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 worksheet on their own 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.

This worksheet is designed for 1st Grade students (Ages 6-7), aligned to NGSS standard 1-PS4-2. It can also be used as review for early students at the next grade level or as an introduction for advanced students.

Yes. This worksheet works for homeschool, classroom, and tutoring settings. Print individual pages for targeted practice, or print the full set as a packet. Works great as a morning warm-up, independent center activity, or fast-finisher task.

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.