What does science look like this year?

Students spend the year noticing how the world works. They push and pull objects to see what moves, watch how the sun warms the ground, track the weather, and figure out what plants and animals need to live. Most learning happens through hands-on play and careful looking.

How can I help with science at home?

Go outside and talk about what you see. Push a toy car hard, then softly, and ask which one went farther. Notice if the sidewalk feels hot or cool. Watch the clouds before a storm. These small moments are exactly what students practice in class.

Does a five-year-old really need to know about forces?

Not by name. Students just learn that a push or a pull makes things move, and that a harder push moves something farther or faster. Rolling balls, kicking, and pushing swings all count as practice.

How should pushes and pulls be sequenced across the year?

Start with free exploration of rolling and sliding objects, then move into comparing strong and gentle pushes. Save the design challenges, like building a ramp or a barrier to stop a ball, for later in the unit once students can describe what they see.

What does mastery look like by the end of the year?

Students can describe a pattern they noticed, like the sun warms a dark rock more than a light one, and back it up with something they saw. They can also suggest a simple fix, like adding shade, and explain why it might help.

Why is weather such a big part of the year?

Weather gives students daily, real evidence to talk about. Hurricanes and heavy rain are part of life in Louisiana, so students also learn what forecasts are for and how families get ready for severe weather. A home weather chat at dinner reinforces this.

Which topics usually need the most reteaching?

The design tasks tend to need extra time. Building a sun shade or a barrier to redirect a ball asks students to plan, test, and revise, which is new. Plan two or three rounds per challenge so students can try, see what failed, and adjust.

My child says plants and animals are the same because they both need water. Is that right?

Yes, that is a great start. Students are expected to notice shared needs like water, food, air, and a place to live. Ask what is different too, such as plants needing sunlight to grow while animals need to find food.

How do I know students are ready for first grade science?

Look for students who ask questions, suggest a way to test an idea, and point to something they saw as a reason. Reading and writing matter less than the habit of looking closely and explaining their thinking out loud.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year science becomes watching, asking, and trying things out. Students notice how a push or pull moves a toy, how the sun warms a sidewalk, and what plants and animals need to live. They track the weather day by day and start spotting patterns, like cooler mornings or rainy weeks. By spring, students can describe what an animal needs to survive and explain why a hat or shady spot keeps them cooler in the sun.

Pushes and pulls
Sunlight and shade
Weather patterns
What living things need
Caring for the environment
Severe weather

Source: Louisiana Louisiana Student Standards

Year at a glance

How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.

1
Pushes, pulls, and motion
Students start the year noticing how things move. They push and pull objects to see what happens when they use more force or change direction, like rolling a ball harder or steering a toy car.
2
Sunlight and warmth
Students notice how the sun warms the ground, the sidewalk, and the playground. They try out ways to keep a spot cooler, like building a small shade or cover.
3
What living things need
Students look at plants, animals, and people to figure out what each one needs to stay alive. They notice patterns around food, water, air, and shelter.
4
Weather watching
Students track the weather day by day and start spotting patterns across the week. They also learn why forecasts matter and how families get ready for storms.
5
Living things and their homes
Students match plants and animals to the places they live and look at how living things change their surroundings to get what they need. They also share simple ways people can take better care of the land and water nearby.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Kindergarten.

Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths…

K-PS2-1

Students push and pull objects to see how changing the force changes how far or fast the object moves. A harder push moves something farther; pushing from a different direction changes where it goes.
Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the…

K-PS2-2

Students test whether a push or pull made an object move faster, slower, or in a different direction. They look at what happened and decide if their design did what it was supposed to do.

Standard	Definition	Code
Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths…	Students push and pull objects to see how changing the force changes how far or fast the object moves. A harder push moves something farther; pushing from a different direction changes where it goes.	K-PS2-1
Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the…	Students test whether a push or pull made an object move faster, slower, or in a different direction. They look at what happened and decide if their design did what it was supposed to do.	K-PS2-2

Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths…

K-PS2-1

Students push and pull objects to see how changing the force changes how far or fast the object moves. A harder push moves something farther; pushing from a different direction changes where it goes.
Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the…

K-PS2-2

Students test whether a push or pull made an object move faster, slower, or in a different direction. They look at what happened and decide if their design did what it was supposed to do.

Standard	Definition	Code
Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths…	Students push and pull objects to see how changing the force changes how far or fast the object moves. A harder push moves something farther; pushing from a different direction changes where it goes.	K-PS2-1
Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the…	Students test whether a push or pull made an object move faster, slower, or in a different direction. They look at what happened and decide if their design did what it was supposed to do.	K-PS2-2

Energy

Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth's surface

K-PS3-1

Students watch what sunlight does to sand, soil, and water, then describe what they notice. The goal is seeing that sunlight warms the things it touches.
Use tools and materials to design and build a structure that will reduce the…

K-PS3-2

Students build something (like a small shade or shelter) to block sunlight and keep a spot cooler. The focus is on trying out materials and seeing which ones do the best job.

Standard	Definition	Code
Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth's surface	Students watch what sunlight does to sand, soil, and water, then describe what they notice. The goal is seeing that sunlight warms the things it touches.	K-PS3-1
Use tools and materials to design and build a structure that will reduce the…	Students build something (like a small shade or shelter) to block sunlight and keep a spot cooler. The focus is on trying out materials and seeing which ones do the best job.	K-PS3-2

Energy

Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth's surface

K-PS3-1

Students watch what sunlight does to sand, soil, and water, then describe what they notice. The goal is seeing that sunlight warms the things it touches.
Use tools and materials to design and build a structure that will reduce the…

K-PS3-2

Students build something (like a small shade or shelter) to block sunlight and keep a spot cooler. The focus is on trying out materials and seeing which ones do the best job.

Standard	Definition	Code
Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth's surface	Students watch what sunlight does to sand, soil, and water, then describe what they notice. The goal is seeing that sunlight warms the things it touches.	K-PS3-1
Use tools and materials to design and build a structure that will reduce the…	Students build something (like a small shade or shelter) to block sunlight and keep a spot cooler. The focus is on trying out materials and seeing which ones do the best job.	K-PS3-2

From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals

K-LS-1-1

Students watch real plants and animals and look for patterns in what keeps them alive. They learn that living things share basic needs: food, water, and a place to live.

Standard	Definition	Code
Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals	Students watch real plants and animals and look for patterns in what keeps them alive. They learn that living things share basic needs: food, water, and a place to live.	K-LS-1-1

From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals

K-LS-1-1

Students watch real plants and animals and look for patterns in what keeps them alive. They learn that living things share basic needs: food, water, and a place to live.

Standard	Definition	Code
Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals	Students watch real plants and animals and look for patterns in what keeps them alive. They learn that living things share basic needs: food, water, and a place to live.	K-LS-1-1

Earth's Systems

Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns…

K-ESS2-1

Students watch the weather outside and keep track of what they notice, like whether it's sunny, cloudy, or rainy, so they can spot patterns across days and seasons.
Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals

K-ESS2-2

Plants and animals change the world around them to get what they need. Students look at real examples and explain why those changes happen, like a bird building a nest or a beaver blocking a stream.

Standard	Definition	Code
Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns…	Students watch the weather outside and keep track of what they notice, like whether it's sunny, cloudy, or rainy, so they can spot patterns across days and seasons.	K-ESS2-1
Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals	Plants and animals change the world around them to get what they need. Students look at real examples and explain why those changes happen, like a bird building a nest or a beaver blocking a stream.	K-ESS2-2

Earth's Systems

Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns…

K-ESS2-1

Students watch the weather outside and keep track of what they notice, like whether it's sunny, cloudy, or rainy, so they can spot patterns across days and seasons.
Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals

K-ESS2-2

Plants and animals change the world around them to get what they need. Students look at real examples and explain why those changes happen, like a bird building a nest or a beaver blocking a stream.

Standard	Definition	Code
Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns…	Students watch the weather outside and keep track of what they notice, like whether it's sunny, cloudy, or rainy, so they can spot patterns across days and seasons.	K-ESS2-1
Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals	Plants and animals change the world around them to get what they need. Students look at real examples and explain why those changes happen, like a bird building a nest or a beaver blocking a stream.	K-ESS2-2

Earth and Human Activity

Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants…

K-ESS3-1

Students match animals and plants to the places they live, like fish in water or trees in a forest. They use pictures or simple models to show why that place meets what the living thing needs.
Ask questions to obtain information about the purpose of weather forecasting to…

K-ESS3-2

Students learn why weather forecasts matter by asking questions about storms, floods, and other severe weather. They explore how knowing what's coming helps people stay safe and get ready.
Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water…

K-ESS3-3

Students think of ways people can take better care of their neighborhood, like picking up trash or saving water, then share that idea with others.

Standard	Definition	Code
Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants…	Students match animals and plants to the places they live, like fish in water or trees in a forest. They use pictures or simple models to show why that place meets what the living thing needs.	K-ESS3-1
Ask questions to obtain information about the purpose of weather forecasting to…	Students learn why weather forecasts matter by asking questions about storms, floods, and other severe weather. They explore how knowing what's coming helps people stay safe and get ready.	K-ESS3-2
Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water…	Students think of ways people can take better care of their neighborhood, like picking up trash or saving water, then share that idea with others.	K-ESS3-3

Earth and Human Activity

Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants…

K-ESS3-1

Students match animals and plants to the places they live, like fish in water or trees in a forest. They use pictures or simple models to show why that place meets what the living thing needs.
Ask questions to obtain information about the purpose of weather forecasting to…

K-ESS3-2

Students learn why weather forecasts matter by asking questions about storms, floods, and other severe weather. They explore how knowing what's coming helps people stay safe and get ready.
Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water…

K-ESS3-3

Students think of ways people can take better care of their neighborhood, like picking up trash or saving water, then share that idea with others.

Standard	Definition	Code
Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants…	Students match animals and plants to the places they live, like fish in water or trees in a forest. They use pictures or simple models to show why that place meets what the living thing needs.	K-ESS3-1
Ask questions to obtain information about the purpose of weather forecasting to…	Students learn why weather forecasts matter by asking questions about storms, floods, and other severe weather. They explore how knowing what's coming helps people stay safe and get ready.	K-ESS3-2
Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water…	Students think of ways people can take better care of their neighborhood, like picking up trash or saving water, then share that idea with others.	K-ESS3-3

Common Questions

What does science look like this year?
Students spend the year noticing how the world works. They push and pull objects to see what moves, watch how the sun warms the ground, track the weather, and figure out what plants and animals need to live. Most learning happens through hands-on play and careful looking.
How can I help with science at home?
Go outside and talk about what you see. Push a toy car hard, then softly, and ask which one went farther. Notice if the sidewalk feels hot or cool. Watch the clouds before a storm. These small moments are exactly what students practice in class.
Does a five-year-old really need to know about forces?
Not by name. Students just learn that a push or a pull makes things move, and that a harder push moves something farther or faster. Rolling balls, kicking, and pushing swings all count as practice.
How should pushes and pulls be sequenced across the year?
Start with free exploration of rolling and sliding objects, then move into comparing strong and gentle pushes. Save the design challenges, like building a ramp or a barrier to stop a ball, for later in the unit once students can describe what they see.
What does mastery look like by the end of the year?
Students can describe a pattern they noticed, like the sun warms a dark rock more than a light one, and back it up with something they saw. They can also suggest a simple fix, like adding shade, and explain why it might help.
Why is weather such a big part of the year?
Weather gives students daily, real evidence to talk about. Hurricanes and heavy rain are part of life in Louisiana, so students also learn what forecasts are for and how families get ready for severe weather. A home weather chat at dinner reinforces this.
Which topics usually need the most reteaching?
The design tasks tend to need extra time. Building a sun shade or a barrier to redirect a ball asks students to plan, test, and revise, which is new. Plan two or three rounds per challenge so students can try, see what failed, and adjust.
My child says plants and animals are the same because they both need water. Is that right?
Yes, that is a great start. Students are expected to notice shared needs like water, food, air, and a place to live. Ask what is different too, such as plants needing sunlight to grow while animals need to find food.
How do I know students are ready for first grade science?
Look for students who ask questions, suggest a way to test an idea, and point to something they saw as a reason. Reading and writing matter less than the habit of looking closely and explaining their thinking out loud.