grade 8.

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.

Massachusetts Grade 1 Science Topics

These are the 10 science standards Massachusetts sets for grade 1, from the 2016 Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, grouped the way the state groups them. Each one carries its official code so you can trace it straight back to the state document.

Massachusetts standard codes

Physical Science

  • 1-PS4-1Sound and Vibrations
  • 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

  • 1.K-2-ETS1-1Doing Science
  • 1.K-2-ETS1-2Generate multiple solutions to a design problem

Massachusetts Grade 1 Science Standards

Every grade 1 science standard in the 2016 Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework. If your Massachusetts classroom or report card mentions a code, you will find it here with its full wording.

Physical Science

  • 1-PS4-1Sound and VibrationsDemonstrate that vibrating materials can make sound and that sound can make materials vibrate.
  • 1-PS4-3Light Through MaterialsConduct an investigation to determine the effect of placing materials that transmit, partially transmit, block, or redirect light in the path of a light beam.
  • 1-PS4-4Sending Messages with Light and SoundUse tools and materials to design and build a device that uses light or sound to send a signal over a distance.

Life Science

  • 1-LS1-1Learning from Plant and Animal PartsUse evidence to explain how animals use body parts and senses to survive, and how plant roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits function.
  • 1-LS1-2Parents and Their YoungObtain information to compare ways in which the behavior of different animal parents and their offspring help the offspring to survive.
  • 1-LS3-1Similarities Between Young Organisms and ParentsUse information from observations (first-hand and from media) to identify similarities and differences among individual plants or animals of the same kind.

Earth and Space Science

  • 1-ESS1-1Patterns in the SkyUse observations of the Sun, Moon, and stars to describe that each appears to rise in one part of the sky, move across, and set.
  • 1-ESS1-2Daylight Through the SeasonsAnalyze provided data to identify relationships among seasonal patterns of change, including sunrise and sunset times, temperature, rainfall or snowfall, and environmental changes.

Engineering Design

  • 1.K-2-ETS1-1Doing ScienceAsk questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change that could be solved by improving an object or tool.
  • 1.K-2-ETS1-2Generate multiple solutions to a design problemGenerate multiple solutions to a design problem and make a drawing (plan) to represent one or more of the solutions.

Massachusetts Grade 1: Math and English Too

Science is one of three Massachusetts grade 1 centers. Same format, same standards-first approach, for the other two subjects.

Massachusetts Grade 1 Math

Six full practice tests, printable worksheets, step-by-step lessons, and every Massachusetts grade 1 math standard.

Open the math center →

Massachusetts Grade 1 English

Reading, writing, and language standards for Massachusetts grade 1, broken into short skill targets with practice for each one.

Open the English center →

Massachusetts Grade 1 Science FAQ

Does Massachusetts test science in grade 1?

There is no state science test in grades 1 and 2; Massachusetts administers the MCAS Science and Technology/Engineering test in grades 5 and 8 and in high school. The standards on this page are still what grade 1 teachers in Massachusetts teach, and they are what later science testing is built on.

Which standards does grade 1 science in Massachusetts follow?

Massachusetts follows the 2016 Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework. All 10 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 Massachusetts. Read a short practice test together, review the answer explanations, and choose one idea to explore next.

Start a practice test

A USEFUL NEXT STEP

Massachusetts Grade 1 Science: study questions

How should I choose a Grade 1 science study target?

Start with the course or standards reference for this state. Explain one idea before doing its related practice, then use the feedback to decide what needs another example.

Official source ↗
Are these activities official state assessments?

These are independently published learning resources. A practice score does not predict or replace an official state score. Use the directions in each activity and consult your school for official testing and accommodation rules.

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