1st Grade

Current Unit:

Fiction/Personal Narrative Writing

Summary of Unit:
 In this Unit students will learn about different story elements. The students will learn how to identify the setting, characters, plot (beginning, middle, end), problem and solution. They will also be exposed to different types of characters and identify the emotions that the characters are feeling. The students will continue to grow as writers.  They will use what they learned in reading to develop a personal narrative story with a setting, characters, and plot. They will also include how the characters are feeling throughout the story they are writing.

Reading: In Unit 2, our students will be exposed to fiction books.  They will begin to identify and describe story elements such as characters, setting, and plot. They will be able to retell what happened in the beginning, middle and end of the book.  First graders will also learn about feelings.  They will identify the character’s emotions with evidence from the book.

Home Connection: 

       READ! READ! READ! In the early childhood years, it is so important to read to your children. If possible, please try to read to them as much as you can. In addition to being read to, first graders are expected to read books of their choice for 20 minutes each day at home. They can choose to read books at home or on RAZKids.

        Please encourage your child to decode the words by him/herself by looking at the letters in the word and by tapping it out. As your child reads, check in with them to make sure they are understanding what they are reading. Ask questions after each couple of pages to make sure that information is not getting lost. Encourage them to respond in complete sentences. 

Materials: RAZ Kids

Writing:

Students will continue to learn about the importance of using the writing process while writing. This unit, the students will be writing a personal small moment narrative based on an experience they had. The students will include a setting, characters, beginning, middle, and end in their personal narrative. They will also include the feelings they had throughout the experience they choose to write about. Students will learn how to include descriptive details as well as learn how to include dialogue and transition words within their narrative.  In addition, students will also continue to learn the importance of revising and editing their writing. 

Home Connection: As your child is working on writing at home, please have your child try their best at sounding out unknown words to spell on their own. Encourage your child to use the personal word wall to help spell common words. Also, guide your child to always use an uppercase letter to start each sentence, the correct punctuation at the end of each sentence, and finger spaces between words. In addition, encourage your child to reread their sentences to make sure the sentences are complete and make sense. 

Materials:

Writing Checklist for Editing: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p05p2Iq0XANV5VaMiU-WO8kEPvyzSD1p-ErhXlZBXNE/edit?usp=sharing  

Personal Word Wall: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CnpzrCnKqLwJx0u0s8xzWoXVYeydkAv10M84lHtg96I/edit?usp=sharing

Math:

Students will begin to solve addition and subtraction problems involving teen numbers. In Unit 1 students begin counting from a number instead of counting all. In this unit students will move into learning composition and decomposition strategies. Students will learn about partners to 10, decomposition for all numbers within 10, and representation of teen numbers as 10+n. Students will add 3 numbers and in some scenarios realize that 2 of those numbers make 10. In addition to the new strategies, the students will continue to solve problems in multiple ways to ensure that they understand the concept. They will use their strategy chart to help label their work and take a step forward to explain how they came to their answer. 

Home Connection: As your child is working on math at home, please have your child try their best with the new strategy being taught. For example, if the lesson target is focusing on counting on; direct your child to use that strategy instead of only drawing pictures. Our goal is for your child to be able to use multiple strategies to foster conceptual understanding. Also, guide your child to use the strategy chart that is presented in the math slideshow to help label all the strategies that they are using during the problem of the day. This way, your child will become more aware of the math vocabulary and be able to speak on how they solved the problem in various ways. In addition, encourage your child to explain their work to someone in the home. They can practice by saying “ the steps I took were,” “my answer is,” “ I know because ___.” 

Materials:

Strategy Chart 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LWYHzeDIe7GjldW_goeXVM7qlaZnLGpY/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NhnPkFmbNXUaS1b2Fn8lxxh3poUtDQRV/view?usp=sharing

Art

We are off to a great start in art class! We are learning about different types of lines, shapes and colors. Students are using multiple mediums such as pencils, markers, crayons and watercolors to create their masterpieces with an emphasis on line, shape, and colors (warm vs. cool). 

During art, we are engaging in creative thinking and questioning which will help boost their confidence and improve the quality in all aspects of their work. 

When your child brings artwork home you can ask them: 

• What inspired or motivated you to make this artwork? 

• What tools, materials (mediums) or techniques did you use? 

• What can you tell me about your picture? 

• Where did you get your idea? 

• What is your favorite part of the picture? 

• What title would you give this picture? 

• If you were doing this picture again what would you change or do differently? 

• Why did you use the color… (insert color)? 

• What if…. (you had used the color red instead of blue or paint instead of pencil)? 

• How did you….(make these lines, decide on these colors, or create that shape)? 

• If you had more time what would you add to your artwork? 

  

Music

Students in first grade music are learning to read rhythms with quarter notes (ta) and quarter rests. This is the beginning of music reading! Students are moving to these patterns with their bodies and applying these patterns by playing percussion instruments. All learnings are connected to works of fiction, as students are reading stories and finding rhythm patterns within them. 

Home Connection: Students can practice their rhythm reading at home by making index cards. Pots and pans make great percussion instruments!

Parent & Student Voice

What students LOVED about Unit 1:

Class 1-102

   

“In math, I liked learning how to add.” - Sahara 

“In math, I liked learning about decomposing.” - Ekaansh

“In math, I liked learning about adding and subtracting.”  - Adil

 

Class 1-103

  

“In math, I learned to count on.”  Valentina 

“In reading, we find the main topic.” Tomas 

“In writing I learned if you want to live in a family now or long ago.” Tahmida 

     

“My favorite thing I learned in reading was the main topic and details.”  “Kainat

“My favorite thing I learned in Writing is opinion writing.” - Mahed

“My favorite thing I learned in reading is the main topic.” - Calvin