Each volume of Read and Understand Science contains 27 nonfiction and realistic fiction stories that present science content. The stories address objectives drawn from the National Science Education Standards. There are stories in the areas of life science, physical science, earth & space science, and science & technology. Each two-page story is followed by three pages of activities: comprehension, vocabulary, and a related science or language arts activity. Answer key included. 144 pages.

Read and Understand Science, Grades 1-2 presents stories that range from beginning first to beginning third in readability. The stories for grades 1-2 are comprised of four half pages. Students cut the pages and staple them together to create four-page minibooks. 

Topics presented include:

Life Science - leaves, baby/parent resemblance, growth needs of plants, animal tracks, the sea otter, tadpole to frog, the five senses and skeleton

Physical Science - sink and float, light, properties of materials, combining materials, states of matter, water vapor, water freezing, surface tension

Earth & Space Science - the sun, air, erosion, gravity, Earth's rotation, composting

Science & Technology - measuring temperature, machines, improving the function of a design

Contains teacher support pages, reproducible student pages and an answer key.