First Grade Curriculum Overview
Windrush School

Selma Quemada-Valenzuela

2011-2012

Integrating Themes: 1^st Grade

The 1^st Grade integrating themes are Cooperation, Families, Community, Civil Rights, Asia, Mammals, Rocky Seashores, and Solids, Liquids, and Gases.  Each unit of study is taught with our progressive principles learning in mind.

Language Arts: 1^st Grade

The Language Arts program provides a foundation for students to become highly effective users of oral and written language. The teacher leads guided reading in small groups. Children are grouped both by ability and/or by interest. During independent reading, children choose books at their “just right” level, some that are a bit challenging, and some that are a bit easy.

On a weekly basis, children write and/or draw about their thoughts in response to their reading. The goals of journal writing are to recognize and think about features of the text and literary elements such as the plot, setting, the main character and supporting characters. 1^st Graders learn to distinguish the different genres of literature.

Writing in 1^st Grade includes writing clear, coherent sentences using both a subject and predicate, and expanding sentences to become more detailed. Students learn to use the five stages of the writing process (pre-writing, drafting, editing, revising and publishing). Students use the writing process to produce an autobiography, short stories, booklets, letters, fiction, poetry and descriptive sentences. Before a student publishes their final product, they edit their work and identify mechanical errors, such as leaving out capitals and punctuation marks. Students work toward mastery of lower case letters.

Math: 1^st Grade

The teacher initially presents each math lesson to the entire class and uses a variety of tools to demonstrate the lesson. Students practice lesson concepts with math games then students complete the math activity pages in math books and packets. Texts used include Every Day Math; Marilyn Burns, and Family Math.

Science: 1^st Grade

Earth Science

The junior meteorologists observe the daily weather. Students learn how to use and read a thermometer as well as record the condition and temperatures on a daily weather chart. Students observe weather changes according to the four seasons.

Life Science

Project-based learning enables children to ask meaningful questions and conduct careful investigations. Areas of study include the interdependency of life, environmental education, and educating the community about endangered habitats.

Physical Science

Students learn that solids, liquids and gases have different properties and how the properties of substances can change when they are mixed, cooled or heated.

Investigation & Experimentation

The scientific method is taught as a part of science units. 1^st Graders learn to think critically and creatively by making careful observations; recording their observations with pictures, numbers and words; and organizing data into bar graphs.

Social Studies: 1^st Grade

Social Studies uses a multicultural approach through literature. Students learn to cooperate with one another. There is an emphasis on getting to know our school, the local community, our state and country’s symbols and traditions, as well as learning about our families’ cultural celebrations and festivals.  Areas of study include Community, Geography, History, Democracy and America including learning about Civil Rights leaders.

Service Learning: 1^st Grade

Service Learning projects are organized within the larger theme of educating the school community about greening the school and visiting Senior Citizens centers which is done in collaboration with 5^th Grade.

Homework/Reading Log

Students in first grade will be encouraged to read and be read to as much as possible. We will begin with at least 15 to 20 minutes of reading daily. Students or parents should write the title of the book that he/she is reading. Reading logs should be kept in the student’s homework folder until Friday. Each week a reading log should be completed and replaced with a new one. Homework should be turned in on Friday or Monday morning.

* The first grade curriculum includes the concepts addressed in state and national standards.