Course Title:  Religion

Significant Curriculum Guidelines
Students will:

• Become aware that the Church is a Community of God's people
• Recognize that the sacraments are special signs of Jesus' love by deepening their understanding of basic concepts of Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist and Penance
• Learn more about God The Father, Son and Holy Spirit
• Learn the concept of Church as community, describe the role of a priest as a representative of Christ and the Church and identify the roles of laity and religious
• Develop religious vocabulary related to each unit
• Recall major events in Jesus' live through specific scripture stories which illustrate his power, miracles, goodness and love
• Memorize prayers and recognize special devotions such as the Rosary and the Way of the Cross
• Learn about Mary and the saints
• Participate actively in the Eucharistic Liturgy (Mass) by reciting responses, singing, carrying gifts, reading of Scriptures and Offertory petitions.
• Understand the importance of care and respect for others (especially those of different cultures and abilities), and all of God's creation

Teaching Strategies Used
Students will:

• Be instructed in large and small groups
• Role play
• Use flash cards for 'key words'
• Learn through the use of coloring pages

Special Features
 Students will:

• Sing
• Read stories of saints
• Have a prayer corner
• Participate in a Christmas Pageant

Evaluations

• Writing 'key words' for each chapter
• Chapter test
   

 Course Title:  Reading

Significant Curriculum Guidelines
Students will:

• Receive systematic phonics instruction through word blending, word building, and decoding multi-syllabic words
• Recognize the 250 most frequently used English words (Dolch Basic Word List)
• Develop fluency through directed reading practice and opportunities for repeated oral reading
• Be exposed to rich language environments through listening to literature and reading a variety of genres independently
• Learn vocabulary words to improve comprehension
• Receive instruction in the use of a dictionary and other reference sources to understand the meaning of unknown words
• Learn strategies for comprehension
• Listen to stories to develop communication and oral language skills and improve comprehension
• Be provided opportunities for independent reading
• Learn the parts of a book (table of contents, glossary and index)

Teaching Strategies Used
Students will:

• Build background and vocabulary
• Read with guided comprehension
• Share daily literature activities through read aloud selections
• Practice Dolch reading words
• Practice with the use of transparencies and the SMARTboard

Special Features
Students will:

• Give book reports
• Participate in the Chapter Book Club
• Participate in the Reading Olympics
• Participate in puppet shows and plays
• Participate in Readers Theatre

Evaluations

• Diagnostic check
• Performance assessment
• Oral reading fluency assessment
• Book reports

Course Title:  Math

Significant Curriculum Guidelines
Students will:

• Understand addition and subtraction by reviewing the meanings of addition and subtraction, including writing addition and subtraction number sentences, identifying fact families for related addition and subtraction facts, and finding the missing part of a number sentence
• Learn place-value concepts for numbers to one thousand, estimate quantities,
• and develop counting techniques for finding combinations of equal monetary amounts and ways to make change
• Develop estimating, finding and checking differences of two-digit numbers with and without regrouping, adding and subtracting money amounts
• Develop properties of solid figures and plane shapes and learn the meaning of a fraction as part of a whole or as part of a group
• Develop telling time to the nearest 5 minutes and ways to organize and interpret data that include reading and making line plots, bar graphs, and pictographs
• Focus on estimating and measuring the length, capacity, and weight/mass of an object and finding the temperature in the standard customary and metric systems
• Focus on estimating and finding sums and differences of three-digit numbers with and without regrouping
• Be introduced to the meaning of multiplication and division

Teaching Strategies Used
Students will:

• Investigate concepts through the use of hands on materials and text pages
• Be enriched through the use of extra problem solving materials
• Complete homework pages for each concept
• Have flash card practice at home and at school
• Have a spiral review of material taught

Special Features
Students will:

• Have flashcard contests
• Have a problem of the day challenge
• Participate in math projects such as quilt making

Evaluations

• Diagnostic check ups
• Chapter tests and cumulative reviews
• Evaluation of board and journal work
• Homework
   

Course Title: Integrated Language Arts/Handwriting

Significant Curriculum Guidelines
Students will:

• Be given systematic instruction in writer's craft skills (prewriting, drafting, revision, proofreading, and publishing)
• Learn the traits of good writing (focus, organization, development, voice, word choice, sentences and conventions)
• Be taught proofreading and editing marks
• Use references and resources such as the dictionary and thesaurus
• Learn to organize information through the use of story maps and sequence charts
• Be taught fundamentals of spelling, grammar, mechanics and sentence structure
• Review manuscript writing and be given formal instruction in the Palmer method of cursive handwriting

Teaching Strategies Used
Students will:

• Learn through the use of transparencies and the SMARTboard
• Write in journals
• Have spelling tests and spelling bees
• Have spelling homework
• Complete lessons from the language handbook
• Have daily proofreading practice

Special Features
Students will:

• Participate in oral presentations and publish stories
   

Evaluations

• Written tests
• Oral presentations rubrics

Course Title: Science

Significant Curriculum Guidelines
Students will:

• Learn how living things grow and change by observing plants and seeds
• Identify plant and animal habitats
• Explore Earth's surface by discovering how people use soil, plants and water
• Discover the parts of the solar system, seasons, and Earth's weather
• Explore matter by investigating solids, liquids, and gases
• Discover how forces and sound can be measured and changed

Teaching Strategies Used
Students will:

• Read non-fiction literature
• Have 'hands on' projects
• Complete workbook papers

Special Features
Students will:

• Have practical applications in the classroom such as measuring the temperature, discussing the weather and seasons
• Evaluations
• Classroom observation and discussion

Course Title: Social Studies

  
Significant Curriculum Guidelines
Students will:

• Be exposed to other culture elements such as language, arts and music
• Understand the branches of government, elective leadership, the need for rules and location of our capital city
• Understand that history is a record of events set in time by learning about the beginnings of our nation and our freedom from England
• Understand the basic directions on maps and globes
• Identify different land forms and water areas
• Learn how to locate our country, state and city (as well as other places) on a map and globe
• Have knowledge of facts and accounts of famous Americans

Teaching Strategies Used
Students will:

• Read non-fiction literature
• Have 'hands on' projects
• Complete workbook papers

Special Features
Students will:

• Participate in Readers' Theatre
• Participate in plays, ethnic dances and sing
• Read the Scholastic News Magazine

Evaluations

• Participation in class discussions
• Observation
• Chapter and unit tests