Virginia State Standards for Science: Grade 1

VA.1.1. Scientific Investigation, Reasoning, and Logic: The student will conduct investigations in which a) differences in physical properties are observed using the senses; b) simple tools are used to enhance observations; c) objects or events are classified and arranged according to attributes or properties; d) observations and data are communicated orally and with simple graphs, pictures, written statements, and numbers; e) length, mass, and volume are measured using standard and nonstandard units; f) predictions are based on patterns of observation rather than random guesses; g) simple experiments are conducted to answer questions; and h) inferences are made and conclusions are drawn about familiar objects and events.

1.1.1. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to use their senses and simple tools, such as a magnifying glass, ruler, and thermometer, to enhance their observations of physical properties. 15
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.1.1.

1.1.2. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to classify and arrange objects or events according to at least two attributes or properties so that similarities and differences become apparent. 2
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.1.2.

1.1.3. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to communicate observations made and data collected orally and with simple graphs, pictures, written statements, and numbers. 16
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.1.3.

1.1.4. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to measure length, mass, and volume, using standard and nonstandard units and appropriate instruments. By the third grade, students will be expected to have basic facility with metric measures, including centimeters, grams, and liters. 47
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.1.4.

1.1.5. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to use familiar events and objects to make inferences and draw conclusions. 17
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.1.5.

1.1.6. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to predict outcomes based on actual observations and evidence rather than random guesses. 16
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.1.6.

1.1.7. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to answer questions by conducting simple experiments/investigations, using simple tools, such as thermometer, ruler, or magnifying glass. A simple experiment is one that changes only one thing at a time (tests only one variable), gives quick results, and provides easily observable changes. 15
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.1.7.

VA.1.2. Force, Motion, and Energy: The student will investigate and understand that moving objects exhibit different kinds of motion. Key concepts include a) objects may have straight, circular, and back and forth motions; b) objects may vibrate and produce sound; c) pushes or pulls can change the movement of an object; and d) the motion of objects may be observed in toys and in playground activities.

1.2.1. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to make and communicate observations about moving objects. Examples should include balls, objects with wheels, windup toys, tops, rubber bands, and playground equipment. 7
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.2.1.

1.2.2. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to predict an object's movement, using its size, shape, and the force of the push or pull on it. 10
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.2.2.

1.2.3. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to conduct a simple experiment to determine an object's movement. 14
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.2.3.

1.2.4. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to describe and classify the motion of an object as straight, circular, curved, or back-and-forth. 12
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.2.4.

1.2.5. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to understand that vibrations may create sound, such as humming, strumming a guitar, or plucking a rubber band. 5
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.2.5.

1.2.6. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to record observations of movement (length/distance), using standard (English/metric) and nonstandard units. 12
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.2.6.

1.2.7. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to compare the movement of objects, using graphs, pictures, and/or numbers. 17
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.2.7.

VA.1.3. Matter: The student will investigate and understand how different common materials interact with water. Key concepts include a) some liquids will separate when mixed with water, others will not; b) some common solids will dissolve in water, others will not; and c) some substances will dissolve more readily in hot water than in cold water.

1.3.1. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to describe and apply the term dissolve.

1.3.2. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to predict and describe how various materials (vinegar, milk, baking soda, powdered drink mix, sugar, salt, sand, oil, soil, rocks) act when mixed with water.

1.3.3. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to classify liquids and solids into those that will dissolve in water and those that will not. Use picture graphs, tables, and/or charts to record and display the information. 16
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.3.3.

1.3.4. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to infer that some substances will dissolve more easily in hot water than in cold water by conducting investigations using water at different temperatures. 5
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.3.4.

VA.1.4. Life Processes: The student will investigate and understand that plants have life needs and functional parts and can be classified according to certain characteristics. Key concepts include a) needs (food, air, water, light, and a place to grow); b) parts (seeds, roots, stems, leaves, blossoms, fruits); and c) characteristics (edible/nonedible, flowering/nonflowering, evergreen/deciduous).

1.4.1. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to conduct simple experiments/investigations related to plant needs by changing one variable (food, air, water, light, or place to grow) at a time. Students do not need to know the term variable. 2
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.4.1.

1.4.2. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to create and interpret a model/drawing of a plant, including seeds, roots, stems, leaves, blossoms, and fruits. 7
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.4.2.

1.4.3. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to identify the functions of the seed, root, stem, and leaf. 7
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.4.3.

1.4.4. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to classify plants by the characteristics of edible/nonedible, flowering/nonflowering, and evergreen/deciduous, using tables, charts, and picture graphs. 6
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.4.4.

VA.1.5. Life Processes: The student will investigate and understand that animals, including people, have life needs and specific physical characteristics and can be classified according to certain characteristics. Key concepts include a) life needs (air, food, water, and a suitable place to live); b) physical characteristics (body coverings, body shape, appendages, and methods of movement); and c) other characteristics (wild/tame, water homes/land homes).

1.5.1. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to make and communicate observations of live animals, including people, about their needs, physical characteristics, and where they live. 5
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.5.1.

1.5.2. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to describe the life needs of animals, including air, food, water, and a suitable place to live. 4
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.5.2.

1.5.3. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to identify and chart simple characteristics by which animals can be classified, including body coverings (hair, fur, feathers, scales, and shells), body shape, appendages (arms, legs, wings, fins, and tails), methods of movement (walking, crawling, flying, and swimming), wild or tame, and water homes or land homes. 34
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.5.3.

1.5.4. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to distinguish between wild animals (raccoon, hawk, squirrel, shark) and tame animals (dog, cat, sheep) and recognize examples of each. 24
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.5.4.

1.5.5. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to infer types of animal homes (water or land), using the physical characteristics of the animals, such as scales and fins that allow fish to live and move in water or fur and legs that allow dogs to live and move on land. 34
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.5.5.

1.5.6. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to classify animals by where they live (their homes). 37
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.5.6.

VA.1.6. Interrelationships in Earth/Space Systems: The student will investigate and understand the basic relationships between the sun and the Earth. Key concepts include a) the sun is the source of heat and light that warms the land, air, and water; and b) night and day are caused by the rotation of the Earth.

1.6.1. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to infer that sunlight striking an object makes the object warmer. 1
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.6.1.

1.6.2. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to conduct simple experiments to show how sunlight changes the temperature of land, air, and water. 13
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.6.2.

1.6.3. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to demonstrate and describe the concept of rotation. 6
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.6.3.

1.6.4. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to comprehend that day and night are caused by Earth's rotation. 6
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.6.4.

1.6.5. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to compare and contrast day and night by characteristic changes in temperature and light. 6
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.6.5.

1.6.6. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to model the rotation of Earth and its physical relationship to the sun. 6
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.6.6.

1.6.7. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to interpret the relationship between the sun's position in the sky and the general time of day. This includes the sun's relative position in the morning (East), at noon, and in the late afternoon (West). 6
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.6.7.

VA.1.7. Earth Patterns, Cycles, and Change: The student will investigate and understand the relationship of seasonal change and weather to the activities and life processes of plants and animals. Key concepts include a) how temperature, light, and precipitation bring about changes in plants (growth, budding, falling leaves, and wilting); b) how temperature, light, and precipitation bring about changes in animals (behaviors, hibernation, migration, body covering, and habitat); and c) how temperature, light, and precipitation bring about changes in people (dress, recreation, and work).

1.7.1. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to identify types of precipitation as rain, snow, and ice and the temperature conditions that result in each one. 12
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.7.1.

1.7.2. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to relate a temperature and precipitation chart to the corresponding season (daily or weekly). 5
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.7.2.

1.7.3. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to measure and chart changes in plants, including budding, growth, wilting, and losing leaves. Recognize in what season budding and wilting will most likely occur. 7
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.7.3.

1.7.4. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to predict how an outdoor plant would change through the seasons. 7
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.7.4.

1.7.5. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to compare and contrast the four seasons of spring, summer, fall (autumn) and winter in terms of temperature, light, and precipitation. 5
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.7.5.

1.7.6. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to compare and contrast the activities of some common animals (e.g., squirrels, chipmunks, butterflies, bees, ants, bats, and frogs) during summer and winter by describing changes in their behaviors and body covering. 19
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.7.6.

1.7.7. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to compare and contrast how some common plants (e.g., oak trees, pine trees, and lawn grass) appear during summer and winter. 22
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.7.7.

1.7.8. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to comprehend the concepts of hibernation, migration, and habitat, and describe how these relate to seasonal changes. (It may be useful to recognize common Virginia animals that hibernate and migrate, but specific names of animals is not the focus of student learning here.) 42
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.7.8.

1.7.9. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to infer from people's dress, recreational activities, and work activities what the season is. 9
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.7.9.

VA.1.8. Resources: The student will investigate and understand that natural resources are limited. Key concepts include a) identification of natural resources (plants and animals, water, air, land, minerals, forests, and soil); b) factors that affect air and water quality; and c) recycling, reusing, and reducing consumption of natural resources.

1.8.1. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to identify natural resources such as plants and animals, water, air, land, minerals, forests, and soil. 11
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.8.1.

1.8.2. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to recognize that many natural resources are limited. 11
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.8.2.

1.8.3. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to compare and contrast ways of conserving resources. This includes recycling, reusing, and reducing consumption of natural resources. 23
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.8.3.

1.8.4. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to classify factors that affect air and water quality. 3
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.8.4.

1.8.5. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to describe ways students and schools can help improve water and air quality in our communities. 3
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.8.5.

1.8.6. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to determine some basic factors that affect water quality by conducting simple investigations in the school environment. Students should be able to make and record observations of what happens to runoff water on rainy days. (Related to 1.3.) 4
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.8.6.

1.8.7. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to predict what would happen if natural resources were used up, and explain ways to prevent this from happening. 10
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.8.7.

1.8.8. Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes: Students should be able to discuss the value of parks to wildlife and to people. 1
Suggested Titles for Virginia Science State Standard 1.8.8.