1st Grade

Theme 1: Who We Are

August  to September

 Central Idea: Individual rights and responsibilities vary within school communities and among cultures.

 Lines of Inquiry:

·         Similarities and differences between individuals in various school communities and among cultures

·         Rights in various school communities and among cultures

·         Responsibilities in various school communities and among cultures

 Required Book:

Schools Around the World by Dona Herweck Rice

Theme 2: How We Organize Ourselves            

 September  to November 

 Central Idea: Individuals interact and cooperate to enhance and build communities.

 Lines of Inquiry:

·         The different jobs and roles performed in our community

·         The ways in which  jobs and people are interconnected

·         My role as a member of a community

Required Book:

 Helpers in my Community by Bobbie Kalman

Theme 3: How the World Works                         

November to January

Central Idea: Changes in weather impact daily life

 Lines of Inquiry:

·         Weather patterns

·         Methods for predicting weather

·         Effects of weather on daily life

Required Book:

Frog and Toad All Year by Arnold Lobel

 Theme 4: Sharing the Planet                       January  to February 

Central Idea: All living things share a responsibility to care for habitats

Lines of Inquiry:

·         Resources that habitats provide for living things

·         The common features of habitats

·         Consequences of human actions on habitats

Required Book:

The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry

 Theme 5: Where We Are in Place and Time                  February  to April 

Central Idea: Exploration leads to discoveries, opportunities, and new understandings

Lines of Inquiry:

·         Exploration over time

·         The interconnectedness of exploration and technology

·         The discoveries of technology have led to world advances

Required Book:

 First Flight by George Shea

Theme 6: How We Express Ourselves                    

April to June 

 Central Idea: Across cultures, people share beliefs and creativity through art.

 Lines of Inquiry:

·         Function of art through time to celebrate and communicate in our daily lives

·         Similarities and differences of art forms from different cultures

·         How art can be interpreted through the senses

Required Book:

Picasso and the Girl with the Pony Tail by Lawerence Anholt