NGSS Standards Reference
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) describe what students should know and do in science at each grade level. Twenty-six states developed them with input from thousands of teachers. The standards cover three areas: core science ideas, concepts that connect across subjects, and hands-on investigation skills.
Our grade-level project collections reference specific NGSS codes. Each code describes one skill that students practice through investigation. This page lists every code we cite so you can see what it means.
Codes are grouped into four grade bands: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Each entry below shows the code and a short description of what the standard asks students to do.
Grades K-2
In the earliest grades, students explore the world through observation and simple tests. They describe patterns, record findings with drawings and words, and compare outcomes. The emphasis is on noticing what happens and asking why.
Physical Science
K-PS3-1 — Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth's surface. Students notice that sunlight warms objects and surfaces.
1-PS4-1 — Plan and conduct investigations to show that vibrating materials can make sound and that sound can make materials vibrate.
1-PS4-3 — Investigate the effect of placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light.
2-PS1-1 — Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties.
2-PS1-2 — Analyze data from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties best suited for an intended purpose.
2-PS1-4 — Construct an argument with evidence that some changes caused by heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot.
Life Science
K-LS1-1 — Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals need to survive.
1-LS1-1 — Design a solution to a human problem by copying how plants or animals use their outer parts to survive and grow.
1-LS3-1 — Make observations to show that young plants and animals are like, but not exactly like, their parents.
2-LS2-1 — Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and water to grow.
2-LS4-1 — Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.
Earth and Space Science
K-ESS2-1 — Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time.
Grades 3-5
In grades 3-5, students start planning their own tests. They learn to change one thing at a time and keep everything else the same. They record results in tables and graphs, then use that data to explain what happened and why.
Physical Science
3-PS2: Forces and Motion — Students investigate the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on motion. They explore cause-and-effect relationships in pushes, pulls, and magnetic interactions. Includes standards 3-PS2-1 through 3-PS2-4.
4-PS3-2 — Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.
4-PS4-1 — Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude and wavelength.
Life Science
3-LS3: Heredity — Students analyze data to show that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents. They use evidence to explain how the environment can influence traits. Includes standards 3-LS3-1 and 3-LS3-2.
4-LS1-1 — Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
4-LS1-2 — Use a model to show that animals take in information through their senses. They process it in the brain and respond in different ways.
Earth and Space Science
3-ESS2: Weather and Climate — Students represent weather data in tables and graphs to describe typical conditions during a particular season. They combine information to describe climates in different regions. Includes standards 3-ESS2-1 and 3-ESS2-2.
4-ESS2-1 — Make observations and measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation.
Engineering
3-5-ETS1-2 — Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints.
3-5-ETS1-3 — Plan and run fair tests where you control what changes. Look for weak points in a model or prototype that could be improved.
Grades 6-8
In middle school, students design their own experiments. They choose what to change (the independent variable), what to measure (the dependent variable), and what to keep the same (the controls). They learn to tell the difference between two things happening together and one thing actually causing the other.
Physical Science
MS-PS1-1 — Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures.
MS-PS1-5 — Build and use a model showing that atoms are not created or destroyed in a chemical reaction. The total mass stays the same.
Life Science
MS-LS4-4 — Use evidence to explain how differences in traits help some individuals in a population survive and reproduce better than others.
Engineering
MS-ETS1-2 — Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
Grades 9-12
High school students use math and computer models to predict what will happen in an experiment. They account for outside factors that could skew results and track how precise their measurements are. Data analysis at this level includes basic statistics and checking whether results are reliable.
Physical Science
HS-PS1-5 — Use evidence to explain how changing the temperature or concentration of substances affects how fast a chemical reaction happens.
This page lists only the standards referenced in our grade-level project collections. For the complete set of Next Generation Science Standards, visit nextgenscience.org.