English Language Arts

Students will:

• be exposed to rich literature on a daily basis.

• respond to literature orally and in writing.

• read a variety of traditional and contemporary multicultural works of literature.

• keep writer’s notebooks that provide evidence of the their growth and achievement of the standards.

• choose other selections of fiction and non-fiction, including poems, short stories, articles and plays.

• include at least one additional English Language product in their writer’s notebooks (e.g. a letter, persuasive essay, oral presentation, personal narrative or essay)

• achieve proper sentence structure, paragraphs, sequence and transition, grammatical conventions, correct citations, legibility and formatting.

Mathematics

 Students will:

• focus on basic understanding of problem solving.
• engage in a hands-on problem solving approach.
• develop strategies to stimulate thinking.
• enhance computational competence.
• use mathematical fact strategies to build on problem solving skills.
• use mathematical relationships between numbers and operations.
• build upon and strengthen mental math ability through estimation.
• develop more sophisticated mathematical thinking.

 Curriculum

• Mathematical Thinking
• Picturing Polygons
• Name That Portion
• Building On Numbers You Know
•  Measurement
• Containers and Cubes.

Social Studies/ U.S. History

 Students will:

• conduct historical and social studies research, analysis and interpretation

• acquire an understanding of chronological thinking and concepts and details of physical and political geography, and the relationship to the physical environment.

• be expected to present at least one social studies research product, such as an historical document, an historically significant biography or a map or model.

Curriculum

• United States History and Geography: Origins to 1865.

Science

 Students will:

• ask questions about objects, organisms, and events in the environment.
• make predictions based on observed patterns.
• name and use simple equipment and tools to gather data.
• record observations and data.
• discuss observations with peers and teachers
• be required to do two investigations and keep a "work collection" notebook.

 Curriculum

• Measuring Time, Ecosystems, Levers and Pulleys, and Landforms

SECOND STEP

Students will learn to:

• have empathy for others
• solve problems effectively
• manage their feelings positively