Learning about natural cycles is part of the lower elementary (K-3) NGSS science standards. In lower elementary grades, the NGSS introduces natural cycles through the core idea of "Earth's Systems." The focus is on observable, repeating patterns that students can directly experience and track.
The learning is developmental and spirals in complexity.
Kindergarten (K-ESS2-1): Students begin by making daily and seasonal observations of local weather. The goal is to identify simple, repeating patterns. They learn that weather changes from day to day, but seasons form a larger, predictable cycle of warmer and colder temperatures (e.g., summer follows spring every year).
First Grade (1-ESS1-1 and 1-ESS1-2): The focus expands to include space. Students use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted. They learn the cycle of day and night and how it repeats. They also study the changing appearance of the moon over a month, introducing the concept of lunar phases as a cycle.
Second Grade (2-LS2-1, 2-ESS2-3): Students explore the vital role of cycles in life science and earth science. They investigate the life cycles of living things (like plants and butterflies), understanding that birth, growth, reproduction, and death form a pattern. They also learn about the water cycle, focusing on how water collects on Earth and evaporates into the air.
The overarching goal is for students to recognize that cycles—whether daily, seasonal, or life-based—are predictable patterns that are a fundamental part of how our world works.
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