First Grade Curriculum Mandarin Language Arts In first grade, students further develop skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Through authentic, thematic, and performance-based instruction, students in first grade will become more confident in speaking Mandarin in a variety of topics both within and beyond the school setting. Students will begin to use decoding skills to expand reading comprehension. Students will also begin to apply writing process to write simple narratives. First Grade Thematic Units Language Arts In first grade, students access the range of Language Arts skills - listening, speaking, reading, and writing - using their own unique talents and gifts. They sing, act, draw, dance, explore, and reason as they improve their skills in reading and writing. Comprehension is always
		emphasized. First graders also learn to listen attentively and to ask questions. They draw on their own experiences, on other texts, and from the world around them to make connections to what is read; these experiences enhance understanding. First grade students develop proficiency and enthusiasm for reading and writing for a variety of purposes, audiences, and interests. Social Studies Students in grade one social studies learn about the broad concepts of rights and responsibilities. They learn through classroom experiences the rules of fairness, good sportsmanship, and respect for the rights and opinions of others. Students explore the backgrounds of peoples in the United States and learn that they and their families have a history and talents that make them individually unique. They learn about the symbols, icons, and traditions of the United States that provide continuity and a sense of community across time and space. This course lays the foundation for good citizenship. Math First grade math students learn the basic foundation of the number system. They read, write, count, identify, compare, and order numbers up to 100. Math vocabulary is stressed as math problems and concepts are learned; these terms are the building blocks and the keys to the understanding of math operations. First graders compare numbers by using the terms, "greater than", "less than", and "equal to". There is a focus on the state content standards related to addition and subtraction, number patterns, simple geometry, graphing, charts, measuring, and problem solving. Additionally students study shapes, colors, sorting, as students build a basic understanding of clocks and money. Students develop basic math skills through differentiated activities that utilize each student's individual talents and gifts. Science First grade science students explore physical, earth, and life sciences through the study of matter, weather, plants, and animals. Students investigate the different states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. They learn through hands-on activities that substances can change when mixed, cooled, or heated. They learn that weather changes from day to day, but that there are predictable trends during each season of the year. Students learn to use simple tools, such as a thermometer and a wind vane. By observation, they discover that plants need water, air, food, and light to survive. Students begin to understand that animals eat plants and other animals for food, and observers can tell what an animal eats by the shape of its teeth. The wide variety of science activities and experiments allow each child to utilize his/her individual gifts and talents. Through listening, observing, recording, explaining, hands-on exploring, and experiencing the students build a foundation for learning more about science. Kindergarten :: First Grade :: Second Grade :: Third Grade :: Fourth Grade :: Fifth Grade