WGU D671: Elementary Science Curriculum

What D671 Is and Why It Sits in Your Elementary Ed Program

D671, Elementary Science Curriculum, is a School of Education course that prepares future elementary teachers to build and teach an inquiry-based science program. According to WGU's official Bachelor of Arts, Elementary Education program guidebook, the course is worth 3 competency units and centers on developing a science curriculum that aligns with current educational standards and reflects the way modern science is taught: through disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. In plain terms, you study how young learners come to understand science, and you build the content knowledge to teach it well.

Direct answer: To pass D671, focus on genuinely understanding the major concepts of earth, life, and physical science at an elementary-teaching level, plus how to analyze and align science standards and instructional resources. Study with active recall and practice questions rather than passive rereading, and make sure you can explain each big idea in your own words before you sit the assessment.

You will usually meet D671 as part of the elementary education degree sequence, often alongside its companion course on science and engineering methods. If you are an adult learner who has not touched earth or physical science since your own school days, this course can feel like a lot of ground at once. That is normal. The scope is broad, but the depth expected is the depth an elementary teacher needs, not a specialist's. Keep that framing in mind and the workload becomes much more approachable.

What the D671 Assessment Actually Covers

Based on WGU's published competencies for the course, D671 asks you to demonstrate command of four connected areas. Expect the assessment to draw across all of them:

• Analyzing elementary science standards and resources — reading science standards, judging whether a lesson or resource aligns to an intended learning outcome, and selecting materials that fit the standard and the age group.
• Major concepts in the earth and space sciences — topics such as Earth's systems, weather and climate, rocks and the rock cycle, water, and Earth's place in the solar system, at the level an elementary teacher explains them.
• Major concepts in the life sciences — living things and their needs, structure and function, life cycles, ecosystems and food webs, heredity, and how organisms interact with their environment.
• Major concepts in the physical sciences — matter and its properties, forces and motion, energy, sound, light, and simple chemistry and physics ideas appropriate for young learners.

Threading through all of these is the three-dimensional view of science instruction: the core ideas themselves, the practices scientists and engineers use (asking questions, planning investigations, analyzing data), and crosscutting concepts such as patterns, cause and effect, and systems. You are not just recalling facts; you are showing you understand the science and how it fits a coherent curriculum.

How Hard Is D671, Really?

D671 is a knowledge-based course rather than a heavy writing project, and it is assessed by an objective exam, so your job is to learn and retain content rather than draft a long paper. Many students describe it as manageable but wide: the challenge is the breadth of three science domains plus standards analysis, not the difficulty of any single idea. If you already have a science background or recent teaching experience, you may move quickly. If science is rusty for you, budget more time and expect the earth and physical science sections to demand the most review.

A realistic pace for most working adults is a few focused weeks, studying in regular short sessions rather than marathon cramming. Because the material spans several fields, spacing your study over more days does far more for retention than a couple of long nights. Use any pre-assessment or practice check your course offers as your compass: it tells you which of the four areas is weakest so you can spend your limited hours where they count.

A Study Plan That Fits Elementary Science Content

The content here rewards a specific set of study tactics. Try building your weeks around these:

• Map the four competency areas first. Before you study anything, list the earth, life, and physical science topics plus standards analysis, and rate your confidence in each. This turns a vague, intimidating subject into a checklist you can actually work through.
• Use active recall, not rereading. After a topic, close the material and write or say everything you remember about, for example, the rock cycle or food webs. The gaps you find are exactly what to restudy. This is far more effective than highlighting.
• Space your review across days. Revisit each science domain several times over the course rather than once. Spaced repetition, including a modest set of flashcards for vocabulary like photosynthesis, erosion, or states of matter, locks terms in for the exam.
• Practice test yourself often. Answer practice questions and any coaching-report or pre-assessment items, then review every miss until you can explain why the right answer is right. Practice testing is one of the strongest predictors of exam readiness.
• Teach it in kid-friendly language. Since you are training to teach children, explain each concept as if to a fourth grader. If you can do that cleanly, you understand it well enough for the assessment.
• Tie concepts to standards. For a sample science standard, practice choosing an aligned activity and rejecting a misaligned one. That mirrors the standards-analysis competency directly.

Where D671 Students Trip Up

A few patterns cause avoidable trouble in this course. Watch for them:

• Underestimating the breadth. Because it is a single course, some students study one science domain well and skim the others. The assessment pulls from all four areas, so balance your time.
• Confusing D671 with its methods companion. D671 is about curriculum and science content knowledge; the separate methods course leans into hands-on teaching strategies. Study the content this course expects rather than only pedagogy.
• Memorizing terms without understanding. Objective questions often ask you to apply a concept, not just define it. Know why matter changes state, not only the word for it.
• Ignoring the standards-analysis piece. It is easy to focus on science facts and forget the competency about analyzing and aligning standards and resources. Give it real practice.
• Skipping the practice check. Students who go straight to the assessment without using available practice questions miss the chance to find and fix their weak domain first.

Your D671 Readiness Checklist

Before you schedule the assessment, work through these self-checks. If you can honestly say yes to most, you are close:

• Can you explain the three dimensions of modern science instruction (core ideas, practices, crosscutting concepts) in your own words?
• Can you describe major earth and space science concepts such as Earth's systems, weather, and the rock cycle at an elementary level?
• Can you explain key life science ideas like life cycles, ecosystems, food webs, and basic heredity?
• Can you explain core physical science ideas such as properties of matter, forces and motion, and energy?
• Can you take a science standard and choose a resource or activity that truly aligns to it?
• Can you spot when an activity does not match its intended learning outcome?
• Have you completed practice questions and reviewed every incorrect answer until it made sense?
• Can you teach each big idea in language a young child would understand?

D671 FAQ

Is D671 an objective exam or a written project?

D671 is assessed by a knowledge-based objective exam rather than a long written paper. WGU's published competencies for the course emphasize explaining major science concepts and analyzing standards, which are tested through exam-style questions. Always confirm the current format on your own course page, since WGU updates courses over time.

How long does D671 usually take?

Many students report finishing in a few focused weeks. Your speed depends heavily on your science background; if earth and physical science are rusty for you, plan for extra review time.

How many competency units is D671 worth?

WGU's official Elementary Education program guidebook lists D671 as a 3 competency unit course.

What is the fastest way to prepare?

Diagnose your weakest of the four areas with a practice check, then use active recall and spaced practice questions to close that gap. Studying where you are weakest beats reviewing what you already know.

Does D671 require heavy science expertise?

No. It expects the depth an elementary teacher needs to explain science clearly to children, not specialist-level detail. Focus on understanding and communicating core ideas.

What else in my program connects to D671?

It pairs naturally with broader science content and elementary teaching courses. Explore related School of Education guides such as C670 Concepts in Science, D184 Standards-Based Assessment, and D702 Elementary Health and Physical Education Methods. You can also browse the full School of Education hub or the complete guide index.