Kindergarten

Bible
Kindergarten students focus on the familiar children’s stories of the Bible. From the stories of Creation, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Jesus, and many others, students will appreciate the lives of famous heroes, who by example provide a foundation for living.

Language Arts
Kindergarten students will be immersed in an environment to develop oral language skills, phonological awareness, print awareness, vocabulary, comprehension, and an appreciation for literature. The reading of fiction and nonfiction selections will enable students to develop an awareness of print materials as sources of information and enjoyment. Students will have the opportunity to use words that describe people, places, and events. Kindergarten students will recognize and print letters of the alphabet, use the basic phonetic principles of identifying and writing beginning sounds, identify story elements, and communicate ideas through pictures and writing.

Mathematics
Kindergarten students will develop the concept of number by counting; combining, sorting, and comparing sets of objects; recognizing and describing simple repeating patterns; and recognizing shapes and sizes of figures and objects. Students will investigate nonstandard measurement, collect data, and create graphs. Students will also begin to develop skills and strategies for problem-solving.

Science
Kindergarten students will use basic science skills to explore common materials, objects, and living things. Emphasis is placed on using the senses to gather information. Students will develop skills in posing simple questions, measuring, sorting, classifying, and communicating information about the natural world. Students will also learn about life processes and properties of familiar materials, such as magnets and water. Through phenomena including shadows, patterns of weather, and plant growth, students are introduced to the concept of change. The significance of natural resources and conservation will also be introduced.

Social Studies
Kindergarten students are introduced to interesting Americans in history whose lives demonstrated the virtues of patriotism, courage, and kindness. Students will learn basic concepts related to history, patriotism, national symbols, good citizenship, geographic location, economics, and the importance of following rules and respecting the rights and property of other people.

Health
Kindergarten students recognize basic facts and concepts about their bodies and begin to acquire skills and practices that keep them safe and healthy. Students learn to seek help and advice from parents/guardians and other trusted adults and begin to learn how to seek reliable health information. They learn how to make good decisions about simple health issues, to respect others, follow school safety rules, and be responsible.

First Grade

Bible
Familiar Bible stories are expanded into a theme of “God’s Gifts to Me” as first-grade students study how God gives gifts of the world, families, friends, leaders, salvation, the church, and a way to live.

Language Arts
Reading is the priority in first grade. Students will be immersed in a print-rich environment to develop oral language skills, phonetic skills, vocabulary, comprehension, and an awareness of print materials as sources of information and enjoyment. Students will use listening and speaking skills to participate in classroom discussions. Students will use a variety of strategies to read new words and will read familiar selections with fluency and expression. Students will continue to develop an understanding of character, setting, main idea, and story sequence in a variety of texts. Students will increase vocabulary and comprehension strategies by reading age-appropriate materials across the curriculum, with emphasis on materials that reflect the curriculum in Bible, mathematics, science, and social studies. Students will also demonstrate comprehension of fiction and nonfiction selections through classroom discussion and will begin to communicate ideas in writing. Students will become independent readers by the end of first grade.

Mathematics
First-grade students will focus on counting, sorting, and comparing sets of up to 100 objects; recognizing and describing simple repeating and growing patterns; and drawing, sorting, and describing certain two-dimensional figures. Students’ understanding of number is expanded through learning and applying basic addition facts through the fives table and the corresponding subtraction facts; using nonstandard units to measure; and organizing and interpreting data. The idea of fractions is introduced.

Science
First-grade students begin conducting simple experiments and are responsible for some of the planning. Students are introduced to the concept of classifying plants and animals based on simple characteristics. Emphasis is placed on the relationships among objects and their interactions with one another. Students will learn the basic relationships between the sun and Earth and between seasonal changes and plant and animal activities. Students will also begin to develop an understanding of moving objects, simple solutions, and important natural resources.

Social Studies
First-grade students are introduced to the lives of American leaders and their contributions to the United States. Students will recognize basic map symbols and construct a simple map of a familiar area. Students will study the economic concepts of goods and services, buyers and sellers, and making economic choices. Students will learn to apply the traits of a good citizen and recognize that communities in Virginia include people who have diverse ethnic origins, customs, and traditions; who make contributions to their communities; and who are united Americans by common principles.

Health
Students in first grade learn about their body’s systems and various health topics. They begin to understand how their decisions can impact their health and wellness now and in the future. Students begin to relate choices with consequences. They begin to examine the influence of the media on health decisions and to identify ways to access reliable information. They exhibit respect for self, others, and the environment.

Physical Education
Students in first grade begin to refine locomotor skills and further develop fundamental non-locomotor and manipulative skills in educational games, dance, and gymnastics. They continue to develop understanding of key concepts and principles and to link these concepts and principles to their movement. Students relate participation in vigorous physical activity to changes in the body, to enjoyment, and to improving their health and wellness. They further their understanding of the importance of physical activity in their lives. As students increase their understanding of movement, they gain a deeper understanding of how the body moves. Students continue to develop socially as they work safely alone and in a group. The natural enjoyment of physical activity will be reinforced and complemented by a variety of educational game, dance, and gymnastic activities in which students learn and are successful.

Art
First-grade students will learn that the visual arts are about ideas and will focus on the language of art. Art production will focus on increased communication, self-expression, and the depiction of stories and events. Students will learn that people have different responses to the visual arts.

Second Grade

Bible
Studying a different life scenario each week, second-grade students focus on character traits demonstrated throughout the Bible. For example, in the study of Moses, students learn about humility, courage, and diligence. In the study of Joshua, students learn about loving God’s Word, obedience, and following God wholeheartedly. Students will study many character traits from the lives of Bible characters and learn how to emulate these traits in their daily lives.

Language Arts
Reading continues to be a priority in second grade. Students will be immersed in a print-rich environment filled with fiction and nonfiction selections, which relate to all areas of the curriculum and interest. Students will expand vocabulary by speaking and listening effectively in classroom discussions, use a combination of strategies when reading, and read age-appropriate familiar selections with fluency and expression. Students will learn comprehension strategies for fiction and nonfiction materials. Students will be asked to identify main ideas, to make and confirm predictions, and to formulate questions about learning in all subjects, with emphasis on materials that reflect the curriculum in Bible, mathematics, science, and social studies. Students will write stories, letters, and simple explanations; apply simple grammatical principles to writing; and locate information in reference materials.

Mathematics
Second-grade students will continue to learn, use, and gain proficiency in the basic addition facts through the nines table and the corresponding subtraction facts. Students will begin to use standard U.S. Customary and metric units of measurement; predict, using simple probability; and create and interpret picture and bar graphs. Students will work with a variety of patterns and will develop knowledge of equality by identifying missing numbers in addition and subtraction facts. Students will also focus on three-digit numbers and three-dimensional figures.

Science
Second-grade students use a broad range of science skills in understanding the natural world. Making detailed observations, drawing conclusions, and recognizing unusual or unexpected data are stressed as skills needed for using and validating information. Measurement in both English and metric units is stressed. The idea of living systems is introduced through habitats and the interdependence of living and nonliving things. The concept of change is explored in states of matter, life cycles, weather patterns, and seasonal effects on plants and animals.

Social Studies
Second-grade students are introduced to the heritage and contributions of the people of ancient China and Egypt and of the American Indians. Students will continue developing map skills and demonstrate an understanding of basic economic concepts. They will identify selected American individuals who have worked to improve the lives of American citizens.

Health
Students in second grade continue to learn about the basic structures and functions of the human body systems. Focusing on preventing illness and disease, students begin to understand the relationship between health behaviors, choices, and consequences. They learn about the factors that influence health decisions, the harmful effects of drugs, and how to communicate consideration and respect for others.

Physical Education
Students in second grade begin their progression toward locomotor skill patterns. They vary movement patterns and begin to combine skills in educational game, dance, and gymnastic activities. Students work cooperatively and responsibly in groups and learn to resolve conflicts. They participate in physical activities at school and identify opportunities to participate in regular physical activity outside of school.

Art
Second-grade art students will acquire ideas from their own experiences, their school, their communities, the environment, and the art of other cultures. Students will express these ideas using an increasing variety of art materials, skills, techniques, and processes.

Third Grade

Bible
Third-grade students study the life of Christ, the book of Acts, and missions. As students are personally guided through the Gospels they learn and apply principles from the messages, parables, miracles, and life events of Jesus. By studying the book of Acts students see the building of God’s Church as the Gospel spreads through the missionary journeys of Paul and through famous missionaries of history. They also have opportunities to consider the teachings of Scripture in relation to real life problems.

Language Arts
Reading continues to be a priority in third grade. Emphasis is on learning about words, reading age-appropriate text with fluency and expression, and learning comprehension strategies. Students will read a variety of fiction and nonfiction literature, which relates to all areas of the curriculum. Students will use effective communication skills in group activities and will present brief oral reports. Reading comprehension strategies will be applied in all subjects, with emphasis on materials that reflect the curriculum in Bible, mathematics, science, and social studies. Students will plan, draft, revise, and edit stories, simple explanations, and short reports. In addition, students will gather and use information from print and non-print sources. Students will also write legibly in cursive.

Mathematics
Third-grade students will learn multiplication and division facts through the nines table. Concrete materials will be used to introduce addition and subtraction with fractions and decimals and the concept of probability as chance. Students will use standard units (U.S. Customary and metric) for temperature, length, liquid volume, and weight and identify relevant properties of shapes, line segments, and angles.

Science
The third-grade science curriculum places increasing emphasis on conducting investigations. Students will develop questions, formulate simple hypotheses, make predictions, gather data, and use the metric system with greater precision. Using information to make inferences and draw conclusions becomes more important. In the area of physical science, students will focus on simple and compound machines, energy, and a basic understanding of matter. Behavioral and physical adaptations are examined in relation to the life needs of animals. The notion of living systems is further explored in aquatic and terrestrial food chains and diversity in environments. Patterns in the natural world are demonstrated in terms of the phases of the moon, tides, seasonal changes, the water cycle, and animal life cycles. Geological concepts are introduced through the investigation of the components of soil.

Social Studies
Third-grade students are introduced to the heritage and contributions of the people of ancient Greece and Rome and the West African empire of Mali. Students will continue developing map skills and demonstrate an understanding of basic economic concepts. Students will explain the importance of the basic principles of democracy and identify the contributions of selected individuals.

Health
Students in third grade learn how health habits impact growth and development. They learn to compare and contrast healthy and unhealthy practices. Skill building continues as students learn to apply the knowledge of health-risk reduction to the promotion of health. Students access valid information and begin to understand the relationship between personal and community health.

Physical Education
Skill development remains a central focus for students in third grade. Students refine, vary, and combine skills in complex situations and demonstrate more proficient movement patterns in educational game, dance, and gymnastic activities. Students identify crucial elements (small, isolated parts of the whole skill or movement) and apply them in their movement. They develop fitness knowledge and can relate regular physical activity to health benefits. They know safe practices, rules, and procedures and apply them with little or no reinforcement. Students work cooperatively with peers and understand that there are many differences in movement skill and ability levels among members of their class.

Art
Third-grade students will examine aspects of the artistic process: idea generation, problem solving, and self assessment. Students will investigate the integral role of art and architecture within ancient cultures, and they will combine knowledge of ancient art and architecture, effective artistic processes and skills, and a variety of ideas to produce works of art.

Fourth Grade

Bible
Fourth-grade students tackle traditional doctrinal subjects masterfully prepared for their grade level. Topics include God, His Word, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Church, Salvation, Heaven, and Hell. Students gain an understanding of these doctrines and learn how the doctrines apply to them personally.

Language Arts
In fourth grade, reading and writing skills support an increased emphasis on content-area learning and utilization of the resources of the media center, especially to locate and read primary sources of information. A significant percentage of reading material will relate to the study of mathematics, science, and social studies. Students will use text organizers, summarize information, formulate questions, and draw conclusions to demonstrate reading comprehension. Students will also read classic and contemporary literature selections by a variety of authors. Students will continue to increase communication skills in large- and small-group settings. In addition, students will plan, draft, revise, and edit narratives and explanations. Students will also routinely use information resources and word references while writing.

Mathematics
Fourth-grade students will focus on multiplication and division with whole numbers and solving problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions and decimals. Students will continue to learn and use the basic multiplication facts as they become proficient in multiplying larger numbers. Students will also refine their estimation skills for computations and measurements and investigate relationships between and among simple two-dimensional (plane) figures and three-dimensional (solid) figures. Students will identify and draw representations of points, lines, line segments, and rays. Students will graph points in the first quadrant in the coordinate plane and extend and duplicate patterns. Concrete materials and two-dimensional representations will be used to solve problems involving perimeter, patterns, probability, and equivalence of fractions and decimals. Students will recognize a geometric transformation, such as reflection (flip), translation (slide), and rotation (turn).

Science
Fourth-grade students will learn the importance of using information, analyzing data, and validating experimental results. Defining variables in experimentation is emphasized, and making simple predictions from picture, bar, and basic line graphs is underscored. Questioning and hypothesizing become more detailed at this level. Students are introduced to basic principles of electricity and to the concept of motion. Relationships are investigated in the interactions among Earth, moon, and sun and among plants and animals and their environments. In examining weather phenomena and conditions, students identify various factors, make predictions based on data, and evaluate the results. The importance of natural resources in Virginia is emphasized.

Social Studies
Fourth-grade students will develop a greater understanding of Virginia’s rich history, from the early settlements of American Indian language groups and the founding of Jamestown to Western expansion through the mid 1800s. Geographic, economic, and civic concepts are presented within this historic context. Students will develop the skills needed to analyze, interpret, and demonstrate knowledge of important events and ideas in our history, and understand the contributions made by people of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Students will use geographic tools to examine the influence of physical and cultural geography on Virginia history. Ideas that form the foundation for political institutions in Virginia and the United States also are included as part of the story of Virginia.

Health
Students in fourth grade learn and apply health skills to the following health areas: disease prevention, nutrition, healthy relationships, use of tobacco, and use/abuse of alcohol. Students begin to recognize the existence of myths related to health information, distinguish fact from fiction, and set simple goals for promoting personal health and preventing disease. Students assume personal responsibility for helping promote health at school and in the community.

Physical Education
In fourth grade, students make continuous progress across all fundamental motor patterns. Proficient movement patterns are possible as students combine locomotor and manipulative skills in increasingly complex situations. Students create sequences in educational dances and gymnastics. They apply movement concepts and principles in individual movement performances, and tactical strategies in simple partner activities. Fitness assessment is appropriate at this grade level, and students make interpretations of the results of their assessments and set personal goals based on the results. Students exhibit responsible behaviors and appropriate etiquette, and they apply proper rules and procedures.

Art
Fourth-grade students will focus on the elements of art and the principles of design as the basic building blocks for art appreciation and production. Students will explore a range of materials and subject matter. Emphasis is on the importance of historic events and environment in Virginia from colonial times to the present. Students will examine the influence of the past on contemporary culture.

Fifth Grade

Bible
Three strands of instruction occur in fifth grade: a survey or overview of the Old Testament; an in-depth study of the lives of various Bible characters presented in chronological order; and choices (whether good or bad) made by these characters which serve as examples for students as they make their own choices. These strands are magnificently woven together as they challenge students to examine their own decision making.

Language Arts
In fifth grade, reading and writing skills continue to support an increased emphasis on content-area learning and utilization of the resources of the media center, especially to locate and read primary sources of information. Students will read texts in all subjects and will acquire information to answer questions, generate hypotheses, make inferences, support opinions, confirm predictions, compare and contrast relationships, and formulate conclusions. Students will continue to develop an appreciation for literature by reading a variety of fiction and nonfiction selections. Students will continue to increase communication skills used in learning activities and will use online, print, and media resources to prepare presentations. Students will use oral and written communication skills to describe key concepts and information contained in the Bible, mathematics, science, and social studies curriculum standards. In addition, students will plan, draft, revise, and edit writings to describe, to entertain, and to explain.

Mathematics
Fifth-grade students will focus on developing proficiency in using whole numbers, fractions, and decimals to solve problems. Students will collect, display, and analyze data in a variety of ways and solve probability problems using a sample space or tree diagram. Students will also solve problems involving volume, area, and perimeter. Students will be introduced to variable expressions and open sentences.

Science
Fifth-grade students will learn the importance of selecting appropriate instruments for measuring and recording observations. The organization, analysis, and application of data continue to be an important focus of classroom inquiry. Science skills from preceding grades, including questioning, using and validating evidence, and systematic experimentation, are reinforced at this level. Students are introduced to more detailed concepts of sound and light and the tools used for studying them. Key concepts of matter, including those about atoms, molecules, elements, and compounds, are studied, and the properties of matter are defined in greater detail. The cellular makeup of organisms and the distinguishing characteristics of groups of organisms are stressed. Students learn about the characteristics of the oceans and the Earth’s changing surface.

Social Studies
Fifth-grade students will continue to develop a greater understanding of Virginia’s rich history, from the Civil War and post-war eras to the present. Geographic, economic, and civic concepts are presented within this historic context. Students will continue to develop the skills needed to analyze, interpret, and demonstrate knowledge of important events and ideas in our history, and understand the contributions made by people of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Students will also use geographic tools to examine the influence of physical and cultural geography on Virginia history.

Health
Students in fifth grade distinguish reliable from unreliable health information and resources. Students’ practices and behaviors demonstrate health knowledge and skills. Emphasis is placed on demonstrating interpersonal skills, assuming responsibility for personal health habits, and practicing behaviors that promote active, healthy lifestyles. Students critique advertising and various media displays and work with others to improve community health.

Physical Education
Students in fifth grade apply movement principles and concepts to enhance their movement performance, personal fitness, and game strategy and tactics. They develop proficiency in games, dances, and educational gymnastics. Students demonstrate specialized skills alone, with a partner, or in a small group. They access and use resources to improve personal fitness as they exhibit a physically active lifestyle. Students continue to develop responsible personal and social behaviors as they work with others in safe and respectful ways.

Art
Fifth-grade students will use their knowledge and skills to synthesize information, thus allowing them to produce and respond to works of art. Emphasis is on communication of personal values and beliefs in art appreciation and production. Study relates art produced by cultures from Pre-Columbian times to 1877. Students will gain fluency in using and understanding the elements of art and the principles of design as they relate to artistic expression and communication.