OVERVIEW
First grade math is an exciting journey where your student will build a strong foundation for future learning. This year, students will develop a deep understanding of place value, learning to count, read, and write numbers up to 120 by recognizing the patterns of tens and ones. They'll become fluent with addition and subtraction facts within 20, using strategies like making ten and understanding fact families. Students will also learn to solve various word problems by translating stories into equations. We will explore the world of shapes, learning to identify, describe, and compose both flat and solid figures. Additionally, students will get hands-on experience with measurement, telling time to the hour and half-hour, and organizing data. Your child will gain the skills to think critically and solve problems using a variety of tools and strategies.
Unit 1: Math Is
Learning Target
Students will learn what a quantity is and how to use math to model a problem.
Students will make sense of problems and explain their thinking clearly.
Students will listen respectfully and respond to their classmates' ideas.
Students will learn to choose the right tools for a math task.
Students will notice and describe patterns to make generalizations.
Students will reflect on their own strengths and growth as a mathematician.
Essential Questions
What does it mean to be a "doer of mathematics"?
How do we work together to solve a math problem?
How can we use math to describe the world around us?
Questions to Ask at Home
Tell me about a time you used math today.
How did you make sense of that problem?
What is your math story?
What is something you learned from listening to a classmate's idea in math class?
What Do You Do with an Idea? by Kobi Yamada: This book explores the process of nurturing an idea, which is a great metaphor for making sense of a problem and finding a solution.
The Boy Who Loved Math by Paul Erdos: This biography of a real-life mathematician shows a young child who is deeply curious about numbers, illustrating that math is about more than just fast facts.
Unit 2: Number Patterns
Learning Target
Students will use counting patterns on number charts to count by ones.
Students will recognize how the ones and tens digits change as they count.
Students will read and write numbers all the way up to 120.
Students will use their knowledge of patterns to predict what number comes next in a sequence.
Essential Questions
What are some patterns we notice when we count?
How can a number chart help us count?
How can we use counting patterns to read and write numbers?
Questions to Ask at Home
What number comes right after 79? How do you know?
Can you count by ones from 95 to 105?
Look at the numbers on our calendar. What patterns do you notice in the rows or columns?
What number is 10 more than 40? What about 10 more than 80?
100 Hungry Ants by Elinor J. Pinczes: A clever story about 100 ants marching to a picnic. The ants change formations (by 1s, 2s, 4s, 5s, etc.), which subtly introduces the concept of counting in different groups and finding patterns.
A Pair of Socks by Lois Ehlert: While focused on sorting, this book also features patterns in the designs of socks. You can talk about how the designs repeat and how that's like a number pattern.
The M&M's Counting Book by Barbara Barbieri McGrath: This fun book counts up to 100, and you can use it to talk about the patterns in numbers as you go through the pages.
Unit 3: Place Value
Learning Target
Students will understand that the digits in a 2-digit number represent tens and ones.
Students will show a number in different ways, such as with pictures, words, and ten-frames.
Students will compare two numbers using a number line and the terms greater than, less than, and equal to.
Students will use the symbols for comparing numbers: > (greater than), < (less than), and = (equal to).
Essential Questions
How can we show the same number in different ways?
What do the digits in a 2-digit number mean?
How can we compare two numbers to find out which is larger or smaller?
Questions to Ask at Home
Can you show me the number 35 using tens and ones?
Look at the numbers on these mailboxes. Which number is greater, 42 or 24? How do you know?
Which number is less than 60? How can you tell?
Let's look at a two-digit number, like 58. What does the 5 mean? What does the 8 mean?
A Place for Zero by Angeline Sparagna LoPresti: A fun story that personifies the number zero and helps children understand its importance in place value.
Count on Pablo by Tracey C. Edmonds: Pablo is in charge of setting up a classroom. This book uses counting and grouping by tens to show the concept of place value in a realistic context.
Unit 4: Addition within 20 (Facts and Strategies)
Learning Target
Students will use different strategies to add, such as using a ten-frame to make ten.
Students will find the sum of two or three numbers using efficient methods.
Students will apply properties of addition, such as understanding that changing the order of the addends does not change the total.
Students will solve for an unknown number in an equation.
Essential Questions
What are some different ways we can add numbers together?
How can knowing some addition facts help us solve others?
How can we find a missing number in a math problem?
Questions to Ask at Home
If we know that 6+4=10, what does 4+6 equal?
We have 8 strawberries. How many more do we need to have 10?
Can you show me with your fingers how you would solve 7+5?
Let's solve 3+4+6. Is there an easy way to solve that?
Ten Apples Up on Top! by Dr. Seuss: This classic story about three animals balancing apples on their heads is a great way to talk about adding and building numbers up to ten and beyond.
Mission: Addition by Loreen Leedy: A group of animal students on a "mission" to learn about addition. This book provides a clear and fun introduction to the plus sign, sums, and writing addition equations.
Elevator Magic by Stuart J. Murphy: As an elevator goes up and down, this book uses illustrations to show how people get on and off, which helps children visualize the concepts of adding and subtracting in a concrete way.
Unit 5: Subtraction within 20 (Facts and Strategies)
Learning Target
Students will use strategies to subtract, such as counting back on a number line.
Students will understand the relationship between addition and subtraction, using fact families to help solve problems.
Students will determine whether a subtraction equation is true or false.
Students will solve for the difference in a subtraction problem.
Essential Questions
How can we use different strategies to solve a subtraction problem?
How are addition and subtraction related?
How can we check if our answer to a subtraction problem is correct?
Questions to Ask at Home
If we have 15 cookies and eat 8 of them, how many are left?
If you know that 5+3=8, what is 8−3?
We have 10 toys. If you put 4 of them away, how many are left out?
Can you tell me a fact family for the numbers 2, 8, and 10?
Elevator Magic by Stuart J. Murphy: This book uses a trip in an elevator to show how people get on and off, which helps children visualize the concepts of adding and subtracting.
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by James Dean: As Pete sings, his buttons pop off one by one, providing a fun and repetitive way to practice counting backward and subtracting.
The Action of Subtraction by Brian P. Cleary: This book uses rhyming text and humorous illustrations to introduce subtraction vocabulary and concepts in a lighthearted way.
Unit 6: Shapes and Solids
Learning Target
Students will identify 2-D shapes by their number of sides and corners (vertices).
Students will identify 3-D shapes by their faces, edges, and vertices.
Students will learn that the size, color, or orientation of a shape does not change its name.
Students will use smaller shapes to compose (build) larger, more complex shapes and figures.
Essential Questions
How can we tell what a shape is called just by looking at it?
What are the features that help us describe a shape?
How can we use smaller shapes to build new ones?
Questions to Ask at Home
Look at this book. What 2-D shapes do you see on its cover? What 3-D shape is the book itself?
Can you use your building blocks to build a tower? What 3-D shapes did you use?
How are a party hat and a can of soup different? How are they alike?
Can you find a shape in our home that has three sides? What about a shape with six sides?
Cubes, Cones, Cylinders, & Spheres by Tana Hoban: This book uses striking photographs to show solid shapes in the real world, helping children connect math concepts to everyday objects.
The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns: A triangle decides he wants more sides and transforms into different shapes. This is a great story for talking about how shapes change based on their features.
Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh: Follow three clever mice as they use circles, squares, and triangles to outsmart a cat and create fun pictures. It’s a great way to see shapes used in different ways.
Unit 7: Meanings of Addition
Learning Target
Students will use a picture or simple drawing to solve a word problem.
Students will identify the parts and the whole in a math problem.
Students will write an addition equation to solve a word problem where the total is unknown.
Students will find all the different ways to make a number by adding two smaller numbers together.
Essential Questions
How can we use a story to help us write a number sentence?
What does it mean to put numbers together to find the total?
How can we solve a problem that has more than one correct answer?
Questions to Ask at Home
We have 5 apples and 3 bananas. Can you tell me an addition story about our fruit?
If we want to make the number 10, what are all the different pairs of numbers we could use?
We have 6 green grapes and some red grapes. We have 10 grapes in all. How many red grapes do we have?
How are the numbers in a word problem like the parts and whole of an equation?
The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins: A great book for introducing the concepts of adding and subtracting as more and more friends arrive to share a plate of cookies.
Mission: Addition by Loreen Leedy: A group of animal students on a "mission" to learn about addition. This book provides a clear and fun introduction to addition and writing equations from word problems.
The M&M's Counting Book by Barbara Barbieri McGrath: This fun book uses different colors of M&M's to introduce counting, sorting, and simple addition problems in a visual way.
Unit 8: Meanings of Subtraction
Learning Target
Students will use pictures or drawings to solve word problems where the difference is unknown.
Students will find different ways to subtract a number by breaking it into smaller parts.
Students will solve a subtraction problem when the unknown number is a missing part of a larger group.
Students will explore problems with more than one correct answer, such as finding all the ways to break apart a number.
Essential Questions
How can we use a story to write a subtraction problem?
How can we figure out the missing number in a subtraction problem?
How can we show a subtraction problem using a drawing?
Questions to Ask at Home
We have 10 crackers. If we eat 6 of them, how many are left?
There are 15 toys in the toy box. Can you show me a way to separate them into two groups?
I had 12 socks in my drawer, but now I only have 7. How many socks did I take out?
How are the numbers in a subtraction problem like the parts and whole of a group?
The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins: A great book for introducing the concepts of adding and subtracting as more and more friends arrive to share a plate of cookies.
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by James Dean: As Pete sings, his buttons pop off one by one, providing a fun and repetitive way to practice counting backward and subtracting.
Unit 9: Addition within 100
Learning Target
Students will use base-ten blocks to add a 1-digit number to a 2-digit number and a 2-digit number to a 2-digit number.
Students will decompose (break apart) numbers to make adding easier.
Students will learn how to regroup or make a new group of ten when adding.
Students will solve addition problems using an open number line.
Essential Questions
How can we use what we know about tens and ones to add big numbers?
How can we break apart a number to help us solve a problem?
Why is it important to regroup when we add?
Questions to Ask at Home
Can you show me how to add 25 and 10 using tens and ones?
Let's solve 32+15. Can you show me a way to break apart the numbers to find the answer?
We have 18 crayons and 14 markers. How many do we have in total?
Why is it helpful to have groups of ten when you are counting or adding?
The Hershey's Kisses Counting Book by Jerry Pallotta: This book uses a familiar treat to count all the way up to 100, which is great for showing how numbers are built from groups of tens and ones.
The Cheerios Counting Book by Barbara Barbieri McGrath: Similar to the Hershey's Kisses book, this one counts to 100, providing a visual way to see how numbers are made of tens and ones.
The Grapes of Math by Greg Tang: This book presents clever rhymes and visual puzzles that encourage children to see numbers in different ways and to look for efficient strategies to add them, a great way to talk about composing and decomposing numbers.
Unit 10: Comparing using Addition and Subtraction
Learning Target
Students will use objects, drawings, and equations to solve word problems that compare two quantities.
Students will identify the difference between two groups.
Students will solve problems to find a greater or lesser quantity when a difference is given.
Students will understand how to use both addition and subtraction to solve a single comparison problem.
Essential Questions
How can we find the difference between two groups?
When do we use addition and when do we use subtraction to solve a compare problem?
How can we use drawings to make sense of a word problem?
Questions to Ask at Home
You have 5 toy cars, and I have 3. How many more cars do you have than I do?
I have 7 grapes, and you have 2 fewer. How many grapes do you have?
Let's count how many books are on each shelf. Which shelf has more books? How many more?
Can you tell me a story about two friends who have a different number of stickers?
Fewer, Bigger, Less by Edward Miller: This book uses straightforward examples and clear diagrams to illustrate the concepts of comparison, which directly ties into this unit's goals.
Equal Shmequal by Virginia L. Kroll: A fun story where a group of animals tries to divide items equally. It introduces the concept of "equal" in a way that is easy for young children to understand, and also provides opportunities to talk about "more than" and "fewer than."
Unit 11: Subtraction within 100
Learning Target
Students will use a number chart to find 10 less than a number.
Students will use base-ten blocks to subtract multiples of ten.
Students will use an open number line to subtract groups of ten.
Students will understand that subtracting a group of ten changes the digit in the tens place, but the digit in the ones place stays the same.
Essential Questions
How can we use number patterns to help us subtract?
How is subtracting tens from a number different from subtracting ones?
How can a number line help us solve a subtraction problem?
Questions to Ask at Home
What number is 10 less than 75?
If you have 50 building blocks and you take away 20, how many do you have left?
How is subtracting 10 from 38 different from subtracting 8 from 38?
Can you show me how to solve 40−20 using an imaginary number line?
100 Hungry Ants by Elinor J. Pinczes: A great story about 100 ants marching to a picnic that can be used to talk about how a whole group can be broken apart into smaller groups, and how you can count backward from 100.
10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle: A simple story that can be used to model subtraction as ducks get separated from the group. You can extend this by using groups of 10.
Unit 12: Measurement and Data
Learning Target
Students will measure the length of objects using non-standard units, such as paper clips.
Students will compare two or three objects to see which is longer or shorter.
Students will tell time to the hour and half-hour on an analog clock using the hour hand and minute hand.
Students will collect and represent data on a graph or chart and answer questions about it.
Essential Questions
How can we measure the length of an object?
How can a clock help us know what time it is?
What are some ways we can collect and show information?
Questions to Ask at Home
Can you find something in the kitchen that is longer than your spoon?
About how many paper clips long is your favorite book?
What time is it on the clock? What time will it be in one hour?
Let's make a chart of all the different colored crayons we have. Which color do we have the most of?
Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni: A little inchworm avoids being eaten by measuring different animals. This book is a wonderful way to introduce the concept of length and measurement.
How Tall, How Short, How Far Away? by David A. Adler: This book introduces different types of measurement and the tools used for them, from height and length to weight.
A Second Is a Hiccup: A Child's Book of Time by Hazel-Grace: This book breaks down the concepts of time into relatable examples, helping children understand what an hour or a minute feels like.
Tally Cat Keeps Track by Tracy C. Edmonds: A cat uses a tally chart to keep track of different animals, which is a perfect introduction to collecting and organizing data.
The Great Graph Gimmick by Lynne W. Taggart: A fun story that shows how to use a simple graph to organize information, from what different pets eat to how many socks are in a drawer.
Unit 13: Equal Shares
Learning Target
Students will identify if a shape or object is divided into equal shares.
Students will identify and describe shapes that have been divided into halves (two equal shares).
Students will identify and describe shapes that have been divided into fourths (four equal shares).
Students will compare the size and number of shares to understand that more shares means smaller pieces.
Essential Questions
How can we divide a shape or object into equal shares?
How are halves and fourths different?
How does dividing something into more pieces affect the size of each piece?
Questions to Ask at Home
If we cut this sandwich in half, what do the two pieces look like? Are they equal?
If we share this pizza with four people, what is each person's share called?
How can you tell if these grapes are divided into two equal groups?
If you cut a paper into two pieces and then into four pieces, which pieces are bigger? Why?
Eating Fractions by Bruce McMillan: This book uses vibrant photos of food to illustrate simple fractions, including halves and fourths. It's a great way to talk about equal shares in a relatable context.
Give Me Half! by Stuart J. Murphy: This book uses a fun story about a brother and sister sharing a pizza and a cake to introduce the concept of halves. It clearly explains why the pieces must be equal.
The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins: As more and more friends arrive, a plate of cookies gets divided into smaller and smaller shares. This is a perfect book to talk about the relationship between the number of people and the size of each share.