Welcome to First Grade!
Below is an overview of our 1st grade curriculum.
Language Arts
Students are explicitly taught the strategies and habits of effective reading. They learn to talk, think and write about their reading and to live rich literate lives. The components of the reading program include:
- reading aloud to children
- shared, guided and independent reading
- phonics-based reading and comprehension
- daily Writers’ Workshop
Science
Students are encouraged to exercise their natural curiosity and to make
assumptions based on their perceptions. Children are provided with hands-on
experiments and are given the opportunity to experiment, ask questions, and
find their own answers.
We use both Delta and FOSS Science Kits in our science studies. Thematic
units include:
- Plants
- Birds
- Geology - Solid Earth Materials – Rocks and Minerals
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Renew -Tikun Olam (Community Service) Project
Social Studies
Through integrated units of study and literature, children explore a variety of topics including culture; individuals, groups and their interactions; governance; economics; and geography. Thematic units include:
- Communities – Families, Citizenship and Economics
- Comparative Cultures
- Author Study
- Art and Artists
Math
The Everyday Math program allows children to develop understanding of math concepts gradually through repeated exposure to topics. This program emphasizes the application of mathematics to real world situations. Areas of study include:
- Number Sense
- Single Digit addition and subtraction
- Time
- Non-Standard measurement
- Geometric Shapes
- Collection and display of data
Field Trips
Ackland Art Museum – UNC Campus
Nasher Art Museum – Duke Campus
Schoolhouse of Wonder on the Eno River
North Carolina Museum of Life and Science
Judaic Studies & Family Programs
- Use of the Let’s Explore Pamphlet Series – Jewish symbols and rituals, Including T’fillin, Tallit, Kippah and the Siddut
- Tal Am Workbook on Shabbat
- The Ten Commandments
- Let’s Discover God Pamphlet Series, Brachot and T’fillah
- The First Grade students will be learning about Jewish ritual objects, such as a Shofar, Tallit, T’fillin, Siddur, Chanukiah, Havdallah objects, and Kiddush Cups. The students will then create a Klei Kodesh Museum (Jewish ritual objects) and act as docents for this museum.