1st Grade Curriculum

Below are the 1st Grade Standards we focus on throughout the school year.  These standards are in direct alignment with the Colorado Academic Standards and the curriculum outlined by Douglas County School District.  

The standards are the basis for the content rich environment and activities we work at Buffalo Ridge.  We also emphasize the 4C's with our kindergarteners at a developmentally appropriate level.  Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication, and Collaboration are vital skills for them to start developing at this young age as they learn to become learners.  



1st Grade
Reading, Writing and Communicating

Oral Expression and Listening

  • Multiple strategies develop and expand oral vocabulary

  • Verbal and nonverbal language is used to express and receive information

  • Identifying and manipulating phonemes in spoken words allow people to understand the meaning of speech

Reading for All Purposes

  • Comprehending and fluently reading a variety of literary texts are the beginning traits of readers

  • Comprehending and fluently reading a variety of informational texts are the beginning traits of readers

  • Decoding words require the application of alphabetic principles, letter sounds, and letter combinations

  • Understanding word structure, word relationships, and word families needs to be demonstrated to begin to read

Writing and Composition

  • Exploring the writing process develops ideas for writing texts that carry meaning

  • Appropriate spelling, conventions, and grammar are applied when writing

  • Implement the writing process successfully to plan, revise, and edit written work

Research and Reasoning

  • A variety of resources leads to locating information and answering questions of interest

  • Purpose, information, and questions about an issue are essential steps in early research



1st Grade
Mathematics

Number Sense, Properties, and Operations

  • The whole number system describes place value relationships within and beyond 100 and forms the foundation for efficient algorithms

  • Number relationships can be used to solve addition and subtraction problems

Patterns, Functions, and Algebraic Structures

  • Expectations for this standard are integrated into the other standards at preschool through third grade.

Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability

  • Visual displays of information can used to answer questions

Shape, Dimension, and Geometric Relationships

  • Shapes can be described by defining attributes and created by composing and decomposing

  • Measurement is used to compare and order objects and events

1st Grade
Science

Physical Science:  States of Matter - Solids and Liquids (Patterns)

  • Solids and liquids have unique properties that distinguish them

Life Science:  Offspring and Parents (Patterns)

  • Offspring have characteristics that are similar to but not exactly like their parents’ characteristics.

Life Science:  Organism Classification (Structure and Function)

  • An organism is a living thing that has physical characteristics to help it survive

Earth Systems Science:  Earth Materials (Compare and Contrast)

  • Earth’s materials can be compared and classified based on their properties

1st Grade
Social Studies

History

  • Describe patterns and chronological order of events of the recent past

  • Family and cultural traditions in the United States in the past


Geography

  • Geographic tools such as maps and globes to represent places

  • People in different groups and communities interact with each other and the environment

Economics

  • People work at different types of jobs and in different types of organizations in order to produce goods and services and receive an income

  • Identify short term financial goals   

Civics

  • Effective groups have responsible leaders and team members

  • Notable people, places, holidays and patriotic symbols

1st Grade
Visual Arts

Observe and Learn to Comprehend

  • Works of art express feelings

  • Art represents and renders the stories of people, places, or things

Envision and Critique to Reflect

  • Visual arts provide opportunities to respond to personal works of art and the art of others

Invent and Discover to Create

  • Create art to communicate ideas, feelings, or emotions

Relate and Connect to Transfer

  • Visual arts relate experiences to self, family, and friends

1st Grade
Music

Expression of Music

  • Expressively perform in groups or independently

  • Perform basic rhythmic and melodic patterns

Creation of Music

  • Demonstrate creation of short, independent musical phrases and sounds alone and with others

  • Identify musical patterns

Theory of Music

  • Comprehension of gradual changes in dynamics and tempo

  • Aurally identify components of musical form

  • Comprehension of basic vocal and instrumental tone colors

  • Comprehension of basic rhythmic and melodic patterns

Aesthetic Valuation of Music

  • Demonstrate respect for the contributions of self and others in a musical setting

  • Comprehension of basic components of music and musical performance at a beginning level

  • Identify music as an integral part of everyday life

1st Grade
Physical Education

Movement Competence and Understanding

  • Demonstrate basic locomotor and nonlocomotor skills, and rhythmic and cross-lateral movements

  • Demonstrate fundamental manipulative skills

  • Establish a beginning movement vocabulary

Physical and Personal Wellness

  • Identify the body’s normal reactions to moderate and vigorous physical activity

Emotional and Social Wellness

  • Work independently and with others to complete work

  • Follow the rules of an activity

Prevention and Risk Management

  • Develop movement control for safe participation in games and sports