FIRST GRADE CURRICULUM

Language Arts

Reading/Literature

• Comprehension strategies: rereading, predicting, sequencing, cause/effect, classifying, paraphrasing, summarizing
• Story elements: character, setting, problem, solution, main idea
• Types of literature: realistic fiction, fantasy, fable, biography, poetry
• Types of informational text: science and social studies books, menus

Language

• Weekly spelling
• Grade appropriate mechanics: end punctuation, quotation marks, capitalization
• Grade appropriate grammar and sentence structure: complete sentences, statements, questions, exclamations
• Vocabulary: word families, synonyms, antonyms
• Reference skills: picture dictionary

Writing

• Prewriting and drafting strategies, drawing pictures, sharing ideas
• Revising and editing strategies: completing a draft elaboration
• Types of writing: narrative, poetry, business, friendly letter, expository
• Thinking map skills (graphic organizers)

Penmanship

• Legible manuscript: upper and lower case letters with and without a model

Speaking and Listening

• Follows two-step and generates three-step directions
• Listening: takes turns, raises hand, focuses on speaker, avoids interrupting, asks appropriate questions
• Expressing ideas orally: clarity, volume, eye contact, keeping to the topic, sequencing of thoughts, standard English, correct grammar, personal voice
• Types of speaking opportunities: poems, show and tell/sharing, role-playing, creative dramatics, presentation of personal writing, retelling a story
• Group participation: stays on task

Social Studies

Timetravelers 0 – 1200 C.E.

• Ancient Greece, Rome, Mayan, early Africa culture

Civics

• Rules
• Responsibilities
• Community service
• Core Democratic values
• Solving personal problems
• Reciting the “Pledge of Allegiance”

Geography

• Five themes: movement, regions, human/environment interaction, location, place
• Map of the classroom and familiar places
• Symbols for charts, graphs, maps

Economics

• Resources, opportunity cost, scarcity
• How families meet needs and wants
• Making economic choices, goods/services
• Careers

Multicultural Education

• Focus on cultural universals

Field Trips/Guest Speakers

• Planetarium
• SVSU sculpture gallery
• Chippewa Nature Center-sap running
• Theater plays
• Library
• Art Museum

Science

Life Science

• Organism
• Personal Health
• Physical Science
• Solids and liquids
• Weight, balance and motion
• Earth Science
• Weather
• Water cycle

Math
Numbers, Numeration, and Order

• Counting by 2’s to 20
• Counting backward from 50
• Counting by 1’s, 5’s, 10’s beyond 110
• Even and odd numbers to ten
• Tallies to 100Ones, tens, hundreds place
• Number words for numerals to 10
• Ordinal positions
• Fractions: 1/2, 1/3, 1/4

Operations, Relations, and Number Systems

• Addition and subtraction facts to 12
• Sums and differences of one two digit numbers without regrouping
• Equations using +, –, =
• Commutative property
• Addition and subtraction fact families
• Add or subtract 10’s and multiples of 10 using a number grid
• Mental math
• Accelerated math

Measurement and Reference Frames

• Nonstandard units of measure
• Instruments for measuring
• Estimating length
• Day, date
• Telling time to the hour or half-hour
• Value of coins, counting, exchanging coins
• Thermometers
• Balance scales
• Weighing objects

Geometry and Spatial Relations

• Squares, circles, rectangles, octagons, hexagons
• Spheres, cubes, cylinders, cones, pyramids

Problem Solving

• Logic problems
• Critical thinking