Narrative and Rationale: The three bundles in this 1st grade model are characterized by the study of patterns of light, sound, and organism structure.

Bundle 1 centers on the theme of seeing objects, with a study of both light and solar patterns, and students could begin year-long observations of seasonal changes. Bundle 2 builds on the ideas about light and introduces a study of sound and communication. Bundle 3 introduces basic concepts of heredity, structure, and function relationships in organisms. Throughout the year, students have opportunities to build and apply their science knowledge through engineering practices and DCIs. In addition, the crosscutting concepts of patterns and structure and function can be a focus of instruction throughout the year. 

Narrative and Rationale: This first grade model is tied together with a thread relating to light, which can be connected through the four bundles. The first bundle focuses on seeing objects, and includes the foundational and challenging idea that light is necessary for us to see. The need for light is true whether viewing objects on Earth or in the sky. Bundle 2 extends the study of light to include its interaction with various materials, and applies ideas about light and sound to solve a problem. Bundle 3 is tied to organisms and sunlight, as part of a study of the structure and function of the external parts of plants and animals. In bundle 4, while students study plants and animals with a focus on the traits of parents and their offspring and behaviors of parents and offspring, the study of light is brought back in by looking back over student observations of the amount of daylight over the past year. 

What is the Thematic Model? In the thematic model, bundles are created to support a given theme.  The theme increases in depth and complexity throughout the school year.

What is the Topic Model? In the topic model, each bundle has a separate but related topic.

The example bundles are not intended to represent the only ways to organize courses, but rather to provide some well thought out, concrete examples of what bundles might look like.

From NGSS:

For each grade, two different examples are provided to motivate users to compare the different examples and think about what works in their local context:

• For each grade K-5, an example is provided that organizes the bundles based on the Topics arrangement of the NGSS and one that focuses on a particular theme that builds across each year.