1st Grade

  • Art

    In each unit in first grade, students have the opportunity to create, present, respond to, and connect with a variety of artworks. They plan and create artworks, develop skills using art materials, and learn to use artistic vocabulary to describe and respond to art. Students will work with clay, drawing, painting, printmaking, and color theory.

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  • English Language Arts

    Early literacy work includes an intentional focus on all five essential components of literacy: phonemic awareness, phonics/word study, fluency, vocabularly, and comprehension. Students are encouraged to view themselves as readers and writers, actively engaged in reading and writing within a workshop structure.

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  • Health

    Kirkwood's K-5 health curricula have recently been revised and will be presented to the Board of Education in August. The proposed curriculum will be implemented during the 2022-2023 school year, pending Board approval. These curricula can currently be viewed under 2021-2022 meeting notes on the Curriculum Review Committee website.

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  • Library Media

    The K-5 Library/Media curriculum assists students in Navigating Library Resources, Text Appreciation, Research, and Digital Citizenship & Technology Literacy. In the K-2 curriculum, district librarians provide guidance and assistance to students as they develop foundational skills in these areas. K-2 elementary students learn how the library is organized, where and how to find resources, how to identify and select appropriate texts, and how to use digital technologies in safe and responsible ways. Beginning research skills (such as accessing a database) are modeled and taught in a scaffolded manner and often in support of content area projects.

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  • Math

    In first grade math, instructional time focuses on four critical areas: (1) developing understanding of addition, subtraction, and strategies for addition and subtraction within 20; (2) developing understanding of whole number relationships and place value, including grouping in tens and ones; (3) developing understanding of linear measurement and measuring lengths as iterating length units; and (4) reasoning about attributes of, and composing and decomposing geometric shapes.

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  • Music

    In each unit in first grade, students have the opportunity to create, present, respond to, and connect with a variety of musical forms. They imitate, echo, and create music and learn to use musical vocabulary to describe and respond to music. Students will explore with dance, rhythm, vocal music, instrumental music, iconic notation. Students will consider what musical forms and dances are appropriate for different occasions and celebrations and develop a personal program of music for a special event.

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  • Physical Education

    Physical education is a school-based instructional opportunity that provides students with a planned, sequential, K-12 standards-based program of curricula designed to develop motor skills, knowledge and behaviors for active living, physical fitness, sportsmanship, self-efficacy and emotional intelligence. The outcome of a quality physical education program is a physically literate individual who has the knowledge, skills, and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthy physical activity.

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  • Science & Engineering

    In first grade, students investigate light and sound, including vibration from sound waves and the effect of different materials on the path of a beam of light. Students use their understanding of light from the Light & Sound unit to understand why the sun, moon, and stars are visible. Students will explore the sequential nature of computer programs through hands-on activities both with and without a computer. The final unit focuses on animals and includes exploration of animal life cycles and survival needs. The concept of variation is introduced by learning that young animals are similar to but not exactly like their parents and that the needs of young animals are sometimes different that those of adults. Students will also explore the design concept of biomimicry - in which structures found in nature are used to design solutions to human problems.

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  • Social Studies

    In first grade, students explore their place in the world around them building on their work in kindergarten and expanding perspective beyond themselves. Through comparison of family, school, and community, students will explore multiple perspectives from the past and today.

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