Our Curriculum › 1st Grade
1st Grade: the whole year
Every subject a 1st grade student takes, and what each one covers. Each subject is 180 daily lessons; open any course to see its units and lessons.
Math
Math 1
A full year of 1st-grade math: counting and place value to 120, adding and subtracting within 20 with real strategies and every kind of story problem, and adding within 100 with tens and ones. It also covers measuring length, telling time, coins, graphs, shapes, and halves and fourths.
- Adding and subtracting within 10
- Tens and ones, and counting to 120
- Adding and subtracting within 20
- The equal sign and story problems
- Adding and subtracting with tens
- Length, time, calendar and coins
- Sorting and graphs
- Shapes and equal shares
- Putting the year together
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Reading
Reading 1
A phonics-first year read together with a grown-up: from blending sounds and short vowels through blends, digraphs, silent e, vowel teams, r-controlled vowels and word parts. Alongside the phonics, real fables, folktales, poems and information texts build retelling, main-topic, fluency and vocabulary skills, and the year ends with a family book project.
- Sounds and short vowels
- Blends and digraphs
- Silent e
- Vowel teams and r-controlled vowels
- Tricky words and word parts
- Reading smoothly
- Understanding stories
- Information books
- Poems
- Word meanings
- Year-end review and checks
- My book project
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Writing & Grammar
Writing 1
A full year of first-grade writing: neat printing of every letter, spelling by sound and pattern, all four kinds of sentences, then true and made-up stories, facts and how-to writing, and opinion pieces, with grammar, capitals and commas taught along the way. It ends with a revised, illustrated portfolio shared with family.
- Neat printing, A to Z
- Sounds, words and sentences
- Stories that tell what happened
- Facts about a topic
- How-to writing and shared research
- Opinion writing
- Spelling patterns
- Sentence craft and conventions
- Revising, editing and publishing
- Real readers and the portfolio
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Science
Science 1
First-grade science built on hands-on tests at home: sound and vibrations, light and shadows, sending messages with light and sound, how the outside parts and behaviors of plants and animals help them survive, how young are like their parents, and the patterns of the sun, moon, stars and daylight. The engineering design steps run all year, and the year ends with the child's own project and a home science fair.
- Thinking like a scientist
- Engineers solve problems
- Sound and vibrations
- Light, shadows and seeing
- Sending messages with light and sound
- Plants: parts and protection
- Animal bodies and survival
- Parents and their young
- The sun, moon and stars
- Seasons and daylight
- Final project and year review
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History & Social Studies
History 1
A first-grade year of maps and early history, read together: globe and map skills, Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt, three world religions and modern Mexico, then the story of the Americas from the first people through Columbus, Jamestown, the Pilgrims, the Revolution and Lewis and Clark. It ends with American symbols, a capstone poster and a timeline of the whole year.
- Time, maps and our world
- Mesopotamia
- Ancient Egypt
- Judaism, Christianity and Islam
- Modern Mexico
- The first Americans
- Explorers cross the ocean
- Roanoke, Jamestown and Plymouth
- The American Revolution
- Heading west
- American symbols
- The year in review
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Electives at this grade
Add any of these alongside the core subjects.
Art
Art 1
A year of first-grade art: looking closely, imaginative play with everyday objects, art tools and safety, eight art words, how to talk about and compare art, how museums work, and a year-end art show.
- Looking closely and pretend play
- Tools, safety and more art words
- Talking about your own art
- Why we value art, and how to show and protect it
- How museums work
- Art about daily life, and comparing pictures
- Art detective: subject matter, form and reasons for liking
- Art at home and across time
- The Art Year Show
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Music
Music 1
A full year of 1st-grade music: musical question-and-answer games, major and minor sounds, music in twos and threes, writing and reading rhythms in pictures and on the staff, music from Germany and the Philippines, and choosing music to fit a purpose.
- Musical questions and answers
- Major and minor, duple and triple
- Writing music down
- Music from Germany and the Philippines
- Reading rhythm patterns
- Loud, soft, fast, slow and singing with purpose
- Choosing music for a reason
- Beat and pitch
- Is this music a good fit?
- Year in review and celebration show
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PE & Health
PE & Health 1
A first-grade year of foot dribbling and striking skills, stretching and heart health, and a wide run of health and safety topics: food groups, germs, feelings, street and water safety, health helpers, and respecting personal space.
- Foot dribbling, striking and food groups
- Striking with short and long tools
- Stretching, your heart and why we move
- Equipment, partner problems and safety rules
- Practice, germs and feelings
- Healthy body, environment, helpers and personal space
- Skill showcase games and what-would-you-do
- Year review and field day
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Social Skills
Social Skills K-3
A parent-friendly social and emotional course meant to be used across kindergarten through 3rd grade, at the pace that suits the child. It covers naming feelings, calming down, empathy, kind words, friendship, teamwork and good choices, taught with short stories and practice.
- Naming feelings & calm-down tools
- Staying calm, routines & goals
- Reading others, empathy & fairness
- Words, turns, listening & apologies
- Friends, fair play & teamwork
- Making good choices
- Year in review & celebration
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