Science — Grade 1

Resources on the web

Elementary ecosystems

Students are introduced to the basics of species interdependency within an ecosystem. They perform a simple simulation to see how one species can affect many others. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 Science)

Provided by: National Geographic

Designing a native plants garden

Students compare native vegetation in different parts of the United States. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Science and Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic

The Chesapeake Bay Watershed: A timeline of change, a model for change

In this Xpeditions lesson, students conduct research on the Chesapeake Bay, from Captain John Smith's explorations of Native American settlements in the early seventeenth century to the present, and examine how these changes over time can help people better... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 Science and Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic

Can we keep the lake clean?

This lesson introduces students to the water cycle by having them help draw a picture of a lake ecosystem, adding human impacts that affect water quality. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 Science and Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic

Butterfly 2: A butterfly's home

Students should explore how various organisms satisfy their needs in the environments in which they are typically found. Students will design their own butterfly gardens to demonstrate which environmental characteristics make up a favorable butterfly habitat. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Science)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Barbaloot suits: Preserving biodiversity

Students learn about how and why National Geographic Emerging Explorer Mark Olson studies plants. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 1–2 Science and Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic