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COMMUNICATIONS LEARNING STANDARDS
First-grade students are expected to read independently
by the end of the school year. Students will be immersed
in a multicultural literature-rich environment with
particular emphasis on African and African American
experiences to develop an awareness of print materials
as sources of enjoyment and information. The student
will use a variety of strategies to read new words and
will read familiar selections aloud with fluency and
expression. Understanding the main idea and sequence
of events in a story are important comprehension skills
that will be applied in math, science, history and social
studies where students will follow instructions to complete
number patterns and simple experiments. They will study
people, cultures and important traditions of our country
and other countries. Students will begin to use informational
databases to conduct research and produce short written
reports.
MATH LEARNING
STANDARDS
The first grade standards introduce the idea of fractions
and continue the development of sorting and patterning
skills. In first grade, students will learn the basic
addition facts through the fives table and the corresponding
subtraction facts. Students also will draw and describe
certain two-dimensional figures and use nonstandard
units to measure length and weight.
Mathematics has its own language, and the acquisition
of specialized vocabulary and language patterns is crucial
to a student's understanding and appreciation
of the subject. Students will be encouraged to use correctly
the concepts, skills, symbols, and vocabulary identified
in the following set of standards.
Problem solving has been integrated throughout the
six content strands. The development of problem-solving
skills is a major goal of the mathematics program at
every grade level. Instruction in the process of problem
solving is integrated early and continuously into each
student's mathematics education. Students will
be helped to develop a wide range of skills and strategies
for solving a variety of problem types.
The use of appropriate technologies such as computers
and calculators begins early but they will not be regarded
as a substitute for a student's understanding
of quantitative concepts and relationships or for proficiency
in basic computations.
HISTORY & SOCIAL
STUDIES LEARNING STANDARDS
SunRise Academy's History and Social Studies
standards consider the dynamic nature of this curriculum
area and its role in shaping the cultural perspective
of the student. While these standards were developed
primarily for the African American student in need of
developing a positive and firm self-concept, its content
does not intend to understate the significance of other
cultures.
Furthermore, the standards are designed to
. develop the knowledge
and skills that enable students to place the people,
ideas, and
events that have shaped the District and the nation
. provide a global perspective;
and
. provide students with
a framework for continuing education in history and/or
the social sciences.
The standards for first-grade students include comparisons
of everyday life and traditions in different places
and times. First-grade students should construct simple
maps and globes to identify continents and locate the
quadrants of the District of Columbia as well as the
surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia. Their comparative
studies of life and culture should include at least
seven West African countries. First-graders should also
construct time lines; study economic concepts of scarcity,
productive resources, and consumption; learn the value
of rights and responsibilities; and help to make and
enforce class rules. The student should be encouraged
to develop good character through stories that teach
such virtues as honesty, truthfulness, kindness, self-discipline,
and responsibility.
SCIENCE LEARNING STANDARDS
SunRise Academy's Science standards begin primarily,
with the phrase "Students will investigate and
understand." This phrase was adopted from the
Commonwealth of Virginia's curriculum since we
agree that it is essential to "communicate the
range of rigorous science skills and knowledge levels
embedded in each standard." The Academy's
science teacher is then expected to develop and refine
the objectives to meet the intent of the Learning Standards.
The first-grade standards continue to stress basic
science skills in understanding familiar objects and
events. Students are expected to begin conducting simple
experiments and be responsible for some of the planning.
Students are introduced to the concept of classifying
plants and animals based on simple characteristics.
Emphasis is placed on the relationships among objects
and their interactions with one another. Students are
expected to know the basic relationships between the
sun and earth and between seasonal changes and plant
and animal activities. Students also will begin to develop
an understanding of moving objects, simple solutions,
and important natural resources.
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