Year Long Plan

The program covers the five strands: Number Sense and Numeration, Geometry and Spatial Sense, Patterning and Algebra, Measurement and Data Management and Probability. Term 1 focuses on Representing Numbers, Patterning, and Data Management. Term 2 focuses on Geometry, Measurement and Algebra. Term 3 focuses on adding and subtracting, money, and Probability.

Unit 11: Linear Measurement & Area

In this unit, students will learn more about using non-standard units (e.g., pencils, straws, erasers) to measure different attributes (length, width, height) of objects. They will learn how to measure accurately and practice estimating. We will learn the importance of unit size and choosing appropriate units. We will also investigate how to measure the Area of objects using non-standard units (e.g., sticky notes, index cards, newspapers).

You can help at home:

• Choose a unit, like a spoon, and find objects that are shorter, longer, and about the same length. Choose a different unit and measure the same items. Ask: Why did we get different answers?
• Cut a short length of string. With your child, find three things that are curvy, and use the string to measure which is the longest and which is the shortest.
• Using straws, pencils, or string, work with your child to estimate the height of each family member. Have your child measure to check the estimates.
• With your child, find examples in your home of surfaces that are covered by tiles, such as a bathroom wall or a kitchen floor. Ask your child to estimate and count the number of tiles.

Unit 10: Time

We are learning to estimate, measure, and describe the passage of time, through investigation using non-standard units (e.g., number of sleeps; number of claps; number of flips of a sand timer). We are also learning to read demonstration digital and analogue clocks, and use them to identify benchmark times (e.g., breakfast time) and to tell and write time to the hour and half-hour in everyday settings. We will also show we can name the months of the year in order, and read the date on a calendar.

How you can help at home:

• Make or mark a calendar with your child. Talk about your family schedule and what happens each day of the week.
• Together, record your child's bedtime to the closest hour each night for one week. Review the results and ask your child: "Did you go to bed at about the same hour every evening?"

Unit 9: Money

We are learning to identify and describe various coins and to state their value (e.g., a penny is worth 1 cent.) We are also learning to represent money amounts to 20 cents and to add and subtract money amounts to 10 cents using play money and drawings.

Ways you can help at home:

• practice naming and identifying coins and their value (penny, nickle, dime, loonie, toonie)
• Together, make groups of coins, each having a value of 10 cents. Ask your child to look away while you remove a coin from one group. Have your child look at the groups and identify the missing coin.
• With your child, take turns using pennies and nickles to make groups of coins, each having a value of 10 cents or less. Ask your child to tell you the value, in cents, of each group of coins.
• Have your child name the coins used to make, for example, 5 cents or 8 cents. Then ask, "What other ways can you make these amounts?"
• Play "Trade for Five!" roll a number cube labelled 0 to 5. One container has pennies, one container has nickels. The object of the game is to get 5 nickels. The first player rolls the cube, takes pennies out equalling the number on the cube. When children collect 5 pennies they say "Trade for Five!". Play ends when each player has 5 nickels. Extension: repeat the activity for 10 pennies and a dime.
• Practice skip counting by 5s, 10s, and 25s. Try different starting points (e.g., skip count by 25s to 75, then skip count by 10s...25, 50, 75, 85, 95)

Unit 8: Fractions

In Grade 1, students learn to divide whole objects into equal-sized parts and identify the fractional name (half, fourth/quarter). You can help at home by discussing half and fourth in daily activities such as sharing food or toys. Discuss how halves and fourths can look different depending on how you divide the object and depending on the size of the whole object (e.g., the difference between half a small pizza and half a large pizza). Reverse the question and say if this shape is half, what does the whole look like. Explore non-examples as well (a whole divided into 2 unequal pieces). As an extension, explore half and fourth of sets of objects. For example, how can you share 4 apples between 2 people?

Unit 7: Algebra

Students will be exploring the idea of equivalence through the use of a balance model and beginning to write equivalent expressions. For example, if you have 5 cubes on one side of a balance and 3 cubes on the other side, how can you make it balance? You can remove 2 cubes from the 5 or you can add 2 cubes to the 3 or 5-2=3 or 5=2+3. The big idea is that the equal sign means that both sides of the expression are the same. It's important to show students different ways of writing expressions. For example 3+2=5, 5=3+2, or 4+1=3+2

Unit 6: Addition and Subtraction to 20 through Problem Solving

We are learning to solve a variety of problems involving addition and subtraction through 20 using a variety of concrete materials (e.g., counters, cubes, arithmetic racks, number lines, ten frames).

Here are some examples of the problems we are solving:

• Lucas has 9 candies. Samten has 3 candies. How many more candies does Lucas have than Samten?
• Carter has 7 candies. Iris gives him 4 more. How many candies does Carter have now?
• Owen has 8 candies. He gives 5 candies to Jack. How many candies does Owen have left?
• Mr. Pashko's classroom has 3 more chairs than Ms. Hida's classroom. How many chairs might be in each room?
• Tenzin has 5 gummi bears. Nick gives her some more. Now Tenzin has 12 gummi bears. How many gummi bears did Nick give her?
• Iris has 17 Hatchimals. That's 9 more than Tenzin. How many Hatchimals does Tenzin have?

Notice the variety of ways that addition and subtraction questions can be asked and answered. Students first need to choose an operation and then decide how to compute those numbers. You can help at home by asking a variety of questions and changing where the unknown quantity is.

Unit 5: Geometry

The learning goals for this unit are to:

• identify and describe common two-dimensional shapes (e.g., circles, squares, triangles, rectangles) and sort and classify them by their attributes (e.g., number of sides, number of corners)
• identify and describe common three dimensional figures (e.g., cubes, cones, cylinders, spheres, rectangular prisms) and sort and classify them by their attributes (e.g., number and shape of faces)
• compose pictures using 2D shapes
• build 3D structures
• use positional language (above, under, on top, right, left, etc.)

Ways you can help at home:

• Look around the neighbourhood with your child. Talk about the 3D solids (cube, cone, cylinder, sphere, rectangular prism) they see.
• Help your child find flat figures -- triangles, squares, rectangles, and circles -- in your home and trace them with a finger.
• With your child, look for pictures in a flyer, magazine, or newspaper. Ask: "How many triangles can we find? Circles? Squares? Rectangles?
• Play "Simon Says" using positional language. Simon says: Take 5 steps back; put the paper under the table. Then trade roles with your child.
• Play sorting games with everyday objects (boxes, marbles, cans). Guess the sorting rule (e.g., all these are spheres)
• Ask your child to choose an object from your home collection and describe it using words such as rolls, has corners, stacks.
• Play board games with your child such as "move back 2 spaces" to help with positional language.
• Set out pairs of household objects, such as a can and a paper towel roll, and ask your child to tell how they are the same and how they are different.
• Hide and object (or gift) in your home Give clues to its location using positional language and invite your child to hunt for it.

Unit 4: Patterning

The learning goals for this unit are to:

• Recognize attributes. Children look for things they think have something in common. For example, they may choose objects that are the same colour, size, or shape.
• Describe and draw patterns. Name patterns using letters (e.g., AB, ABB, ABC)
• Talk about a pattern rule (identify the "core" of a pattern: the smallest part that repeats).
• Use one attribute to make a pattern.
• Identify and describe number patterns.

You can help your child at home by trying the following activities:

• Sort laundry or grocery items into groups with your child (for example, all socks, all shirts). Talk about how the items in each group are the same.
• Collect various shoes at home and put them in a pile. Ask your child to sort them (summer/winter; laces/Velcro; adult/child). Ask "How did you decide what to put in each pile?"
• Go on a pattern hunt with your child. See how many things you can find that have patterns (sweaters, socks, rugs, dishes). Ask your child to describe the patterns.
• With your child, begin a pattern such as mug, mug, glass; mug, mug, glass. Ask your child to complete the pattern.
• With your child, make a pattern with pens, pencils, crayons, or markers. Repeat the pattern 3 times. Remove 2 objects. Ask your child: "What is missing? How do you know?"

Unit 3: Early Addition and Subtraction

In this unit, we will be using the arithmetic rack (or rekenrek) and the story of a double decker bus (10 seats on the top, 10 seats on the bottom, 5 red/5 white) to explore many number concepts including composing and decomposing strategies (e.g., representing 7 as 5 + 2, 3 + 4, or 1 + 6), understanding equivalence (e.g., 10 as 6 + 4, 7 + 3, or 5 + 5). The goal of the unit is to move beyond counting by 1s to automatizing of basic facts by focusing on relationships and use of strategies such as doubles and near doubles (8 + 7 = 7 + 7 + 1) and making tens (9 + 7 = 10 + 6), as well as many more. Below please find an example of how to make your own rekenrek at home and some activities to try that we are learning at school.

Unit 2: Number Relationships

We are exploring number relationships to 20.

Success Criteria:

• I can read and print in words whole numbers to ten
• I understand the concept of conservation of number (i.e. the arrangement of objects doesn't affect the amount)
• I can relate numbers to 5 and 10
• I can estimate the number of objects in a set and check by counting
• I can compose and decompose numbers up to 10 (e.g., 7 is 4 and 3)
• I can count using one to one matching
• I can count forwards to 20
• I can count backwards from 10

Fruit Splat: Numbers to Words

A fun interactive game to help your child learn to read number words.

Fruit Splat

Unit 1: Data Management

We are learning to collect, sort, and display data. We are learning to ask and answer questions about graphs.

Success Criteria:

• I can read graphs (pictographs and concrete graphs)
• I can survey my classmates and organize data
• I can ask and answer questions about graphs (e.g. most popular? least favourite?)

See the file below for some activities you can try at home to help your child in this unit.