First Grade
English Language Arts
Fundations
What is Fundations? Fundations is a multisensory and systematic phonics, spelling, and handwriting program.
Concepts discussed throughout units:
Letter formation
Phonological and phonemic awareness
Sound mastery
Phonics, word study, and advanced word study
Irregular (trick) word instruction
Vocabulary
Fluency
Comprehension strategies
Written composition (spelling and handwriting)
Storyworks
What is Storyworks? It is connected with ELA Standards using different texts and genres, while incorporating reading, writing, speaking and listening. Teaching the following skills in each magazine reading, writing, vocabulary, science, social studies, technology, and the arts.
Writer’s Workshop
What is Writer’s Workshop? The process of writing through whole group, small group and one on one instruction. Students learn the writing process through drafting, editing, revising, and publishing. Students will write Narrative, Informational, and Opinion pieces, based on the instructional series by Lucy Calkins.
Math In Focus
This series is based on the Singapore Math approach. It concentrates on real world problem solving and different strategies to utilize (there is always more than one way to solve a problem!)
Guided Inquiry
Hands-on Activities
Manipulatives
Math Centers
Math Websites (to reinforce what has been learned)
Pollyanna (Racial Literacy Curriculum)
To encourage kindness, bravery, and empathy when exploring and better understanding the cultural and racial diversity of local and global communities.
To develop a more inclusive and positive perspective of self, others, and the larger world in regard to race, ethnicity, and culture.
To analyze history and other social assertions that fabricate myths of innate racial superiority in order to dispel myopic, discriminatory perspectives of race.
To analyze race as a primary institution of the United States.
To critique the biological fallacy of race while simultaneously unpacking its social truths.
The underlying goal of the curriculum is to build bridges and connections, allowing all students to recognize similarities among their peers along lines of race while also celebrating perceived differences. We hope to plant seeds that will encourage and enhance racial literacy, geographical awareness, and cultural competence both in the classroom and throughout one’s life.
First Grade Theme: We Are Part of a Larger Community–Encouraging Kindness, Social Awareness, and Empathy.
Social Studies Themes
The Social Studies curriculum enhances student appreciation of the arts and social-sciences. More specifically, it focuses on the resources, relationships, and connections of human interactions. First Grade themes include Family, Neighborhood and Community.
Project Based Learning
Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects.
Students work on a project over an extended period of time – from a week up to a semester – that engages them in solving a real-world problem or answering a complex question. They demonstrate their knowledge and skills by creating a public product or presentation for a real audience.
As a result, students develop deep content knowledge, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication skills. Project-based Learning unleashes a contagious, creative energy among students and teachers.
Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge. (taken from PBLworks.org)
Highlights of First Grade:
Declamation
First Grade will participate in Declamation for the very first time.
All Lower Grade and Upper Grade students gain experience and confidence speaking publicly at monthly Declamations in front of their classmates in the Alumni Theater.
Students challenge themselves to master and declaim celebrated works of poetry and prose, including speeches, sonnets, excerpts from novels, plays and songs, and self-written works.