First Grade Curriculum

Welcome to the First Grade. We look forward to a wonderful year of learning and achievement. We aim to establish a safe and comfortable classroom for all of our students. We believe that each and every student in this classroom can learn and achieve.

Religion

God Our Creator gives us life and grace and promises us eternal life through Jesus.

Instructional Focus

• The Bible is God's Word to us.
• Through Baptism we belong to God's Family the Church.
• We worship together through prayer and liturgy.
• People deserve our love and respect.

Additional topics we will lean about this year:

• God is the creator of everything,
• God gave us the gift of life.
• God is always with us.
• Prayer is talking to God.
• Mary is the Mother of the Church.
• Through Baptism we belong to God's family the Church.
• Grace is sharing in Diving Life.
• God promised to save us through His son, Jesus.
• Jesus died for us.
• Jesus gives himself to us in the Eucharist.
• The Bible is a collection of many books written under God's inspiration.
• Jesus teachers us about God through stories and parables.
• The Bible teaches us about God's love for us.

Websites We Will Be Using in Class

Children Learn to Pray
This site includes prayers of the church, daily prayers, prayers for Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter and a Scriptural Rosary.

My Friend Fun and Games

We Believe
This site includes student lessons and interactive activities for grades K-6.

Harcourt Religion Publishers School Programs

Reading and Writing Skills

• build a reading vocabulary of 150 or more high frequency words
• independently read grade appropriate material
• use increasing semantic, phonetic, and structural skills to become an effective reader
• have command of letter names and sounds: initial, medial, and final
• identify main characters and the beginning, middle, and end of story
• write independently with some fluency; begin to demonstrate sentence sense and reflect logical flow of words and ideas
• begin to use conventions in spelling, punctuation, and grammar
• print legibly
• apply spelling patterns
• put spaces between words

Speaking and Listening Skills

• focus on speaker and listen with appropriate attention span
• listen and recall some facts and main ideas
• follow simple two-step directions
• share and participate in class discussions
• express ideas in complete sentences and stays with topic
• participate in singing, story-telling, drama, and poetry activities
• use age-appropriate vocabulary and speech understood by others

Websites We Will Be Using in Class

Language Arts

http://www.starfall.com
http://pbskids.org/lions/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/index.shtml

Science

• use scientific tools such as the hand lens, ruler, and balance scale
• sort and classify objects based on their attributes
• know, through care of plants and animals at home and in class, that all living things have basic needs, grow, reproduce, and die
• understand that humans are similar to other organisms with similar needs
• care for and develop sensitivity to the needs of living things
• list ways organisms depend on and interact with their environment
• describe different ways things move.

Complete units on health and nutrition, solids. liquids and gasses and weather and seasons.

Websites We Will Be Using in Class

http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/index.html

Mathematics

Number Sense and Operations

• counts by ones past 100, by twos, fives and tens to 100
• reads and writes numbers up to 100
• understands and uses numbers up to 100
• represents equivalent forms of the same number (to 20) (e.g., 8 may be represented as 4+4, 5+3, 2+2+2+2, 10-2)
• counts and groups objects in ones and tens
• identifies and knows the value of coins and shows different combinations of coins that equal the same value (e.g. 25¢ may be represented as 3 nickels + 1 dime, 25 pennies, 5 nickels)
• demonstrates fluency with basic number combinations for addition facts (sums to 10)
• demonstrates fluency with basic number combinations for subtraction facts (up to 10)
• recognizes and makes reasonable estimates when comparing larger and smaller quantities

Algebra and Functions

• creates and solves story problems and justifies answers using pictures, diagrams, words, and/or number sentences
• recognizes, describes, and extends repeating patterns (e.g. abac, aabc)

Measurement and Geometry

• compares the length of two or more objects by using direct comparison or a nonstandard unit
• tells time to the nearest half hour and relates time to events (e.g, lunch is around 12 o'clock noon)
• classifies and describes 2D and 3D objects by their attributes

Data Analysis and Probability

• collects, organizes and represents data
• interprets and draws conclusions from data
• sorts and classifies objects by common attributes, describes the categories and organizes the information

Problem Solving and Mathematical Reasoning

• collects, organizes and represents data
• interprets and draws conclusions from data
• sorts and classifies objects by common attributes, describes the categories and organizes the information

http://www.eduplace.com/parents/mw/
eManipulative, eGlossary, and eGames are helpful areas for learning and reinforcing mathematical thinking.

Social Studies

Participate in classroom activities around the year-long theme, A Child's Place in Time and Space

• demonstrate confidence, social skills, ability to accept responsibility, take turns, and participate in group decision making
• understand traditions that express American ideals and the diversity of cultures that form our nation
• recognize the ways in which students are all parts of the same community, sharing principles, goals, and traditions despite their varied ancestry
• locate on a large map, globe or large community map, familiar community places, California, the United States, the seven continents, and the four oceans
• construct and use a simple, fictional neighborhood map with cardinal directions and a key
• construct simple timelines that show students' birthdays, classroom events, and school events
• demonstrate knowledge of self and others, such as Native Americans and immigrants who have helped define Californian and American culture

Websites We Will Be Using in Class

http://eduplace.com/ss/hmss/1/laag/index.html
http://bensguide.g[p.gov/k-2/index.html

Interactive Skill-Based Curriculum Activities and Games for All Subjects
http://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/sbeck/interactive_curriculum_sites.htm

Curriculum Standards adapted from:
http://www.pausd.palo-alto.ca.us/parents/curriculum/elementary/first.shtml#reading