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In first grade, we will learn all the time, every day, and will come to understand how everything we learn is connected. First graders will study ponds throughout the school year, incorporating reading, writing, mathematics, and social studies into this typically science-based theme. We will read books about pond life, write about our daily and weekly ecological observations, and measure both temperature change and plant and animal growth. Through this unit of study, we will explore habitats, ecosystems, the water cycle, animals and plants which live in and around the pond, pollution, infestation, the life cycle of frogs and toads, and a bit of genetics. During our weekly hikes, the class will learn to identify different plants and animals, as well as the roles they play within their forest, wetland, or grassland habitat. In social studies, we will learn about government, laws, US history, citizenship, and geography, and support these topics in the classroom by building a collaborative community based on working hard and becoming good friends. We will practice reading and writing daily, and throughout the year will develop math concepts including patterns, time, money, shapes, and math facts through our morning calendar routine and daily math lessons. By participating in these academic rituals daily, students will develop a sense of how the skills we practice in school help to make them successful, deep intellectual individuals.
We look forward to your participation and collaboration throughout the year! |
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First grade
Welcome to First Grade at Green Woods Charter School! I am thrilled to work with first graders in the phenomenal outdoor setting that is Green Woods. During the fall, we will focus on the pond as an ecosystem, and then delve into a study of frogs and toads, their lifestyle, habitat, and life cycle. Our environmental studies will include weekly hikes to the various ponds on the Green Woods property, with in-depth discussions and lessons along the way. As we begin to further develop our reading and writing skills, we will practice sight words and build a word bank of math terminology and science vocabulary. Students will use these words to deepen their writing skills, keeping a science journal and a writer’s notebook for daily practice in our writer’s workshop. During Literacy Centers, along with practicing reading, phonics, spelling, and writing skills, students will have the opportunity to learn more about ponds and the wildlife they contain, as well as explore and write about new math concepts. Mathematics concepts covered early in the year include building a daily calendar and weather routine, comparing numbers, making tally marks, solving number stories, and learning about coins. In first grade, we will read, write, and think deeply every day, along with learning how to be good friends and support each other in the process of becoming lifelong learners. I look forward to your participation and collaboration throughout the year in first grade!
Enthusiastically,
Elizabeth Farwell
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