1st Grade
1st grade lesson plans, slideshows, and other resources for the EL Education curriculum
Math resources, lesson plans and curricular support for 1st grade
Science resources, including support for FOSS
1st Grade Resources
Other Resources
EL Education is the provider of the new ELA curriculum that has been adopted by OUSD for grades K-5, starting in the 2021-22 school year.* The curriculum is standards-based, and relies heavily on fiction and nonfiction trade books. OUSD teachers can find EL Education materials and lesson plans at EL Ed Central. While there are normally four modules in a school year, teachers can opt to teach three modules during this first year of adoption.
* OUSD Dual Language schools use the Benchmark Education curriculum for language instruction.
Fall
Tools and Work
Why do we need tools? How do habits of character help us do work? How do we create a magnificent thing?
A Chef's Tools by Holden Strauss
The Little Red Pen by Janet Stevens and Susan Crummel
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
Tools by Ann Morris
I Use Science Tools by Kellie L. Hicks
My Math Toolbox by Nancy Kelly Allen
Winter
The Sun, Moon, and Stars
Why do authors write about the sun, moon, and stars? What patterns can we observe in the sky? How do authors use their knowledge and observations to write a story?
What the Sun Sees, What the Moon Sees, by Nancy Tafuri
Does the Sun Sleep?: Noticing Sun, Moon, and Star Patterns, by Martha E.H. Rustad (
What Makes Day and Night, by Franlyn M. Branley (
Kitten’s First Full Moon, by Kevin Henkes
Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me
Sun and Moon, by Lindsey Yankey
Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky, by Elphinstone Dayrell
Summer Sun Risin’, by W. Nikola-Lisa
Spring
Birds' Amazing Bodies
What makes a bird a bird? How do birds use their body parts to survive? How do we build our research skills and share our learning?
Feathers: Not Just for Flying, by Melissa Stewart
Flight School, by Lita Judge
Little Kids First Big Book of Birds, by Catherine Hughes (1 per pair)
Birds, by Kevin Henkes
Just Ducks, by Nicola Davis
Beaks!, by Sneed Collard
Birds (Scholastic Discover More), by Penelope Arlon
Fall
Module 1
Counting, Comparison and Addition
Module 2
Addition and Subtraction Relationships
Winter
Module 3
Properties of Operations to Make Easier Problems
Module 4
Comparison and Composition of Length Measurements
Spring
Module 5
Place Value Concepts to Compare, Add, and Subtract
Module 6
Attributes of Shapes | Advancing Place Value, Addition, and Subtraction
For elementary science instruction, OUSD uses FOSS (Full Option Science System), a research-based science curriculum developed at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley. This curriculum emphasizes hands-on activities and is aligned to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The order of the three modules varies from school to school, depending on the rotation of physical science kits at each school site.
Physical Science
Sound and Light
How do sound and light interact with objects?
Investigations:
Sound and Vibrations
Changing Sound
Light and Shadows
Light and Mirrors
Fizz Quiz
Earth Science
Air and Weather
What is all around us?
What do we observe in the sky above us?
Investigations:
Exploring Air
Observing Sky
Wind Explorations
Looking for Change
Life Science
Plants and Animals
How do young plants and animals survive in their habitats?
Investigations:
Grass and grain seeds
Stems
Terrariums
Growth and Change
1st Grade Academic Milestones (for families)
