Quick Links to Grade Levels

AdvancingSTEM is a K-5 complete STEM curriculum for the NGSS/NYS Science Learning Standards classroom. 

Electronic and printed reproduction and transmission of Advancing STEM teacher  manuals, students notebooks, and materials lists is prohibited and restricted to licensed users only.

The Grade 1 Experience

  • Curriculum Kit Titles and Downloads
  • Curriculum and Standards Story
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The four Grade 1 curriculum units cover the breadth and depth of every Grade 1 level New York State Standard.  Implementing all four titles during the Grade 1 school year will ensure your students are exposed to all standards,  science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts.
Click on the curriculum title to expand for curriculum resources and downloads.
behaviors and traits:  ANTS and PLants
Inherited Traits PowerPoint (presentation needed for Strand One: Elaborate session) 
Puppy Whines for Momma, Youtube (video needed for Strand Two: Explore session)
Bald Eagle Feeding its Babies, Youtube  (video needed for Strand Two: Explore session)
Mother Elephant Protects Calf from Tourists, YouTube (video needed for Strand Two: Explore session)
Cardinals Feeding Baby Birds, YouTube (video needed for Strand Two: Explore session)
Life - Venus Flytraps: Jaws of Death, YouTube (video needed for Strand Two: Explore session)
Tomato Plants Turning Toward the Sun Timelapse, YouTube (video needed for Strand Two: Explore session)
Animal Ant Teamwork, Youtube (video needed for Strand Two: Explore Session)
Army of Ants Working Together, Youtube (video needed for Strand Two:  Explore Session)

NYS Standard Topic:  Structure, Function, and Information Processing
  • Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that some young plants and animals are similar to, but not exactly like, their parents. 
  • Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.* 

Unit Overview 
Students explore, sort, compare, and experience the similarities, differences, and basic behaviors of animals.  Students discuss how animal and plant parents and offspring are very similar to each other but not the same.  Ants in this unit encourage careful observation using a hand lens, recording observations in words and pictures as students build on their intuitive ideas about the basic behaviors of animals.  As a result, students will design a solution to solve a human problem that mimics a plant or animal feature. 

Scheduling
This kit contains one strand and an engineering design assessment.
  • Strand One focuses on how offspring inherit certain traits from their parents and how parents help their offspring to survive.  The strand contains nine sessions, and two assessment sessions.
  • The Engineering Design Assessment requires students to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow and meet their needs.
  • Please note that a session may take more than one class period.
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Add video to your instruction
  • Plants - Length: 00:10:27, Visual Learning, 2012 - What exactly is a plant? This colorful program explains to students the difference between living and nonliving things as well as what a plant is, where plants live, and the different types of plants they might be familiar with.
  • Plants with Flowers - Length: 00:09:59, Visual Learning, 2012 - Flowers are everywhere. This wonderful video defines what a flower is and the parts that make up a flower, as well as the importance of flowering plants in our lives.
  • Trees - Length: 00:11:26, Visual Learning, 2012 - Exploring the world of trees this video defines what makes up a tree including the different parts of the tree. It also explains the difference between deciduous trees and coniferous trees and why trees are important parts of our lives.
  • What is an Amphibian? -  Length: 00:10:23, Visual Learning, 2011 - This colorful program explores the fascinating, and changeable features of amphibians. Concepts and terminology: cold-blooded, metamorphosis, frog, tadpole, toad, and salamander.
  • What is a Fish? - Length: 00:11:09, Visual Learning, 2011 - This lively video investigates the wide, colorful assortment of fish found on the planet. Concepts and terminology: saltwater, freshwater, cold-blooded, fins, backbone, eggs, scales, and gills.
  • What is a Mammal? - Length: 00:10:44, Visual Learning, 2011 - From dogs to squirrels to elephants, we are familiar with many different mammals. This video explores some of the fascinating features of this amazing group of animals. Concepts and terminology: backbone, fur, warm-blooded, milk, and live young.
  • What is an Insect? - Length: 00:10:31, Visual Learning, 2011 - This fascinating program takes a look at the major characteristics of familiar and unusual insects that swarm the planet. Concepts and terminology: invertebrate, six legs, and exoskeleton.
  • What is a Reptile? - Length: 00:10:56, Visual Learning, 2011 - This exciting video uses captivating footage to illustrate the exciting features of snakes, lizards, and turtles in their natural habitats. Concepts and terminology: cold-blooded, scales, shell, and eggs.
  • Cycles in Living Things - Length: 00:10:50, Visual Learning, 2012 - Crisp, vivid video footage illustrates how living things change throughout their lives. The life cycles of plants, insects, and frogs are the focus of this fascinating program.
  • Plant Life Cycles - Length: 00:10:15, Visual Learning, 2012 - This video explores the fascinating process of plant development from a small seed, growing into a beautiful plant, reproducing, and eventually dying.
  • Migration and Hibernation - Length: 00:10:20, Visual Learning, 2012 - Geese flying south is a sign that winter is arriving. Through numerous fascinating examples, this colorful program illustrates the migration of animals. Also explored is the amazing process of hibernation.
  • Investigating Heredity - Length: 00:10:00, Visual Learning, 2013 - This fascinating program helps students understand the basics of heredity. Acquired traits and inherited traits are defined and contrasted. Special emphasis is placed on some easy to understand human traits that are inherited. Concepts and terminology: characteristics, traits, and inheritance.
It's just a phase:  patterns in the sky
Daily Moon Phase 1
Daily Moon Phase 2
Vocabulary Video
Constellations Presentation

NYS Standard Topic:  Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles
  • Use observations of Sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted.
  • Make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year.

Unit Overview
What objects are in the sky and how do they seem to move?  During this unit, students will learn, observe, and describe the sky, as well as the concepts of patterns in the motion of Sun, moon, and stars.  Through collecting data of the Sun, moon, and stars, students will be able to predict future motion and determine patterns of these celestial bodies.
 
Scheduling
This kit contains two strands and a Project-Based Assessment.
  • Strand One focuses on patterns of the Sun at different times of the year. The first strand contains twelve sessions.
  • Strand Two focuses on patterns of the moon and stars.  The second strand contains nine sessions.
  • The assessment is Project-Based involving the patterns of the Sun and moon.  It is composed of at least four sessions. 
  • Please note that a session may take more than one class period.
  • There are no live materials in this kit.
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Add video to your instruction
  • Day and Night - Length: 00:10:04, Visual Learning, 2012 - What causes day and night? This engaging program uses vivid animations to help answer this often difficult-to-teach concept. The position of Earth and the sun, as well as the process of rotation are clearly illustrated.
  • Sun and Stars - Length: 00:10:46, Visual Learning, 2012 - This program investigates a very important star - our sun. The key features of our sun, as well as other stars are explored. Special attention is also given to other things in space such as asteroids and comets.
  • The Planets - Length: 00:20:49, Visual Learning, 2004 - ​Labels the various planets within our Solar System, determines which are the inner planets and which are the outer planets, as well as tells students about what each planet is made of.
  • Spring -  Length: 00:12:10, Visual Learning, 2011 -This video explores the features of spring, focusing on the unique habits of plants, animals, and people during this season. Additional concepts and terminology: season, sunlight, warmth, hibernation, migration, revolution, axis, and equinox.
  • Summer - Length: 00:12:013, Visual Learning, 2011 - Live-action, colorful footage illustrates the exciting, natural highlights of summer. Activities of plants and animals during the summer season are explored. Additional concepts and terminology include: growth, development, seeds, food storage, recreation, and solstice.
  • Fall - Length: 00:10:57, Visual Learning, 2011 - Crisp, colorful video footage illustrates the beautiful and fascinating features of the fall season. This video also takes a brief look into what causes the fall season. Concepts and terminology: autumn, foliage, seed dispersal, migration, hibernation, and harvest.
  • Winter - Length: 00:10:50, Visual Learning, 2011 - Snow-covered forests, animals foraging for food, and sports provide for an exciting glimpse into the wonders of the winter season. Concepts and terminology include: snow, ice, hibernation, winter sports, and winter solstice.
Lend me your hears:  discovering sound properties
Sounds and Solids: Visualizing Vibrations (video needed for Explore 1 session)
How to Make Water Chimes (video needed for Explore 2 session)
Energy Light and Sound (video needed for Explain 2 session)
Sound, Brain Pop Jr. (video needed for Explain 2 session)
Sound Wave Model, YouTube (video needed for Elaborate session)
Echolocation, Youtube (video needed for Elaboration session) 
Science of the String Phone, YouTube (video needed for Session 3 of the EDC)

NYS Standard Topic:  Waves: Light and Sound
  • Plan and conduct investigations to provide evidence that vibrating materials can make sound and that sound can make materials vibe.
  • Use tools and materials to design and build a device that uses light or sound to solve the problem of communicating over a distance.*

Unit Overview
What objects are in the sky and how do they seem to move?  During this unit, students will learn, observe, and describe the sky, as well as the concepts of patterns in the motion of Sun, moon, and stars.  Through collecting data of the Sun, moon, and stars, students will be able to predict future motion and determine patterns of these celestial bodies.
 
Scheduling
This kit contains two strands and a Project-Based Assessment.
  • Strand One focuses on patterns of the Sun at different times of the year. The first strand contains twelve sessions.
  • Strand Two focuses on patterns of the moon and stars.  The second strand contains nine sessions.
  • The assessment is Project-Based involving the patterns of the Sun and moon.  It is composed of at least four sessions. 
  • Please note that a session may take more than one class period.
  • There are no live materials in this kit.
​
Add video to your instruction
  • Vibrations and Waves - Length: 00:09:32, Visual Learning, 2013 - ​This program explores the fascinating features of vibrations and waves. Vivid examples of these phenomena help students understand how sounds are formed, how light travels, and how ocean waves move. Special attention is also given to some of the different types of waves such as microwaves, radio waves, and seismic waves. Concepts and terminology: vibration, energy, wave, light, and sound.
  • Exploring Sound - Length: 00:10:00, Visual Learning, 2013 - Almost every second of the day you are surrounded by sounds. Through easy-to-understand examples, this program helps students grasp how sounds are formed and how sound travels. Special attention is given to the different characteristics of sound and how we sense sound. Concepts and terminology: vibrations, ears, volume, and pitch.
Watt's so bright?:  discovering light properties
Light Presentation
Dr. Loopy Discusses Light

NYS Standard Topic:  Waves:  Light and Sound
  • Make observations (firsthand or from media) to construct an evidence based account that objects can be seen only when illuminated.
  • Plan and conduct an investigation to determine the effect of placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light.
  • Use tools and materials to design and build a device that uses light or sound to solve the problem of communicating over a distance.*

Unit Overview
Students will explore the physical science concept of light, and investigate how the phenomena travels.  Students will use flashlights to collect evidence of how light travels and how it interacts with different materials as they manipulate the path of light and experiment with several materials.  They will design a device to help communicate with light by the concept of a lighthouse.
 
Scheduling
This kit contains one strand and an Engineering Design Challenge. 
  • Strand One focuses on how light travels when various objects are placed in its path.  The first strand contains eight sessions.
  • The Engineering Design Challenge focuses on designing a communication device by using light.
  • Please note that a session may take more than one class period.
  • There are no live materials in this kit.
​
Add video to your instruction
  • Vibrations and Waves - Length: 00:09:32, Visual Learning, 2013 - This program explores the fascinating features of vibrations and waves. Vivid examples of these phenomena help students understand how sounds are formed, how light travels, and how ocean waves move. Special attention is also given to some of the different types of waves such as microwaves, radio waves, and seismic waves. Concepts and terminology: vibration, energy, wave, light, and sound.
  • What is Light? - Length: 00:09:59, Visual Learning, 2013 - What is light?  What are some of the ways we use light? This program helps students develop a basic understanding of these difficult questions. The fundamental characteristics of light are highlighted. Real life examples of things that produce light are described, as well as some of the many ways we use light. Concepts and terminology: night, day, solar energy, and reflect.
The table below shows how standard topics, science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts are distributed across curriculum titles.  
1 - Strand One, 2 - Strand Two, A - Assessment Strand
Note - number of strands vary from title to title.

(download Standards Map in PDF)
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The four Grade 1 curriculum units cover the breadth and depth of every Grade 1 level New York State Standard.  All four standard topics are explored in the depth appropriate for the Grade 1 student. 

The performance expectations in first grade help students formulate answers to questions such as: “What happens when materials vibrate? What happens when there is no light? What are some ways plants and animals meet their needs so that they can survive and grow? How are parents and their children similar and different? What objects are in the sky and how do they seem to move?”

Students are expected to develop understanding of the relationship between sound and vibrating materials as well as between the availability of light and ability to see objects. The idea that light travels from place to place can be understood by students at this level through determining the effect of placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light. Students are also expected to develop understanding of how plants and animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs as well as how behaviors of parents and offspring help the offspring survive. The understanding is developed that young plants and animals are like, but not exactly the same as, their parents. Students are able to observe, describe, and predict some patterns of the movement of objects in the sky.

The crosscutting concepts of patterns; cause and effect; structure and function; and influence of engineering, technology, and science on society and the natural world are called out as organizing concepts for these disciplinary core ideas.

In the first grade performance expectations, students are expected to demonstrate grade-appropriate proficiency in planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, constructing explanations and designing solutions, and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. Students are expected to use these practices to demonstrate understanding of the core ideas. 
Electronic and printed reproduction and transmission of Advancing STEM curriculum  manuals, students notebooks, and materials lists is prohibited and restricted to licensed users only.
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