1st Grade

Reading

Reading Summary of Module 10:  Dare To Dream: Over the course of Module 10 (we will not be doing module 9) we will read texts that will help us answer the following

Essential Question: How do things in nature change?  Children will recognize that good things can happen when a person is brave enough to try something new. They will read 

about inventors, architects, and others who have been brave and tried new things. Children will also find that people can meet challenges and solve problems through perseverance. They will discover that by persevering, they can achieve their own dreams, which can benefit 

individuals, their communities, and the world.

We will develop and work on the following reading skills and strategies: Ideas and Support, Text Organization, Make Inferences, Point of View, Setting, Monitor and Clarify, Topic and Central Idea, Summarize, Synthesize, and Content-Area.

 

                                                        

Home Connection: Have your child read nonfiction books about people (biographies) at home and look at ways the person was brave. Students can look for the Topic and Central Idea of that text. Students can summarize what they read.Additionally, Students can read nonfiction books and look for text features within the text. 

  

       

  

Summary of Module 10:  Biographies 

Writing: Over the course of Module 10 we will read the focal text: The Girl Who Could Dance in Outer Space, to write a biography.  A biography is a story written by the student, about a person of interest who inspires them. We will be drafting a biography about someone who followed their dreams and inspired us by doing research and gathering information. We will work on developing our writing skills and strategies by using the elements of a biography.

Home Connection: Have your child use a prompt from their homework to write a blurb of someone they look up to. Then have them write a paragraph (at least 5 sentences) about something that they inspire to be and why.  You can then review their work to make sure they have capital letters at the beginning of each sentence and punctuation at the end of each sentence.

 

Math Curriculum: 

We’ve entered Module 4 in our math curriculum, and students are diving into exciting new topics: telling time, working with money, recognizing shapes, and measuring length. These are everyday math skills that help students see how math connects to the world around them.

To support student understanding, we use a variety of strategies in class—drawing clocks, sorting coins, using measurement tools, and exploring shapes. We also continue to build on our knowledge of numbers up to 120, helping students break down numbers into tens and ones to solve problems more efficiently.

By making these connections, students deepen their understanding and grow as flexible thinkers. We encourage you to support this learning at home by having math conversations—ask about the time, count coins together, or compare object lengths!

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 place value; direct your child to use the place value chart and any other hands-on tools that are given during this module. 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 ___.” 

Also, students can practice mastering their skills following their individualized Skill Plan on IXL.

Science: Spinning Earth

The  unit focuses on teaching students about Earth's rotation and its effects, like day and night. Key concepts include:

1. Earth Spins on Its Axis: Understanding how Earth’s rotation causes day and night.
   
   
2. Patterns in the Sky: Observing the Sun’s movement and how it changes throughout the day.
   
   
3. Hands-on Activities: Using models (like a globe and flashlight) to demonstrate Earth’s rotation.
   
   

The unit helps students grasp basic Earth science by exploring the predictable cycles of day, night, and the Sun’s position.

Scientific Skills Developed:

Observation: Students observe patterns in the sky, like the Sun’s position at different times of day.

Modeling: They use simple models (like globes and flashlights) to represent Earth’s rotation and the Sun’s movement.

Questioning: Students ask questions about natural phenomena (e.g., "Why is it day sometimes and night at other times?").

Exploration: Hands-on activities help them explore how Earth’s rotation affects day and night.

Data Collection: They may track shadows or time changes, building basic data-gathering skills.

Home Connection:  Students can engage with the concepts of Earth's rotation and day/night patterns in simple ways at home. Here are a few activities for families to try together:

1. Day and Night Chart: Have students track the time of day (morning, afternoon, evening) and observe the position of the Sun through a window. Parents can help them draw or photograph the sky at different times.
   
   
2. Shadow Tracking: Students can notice and measure shadows throughout the day. For example, use a toy or stick outside and track how the shadow changes from morning to afternoon.
   
   
3. Model Earth’s Rotation: Using a globe or ball and a flashlight, families can recreate the Earth’s rotation and observe how it causes day and night in real-time.
   
   
4. Sunset/Sunrise Discussion: Parents can encourage children to watch the sunset or sunrise, talking about why it happens and how it’s related to Earth’s spin.
   
   

These activities help reinforce the unit's lessons and connect classroom learning with everyday experiences!

Vocabulary:

Here are some key vocabulary words from the unit on Earth's rotation and day/night cycles:

1. Rotation: The spinning of the Earth on its axis, which causes day and night.
2. Axis: An imaginary line that goes through the Earth from the North Pole to the South Pole, around which the Earth spins.
   
   
3. Day: The time when one half of the Earth is facing the Sun and is lit up.
   
   
4. Night: The time when the other half of the Earth is facing away from the Sun and is dark.
   
   
5. Sun: The star at the center of our solar system that provides light and heat to the Earth.
   
   
6. Shadow: A dark area formed when an object blocks the Sun’s light.
   
   
7. Orbit: The path that Earth takes around the Sun (this word might not be used heavily in Grade 1 but could come up).
   
   
8. East: The direction where the Sun rises.
   
   
9. West: The direction where the Sun sets.
   
   
10. Sky: The space above the Earth where we can see the Sun, clouds, and stars.
    
    

These words help students build a foundational understanding of how Earth’s motion influences their daily lives.

Social Studies Community Economics

In this unit, students explore how people in a community make choices about goods and services, and how these choices impact their daily lives. They will learn about basic economic concepts such as needs vs. wants, producers, consumers, and the exchange of goods.

 

Key Concepts:

Needs vs. Wants: Understanding the difference between what people need to survive (food, water) and what they want for comfort or enjoyment (toys, games).

Producers and Consumers: Learning about the roles people play in an economy—producers create goods or services, and consumers buy and use them.

Goods and Services: Recognizing that people either make things (goods) or provide help (services) for others in the community.

Money and Trade: Students explore how money is used to exchange goods and services, and how bartering (trading) worked in earlier times.

 

 

Home Connection:

To help reinforce the concepts from the Community Economics unit at home, here are a few fun activities and discussions you can try with your child:

1. Needs vs. Wants at Home:
   
   
   • Ask your child to help make a list of things your family needs (food, water, shelter) and things you want (toys, games, etc.). Discuss why needs are essential for survival, while wants are things that make life more enjoyable but are not required.
     
     
2. Producer and Consumer Roles:
   
   
   • Talk about the roles of producers (people who create goods or offer services) and consumers (people who buy or use them). For example, if you shop for groceries together, point out the producers (farmers, manufacturers) and consumers (you, the shoppers).
     
     
3. Family "Market Day":
   
   
   • Set up a little "market" at home. Your child can be a producer by creating something (like artwork or handmade crafts), and you can be a consumer by "buying" it with play money or trading items.
     
     
4. Discussing Money and Trade:
   
   
   • Use everyday situations to talk about money and how it is exchanged for goods and services (e.g., paying for groceries, buying toys). You can also discuss how trade (bartering) might have worked before money was invented, such as exchanging something you have for something you need.
     
     
5. Explore Local Businesses:
   
   
   • Visit a local store or market together and talk about what goods and services are being sold. Discuss who the producers are and what kind of consumers shop there.

 

 

 Vocabulary:

Economics: The study of how people make choices about using resources to meet their needs and wants.

Needs: Things people must have to survive, like food, water, and shelter.

Wants: Things people desire but do not need for survival, like toys, games, or extra clothes.

Producer: A person or business that makes goods or provides services.

Consumer: A person who buys or uses goods and services.

Goods: Physical items that can be bought or sold, like food, clothes, or toys.

Services: Actions or work that people do for others, like teaching, haircuts, or car repairs.

Trade: The exchange of goods or services without using money.

Money: A medium of exchange used to buy goods and services.

Marketplace: A place where goods and services are bought and sold.

Supply: The amount of a good or service available to consumers.

Demand: The desire for a good or service and how much people are willing to buy.

Music Curriculum: 

Students in first grade music are applying their knowledge of steady beat in various percussion instruments and movement activities. The students are learning to distinguish between different sections of recorded music. The students will be studying “Carnival of the Animals” by Camille Saint-Saens to tie to their learnings in their HMH unit “How Animals Bodies Help Them.”

Art

1st grade artists will connect to their HMH module by creating art that relates to nature. Students will create artwork of different animals, plants and flowers. Students will also create artworks to make connections to weather and seasons.

Parent & Student Voice

Class 101,102,103, & 104

Students shared their favorite parts about each of our Units.