Light and Dark

Start with something students can look at or think about: a photo, a short video, a jar on the windowsill, or a question like "what do you already know about light and dark?" Then let them work through the first item together as a class, then finish the rest independently or with a partner, keeping a word bank or anchor chart in view so the vocabulary stays available. When you review, ask students how they knew, and let them point to the part of the diagram or reading that told them. These light and dark worksheets work well as a lead in before an investigation, as a way to capture what students noticed afterward, or as review before an assessment.

These light and dark worksheets for 1st grade give students a clear, visual way to work through one of the big ideas in energy sound and light. Students label diagrams, sort and classify examples, read short explanations, and answer questions that ask them to say why, not just what. Each page keeps the science vocabulary front and center so students leave with the words they need to talk about light and dark accurately. Working through light and dark on paper gives 1st grade students something concrete to hold onto before, during, or after the hands on part of a lesson.

Yes, both. We made it for 1st Grade energy, sound and light, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with light and dark. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.

These worksheets teach first graders that light is necessary for us to see, and that when light is blocked or absent, in a dark room or behind an opaque object, we cannot see clearly. Students identify light sources, explore what objects look like in bright versus dim conditions, and begin to understand how light travels and what stops it.

Light and dark is typically introduced in Grade 1 as part of the light and energy unit. It is one of the most concrete and observable topics in early science, making it ideal for hands-on classroom investigations using flashlights, shadow boxes, and darkened areas of the room.

Explore a room with a flashlight on a dim day, turn the flashlight on and off and notice what you can and cannot see. Shine the light in different directions and discuss what happens. Then complete the worksheet to record observations and explain why light matters for seeing. Simple, direct investigation makes the concepts immediately real.

13 printable worksheets, all free to preview. Downloads are included with a ClassWeekly free trial, and every page prints on standard 8.5 x 11 paper.

These are written for 1st Grade students, roughly ages 6-7. Many teachers also use them a grade up for review or a grade down as an extension, so use the preview to judge the fit for a particular child.

Yes. Each one shows the NGSS code it covers on its own page, so you can check the alignment yourself rather than taking our word for it.

Yes. Nothing here assumes a classroom of 25, so they work the same one-to-one at the kitchen table as they do in a 1st Grade classroom, a literacy centre, or a tutoring session.