Elementary Curriculum

Kindergarten

Language Arts
Write letters and numbers; recognize consonants and vowels; recognize rhyming words; extend vocabulary; write short sentences and stories; recognize sequence and main idea; compare and contrast ideas; formulate opinions; begin sentences with capital letters; recognize use of period, question mark and exclamation point; speak clearly and confidently; follow verbal directions; blend short vowel words, recognize word families.

Science
Topics: trees; animals; wood; paper; fabric.
Skills: plant/care for a tree; observe properties of trees; observe/care for animals; note interactions of animals; compare different kinds of wood; paper; fabric.

Social Studies
Topics: working together, now and long ago.
Skills: share material; pose alternative solutions; take on more responsibility; explore school environment.

First Grade

Language Arts
Read fluently; summarize; recognize contractions; recognize compound words; use context clues for meaning; recognize blends and diphthongs; identify characters, setting, cause, effect, reality, fantasy, motives and feeling; write complete sentences; spell 30high-frequency words; use nouns, verbs and adjectives; use quotations marks and apostrophes; alphabetize by first letter; spell with descriptive language, stay on the subject.

Mathematics
Read/write cardinal to 100; identify ordinals to 10th; add/subtract to 20; add columns; 2-digits; read/write math sentences, explore fractions (1/3,1/4, etc.); identify 3-dimensional shapes; identify congruent figures; measure and compare height; measure and compare length; add/subtract money to 25 cents; tell time to ¼ hour; use a calendar; create graphs; apply problem-solving strategies; estimate; practice mental math, communicate mathematically.

Science
Topics: plants; solid/liquid; air/weather.
Skills: recognize differences between solids and liquids; conduct investigation on unknown material; experience diverse plant forms; describe changes as plants grow.

Social Studies
Topics: cultural diversity; geography; economy.
Skills: respect rights of others; appreciate different customs; develop map skills; understand goods and services.

Second Grade

Language Arts
Use general phonics rules; read for information; use table of contents; determine appropriate resources; identify problem/solution; draw conclusions; predict outcomes; spell 60 high-frequency words; alphabetize by first 2 letters; write organized paragraphs, research papers and poetry; conduct and write up an interview; use commas in a series; begin cursive writing; speak in complete sentences; substantiate an opinion.

Mathematics
Explore place value to 1;000; identify greater/less than identify ordinals to 20th; identify odd/even; recall addition /subtraction to 18;add/subtract with regrouping; create /interpret graphs; create/solve story problems; evaluate answers for reasonableness; develop estimation skill; recognize congruent figures; read a calendar; measure with inches/centimeters; tell time to 5-minute intervals;add/subtract money to $1.00; explain math strategies used.

Science
Topics: insects; balance/motion; pebbles/sand/silt.

Skills: observe life cycles; respect insects as living things; discover properties of a stable position; understand counter weighting; observe how mass affects rotation.

Social Studies
Topics: grandparents and ancestors; people who supply our needs.
Skills: appreciate family origins; research famous people; develop understanding of careers.

Third Grade

Language Arts
Properly capitalize and punctuate; understand syllabication; identify subject/object pronouns; use content-related vocabulary; recall supporting details; describe character feelings; make generalizations; understand similes and metaphors; identify synonyms and antonyms; summarize current events; alphabetize first three letters; write a bibliography; use encyclopedias; spell 90 high-frequency words; recite poetry; present oral reports.

Mathematics
Multiply/divide to the 12's; identify place value to 100;000's; add/subtract 4-digit numbers; multiply 2 digits by 1 digit; divide 2-digit quotients; identify equivalent fractions; explore mixed numbers; identify decimals; (tenths); identify segments and angles; explore geometry of planes; recognize symmetry; tell time to the minute; make change; explore perimeter and area.

Science
Topics: life structures; sound earth material; measurement.
Skills: develop respect of life; observe/record information; understand causes of sound; relate pitch to sound source, frequency, tension and length; develop estimation skills.

Social Studies
Topics: Native Americans; history of Los Angeles .
Skills: appreciate tribal customs; understand natural landscape; note multicultural contributions; compare community then and now.

Fourth Grade

Language Arts
Understand verb tenses; identify mood, hyperbole and idioms; identify first/third voice; describe point-of-view; identify genres of literature; spell 120 high-frequency words; develop proofreading skills; write introductions and conclusions; write several kinds of letters; select appropriate definitions; alphabetize by first four letters; use an index, thesaurus, and atlas; write poetry.

Mathematics
Identify place value to 100;000;000; round numbers for calculation; multiply with regrouping; understand long division; find the average; convert inches/feet/yards; understand ratio and scale; reduce fractions; add/subtract like denominators; understand probability; identify decimals (hundredths); convert seconds/minutes; graph ordered pairs; identify a reasonable answer; use number of strategies to identify problems.

Science
Topics: human body; magnetism; electricity; water. Invention
Skills: build mechanical models; gather information from photos and diagrams; explore bone /muscle structure and function; observe how magnets/electricity reacts with different materials.

Social Studies
Topics: California geography; California history.
Skills: identify geographic regions; understand colonization concept; appreciate Missions' contributions; identify effects of the Gold Rush.

Fifth Grade

Language Arts
Identify root words, prefix/suffix; identify sentence fragments; combine sentences; recognize prepositional phrases; use consistent verb tense; recognize tall tales and exaggeration; understand motives and imagery; recognize foreshadowing; complete analogies; analyze/synthesize/evaluate ideas; interpret graphs, charts and tables; use an almanac; spell 150 high-frequency words.

Mathematics
Identify place value to 1;000;000;000; determine order of operations; multiply/divide 3-digit decimals; find circumference; area; determine time in time zones; identify parallel and perpendicular; identify intersection; measure angles; classify polygons; identify radius and diameter; add/subtract fractions; compare/order fractions; relate fractions to decimals; rename improper fractions; interpret graphs; solve multi-step problems.

Science
Topics: nutrition; solar energy; mixtures/solutions; human development.
Skills: become aware of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and vitamins; relate experimental results to food; become informed consumers; understand mixtures and solutions.

Social Studies
Topics: U.S. geography; age of exploration; U.S. history to westward expansion
Skills: develop map skills; identify contribution of explorers; appreciate roles of women and men; note impact of Revolutionary War.