1-ESS1-1: Patterns of the Sun, Moon and stars
What students must show for performance expectation 1-ESS1-1, with a lesson sequence built on live data, the misconceptions to expect, and assessment questions with answers.
Last updated . Curriculum links last reviewed November 2026.
What students must show
Our summary- Students use what they see, first-hand or in pictures and video, to describe patterns in the sky that repeat.
- Students predict those patterns: the Sun and the Moon rise in one part of the sky, cross it and set; stars are seen at night.
The rising, crossing and setting of the Sun and the Moon, and stars being visible at night.
Star patterns beyond "stars are seen at night, not in the daytime".
Our summary, in our own words. Read the official wording.
The three dimensions
Grade 1Analyzing and interpreting data
Use observations to describe patterns in nature.
ESS1.A The universe and its stars
The Sun, the Moon and the stars move in patterns we can observe, describe and predict.
Patterns
Patterns in nature can be observed and used as evidence.
Live tools for this standard
3 toolsLesson sequence
Engage to evaluate- Engage10 min
Ask where the Sun is when the class arrives, at lunch and at home time. Students point. Show the live Moon: is the Moon up right now? Start a class chart with three rows: "The Sun...", "The Moon...", "The stars...".
- Explore3 x 5 min
Go outside three times in one day. Stand in the same spot each time and, without looking at the Sun, point to where it is over the school building. Draw it on the same outline each time.
- Explain15 min
Put the three drawings in order: the Sun was low on one side, high at lunch and moving to the other side. Check Moonrise Tonight together: the Moon rises and sets too, at a different time each day.
- Evaluate10 min
Each student finishes the sentence "Tomorrow at lunch the Sun will be ___ because ___". Send the Moon diary home for a week.
Common misconceptions
3 to watch forThe Sun goes round the Earth.
The Earth turns; the Sun just appears to travel over us.
Turn slowly on the spot while facing a lamp: the lamp seems to sweep past you. Grade 1 only needs the pattern, but this answers the question.
The Moon only comes out at night.
For about half of every month the Moon is up for part of the day.
Use Moonrise Tonight to find a day when the Moon rises before school ends, then look for it from the playground.
The stars go away in the daytime.
The stars are still there; the bright daytime sky hides them.
Shine a flashlight in a dark room, then switch on all the lights: the flashlight is still on, it is just harder to see.
Assessment questions
Answers folded away1-ESS1-1: Patterns of the Sun, Moon and stars · orbitalradar.com/schools/us/standards/1-ess1-1
- In the morning the Sun is low on one side of the sky. Where will it be at lunchtime?
- In the same place
- Higher in the sky
- It will have set
- When can you see the stars?
- Only at night
- Only in the daytime
- All day and all night
- Draw the sky at night. What must your picture show?
- Can you sometimes see the Moon in the daytime? How do you know?
- Look at Moonrise Tonight for our town. When does the Moon rise today? Will it be up at your bedtime?
Answer key
- Higher in the sky.
- Only at night: the daytime sky is too bright.
- Stars, and the Moon if it is up. No Sun.
- Yes: we saw it from the playground, and Moonrise Tonight showed it was up.
- It depends on the day: compare the moonrise time with bedtime.
Worksheet
US LetterOne page on US Letter, filled in with live numbers when you open it. Teacher notes and answers included.
The same idea in state standards
Texas, Florida, Georgia- Texas: K.9A, K.9B
- Florida: SC.K.E.5.2, SC.K.E.5.4, SC.1.E.5.1
- Georgia: SKE1, S2E2.d
Related, not equivalent: each state words and groups its standards differently.
More standards pages
Grade 1About these codes
These are our suggestions for where each tool fits. Always preview a page before using it with a class: some tools show ads, these school pages do not.
Codes are performance expectations of the Next Generation Science Standards*, for example 5-ESS1-2. Each summary is our own wording; follow the link on a standard page for the official text.
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Cite this page
Pick a style, then copy it or download it for your reference manager.Orbital Radar. (2026, November 6). 1-ESS1-1: Patterns of the Sun, Moon and stars. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://orbitalradar.com/schools/us/standards/1-ess1-1
“1-ESS1-1: Patterns of the Sun, Moon and stars.” Orbital Radar, 6 Nov. 2026, orbitalradar.com/schools/us/standards/1-ess1-1. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.
Orbital Radar (2026) 1-ESS1-1: Patterns of the Sun, Moon and stars. Available at: https://orbitalradar.com/schools/us/standards/1-ess1-1 (Accessed: 6 November 2026).
Orbital Radar. “1-ESS1-1: Patterns of the Sun, Moon and stars.” Last modified November 6, 2026. https://orbitalradar.com/schools/us/standards/1-ess1-1.
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* Next Generation Science Standards is a registered trademark of WestEd. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.