Welcome To First Grade
What Every FIRST GRADE
Student Should Know and Be Able To Do!
This curriculum brochure is an overview of the Mesa School District expectations of what 1st Grade students are expected to know and be able to do in the major subject areas of reading, writing/language, mathematics, science, and social studies in order to be prepared for the second grade.
The expectations listed are summarized from the Mesa Public Schools curriculum, which is aligned with the Arizona Academic Standards. These performance standards reflect the goals of the educational community to ensure all students an education essential to success in our local and global communities.
| Language Arts |
| Writing |
| Math |
| Science |
| Social Studies |
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
Students should know and be able to …
READING
Concepts of Print
• alphabetize words to the first letter
• recognize and understand upper and lower case letters, sentences and parts of a book
Phonemic Awareness
• orally generate rhyming words
• orally blend, segment, and substitute sounds in spoken words
Phonetic Skills
• decode words using knowledge of phonics, syllabication, and common spelling patterns
Vocabulary
• recognize and use new vocabulary, including sight words
• determine meaning of base words, compound words, and contractions
Fluency
• read grade-level material with 90% accuracy
Comprehension – Literary Text (fiction: stories, poetry, plays)
• identify story elements and describe characters
• restate story events in order
Comprehension – Informational Text (nonfiction)
• follow multi-step written directions using picture cues
• identify and answer questions about a topic
• identify and use title, table of contents, headings, and bold print
Through use of the writing process, students will continually develop and improve their writing.
Students should know and be able to …
• Prewriting use strategies to generate, plan and organize ideas for specific purposes
• Drafting incorporate prewriting activities to create a first draft
• Revising evaluate and refine the rough draft for clarity and effectiveness
• Editing proofread and corrects the draft for conventions
• Publishing format and present a final product for the intended audience
Writing Elements
Through daily writing activities, students will develop the elements/traits of beginning writing.
Students should know and be able to …
• Ideas express a clear message; include details through pictures and text
• Organization shows a sense of beginning; write multiple sentences in an order that demonstrates logical sequence
• Voice create pictures or text that expresses a sense of personality
• Word Choice use a variety of words, even if not spelled correctly, to get across the intended message
• Sentence Fluency writes simple sentences
• Conventions follow simple rules of capitalization and end punctuation; spell high frequency words correctly; use patterns and phonics to spell words; use grammar (parts of speech) correctly
Writing Applications
Through a variety of writing applications, students will begin developing their written communication skills.
Students should know and be able to …
• write a narrative or story that includes a main idea, characters, and sequence of events
• create lists, observations, or journals through drawing and/or writing
• write letters, notes, or messages
• write a response to a literature selection identifying the character(s), setting, sequence of events, and main idea
• write a simple report with a title and three facts using informational sources such as books or videos
The goal of MPS is for every child to be successful in developing the concepts and understanding of mathematics and to recognize the connections between mathematics and everyday life.
Students should know and be able to …
Number and Operations
• count, read, and write numbers to 100
• model, order, and compare numbers to 100
• skip count by 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s to 100
• make models and use place value concepts through 100 (e.g., 37 = 3 groups of ten + 7 ones)
• practice addition facts through 10 + 10 and their related subtraction facts
• develop understanding of addition and subtraction through fact families
(3 + 2 = 5, 2 + 3 = 5, 5 - 3 = 2, 5 - 2 = 3)
• add and subtract two-digit numbers that total less than 100 (e.g., 45 + 23 = 68)
• use addition and subtraction to create and solve word problems
• estimate sums without computing
Data Analysis and Systematic Listing & Counting
• organize, and interpret data from graphs, charts, and tables
• ask and answer questions and collect data
• sort and classify objects
Patterns and Algebra
• recognize, describe, create, extend, and record a variety of patterns
• find equivalent forms of whole numbers
(4 tens and a 5 = 10 + 10 + 10 + 10 + 5)
• find the missing number in addition and subtraction problems
Geometry and Measurement
• identify, draw, compare, and sort basic two-dimensional figures
• compare and order objects according to length, capacity, and weight
• measure the length of objects using inches
• sequence the days of the week and months of the year
Problem-Solving
• use problem-solving process and strategies to solve word problems
• estimate reasonable answers to word problems
Students should know and be able to …
Inquiry Process
• compare objects
• ask questions and predict results
• participate in guided investigations
• follow safe science procedures
• use simple tools to collect data and record it
• compare results to predictions
• communicate results of observations
History and Nature of Science
• understand that all people can and do participate in science
Personal and Social Perspectives
• identify technologies that people use
• describe how tools make better observations and measurements
Life Science
• identify and compare characteristics and features of living things
• identify stages of human and animal life
• compare habitats and their interdependence in the habitat
Physical Science
• classify objects by observable properties
• classify materials as solids or liquids
Earth and Space Science
• describe and compare basic earth materials
• identify the sun as a natural source of heat and light
• compare objects and changes in the sky
• identify seasonal weather patterns and how it affects daily life
Students should know and be able to …
American History
• place life events on a timeline, and retell stories to describe past events*
• use primary sources and discuss current events*
• recognize farming allowed people to settle in one place and develop civilizations
• recognize settlement led to developments in farming, government, art, and communication
• describe interaction of Native Americans with the Spanish and Pilgrims
• compare how people lived in Colonial times with people today
• recognize civil rights leaders
World History
• recognize farming allowed people to settle in one place and develop civilizations (Egypt)
• recognize settlement led to developments in farming, government, art, and writing in Ancient Egyptian Civilization
• recognize England and Spain wanted to rule the world
Civics/Government
• identify national symbols, icons, songs, and holidays
• practice examples of democracy in action
• recognize state symbols of Arizona
• identify current President and Governor
• identify examples of responsible citizenship and its rights and responsibilities
Geography
• recognize types, purposes, and characteristics of maps and globes
• construct maps of a familiar place with compass rose, symbols, and key
• discuss elements of culture of a community
• discuss how land is used in the community and how people earn a living
• identify resources that are renewable, recyclable, and non-renewable
Economics
• discuss needs and wants
• recognize people make choices and are buyers and sellers of goods
• discuss reasons for personal savings
* These skills are repeated in World History.
Thank you,
Ms. Hamilton, Mrs. Ross, Mrs. Villa and Mrs. Haider