GRADE 1 Curriculum Guide_old

Grade 1
CURRICULUM GUIDE

‘Igniting curiosity the Clarion way’

CONTENTS

Welcome………………………………………………………………………………………………………….3
Clarion Curriculum……………………………………………………………………………….…………..….4
What is Progressive Education? ……………………………………… ……………………………...………5
Clarion Student Profile…………………………………………………………………………………………..7
Elementary Grade 1 – 5 Overview…………………………………………………………………………….8
Inclusive Education………………………………………………………………………………………….…..10
English Language Learners……………………………………………………………..……………………..10
Technology…………………………………………………………………………………………………….....11
Grade 1 Expectations…………………………………………………...………………………………....……12
Moral Education………………………………………….……………………………………………………….19

2

GRADE 1
Curriculum Guide

2017-2018

WELCOME to Clarion School Dubai
This is an overview of the Clarion School Curriculum & Instruction Program as it connects to each grade level
following the Bank Street Philosophy and American Common Core Standards. It highlights our mission to
provide a challenging, engaging and supportive educational program, enriched by the innovation of Dubai,
strengthened by collaboration with parents and external partnerships and delivered by the highest quality of
faculty.
Our mission is to cultivate inspirational and creative opportunities to develop each student’s potential. We will
nurture intellectual curiosity, reflection and higher order thinking through experiential and meaningful learning
and innovative applications of understanding and skills.
Our students will be challenged to high expectations and engaging with the world as collaborative, productive
and responsible members of a global community. They will be prepared for acceptance into competitive
universities in the United States and across the world, as well as for future success in work and life.
To make the learning meaningful and engaging, our curriculum and pedagogy incorporates many aspects of
the local environment and culture, forming a significant part of the learning experiences of our students.
The challenge of getting to know a school is time-consuming and complicated. As we mention throughout the
process and within our materials, it is our goal to provide you with as much information as possible about our
educational program and community so that you can make a well-informed decision based on the type of
school community your family values.
In helping you to better understand Clarion School, we will make every effort to make both you and your child
feel welcome and comfortable at every point along the way. We invite you to review the following Grade Level
Curriculum Guide, research materials and website and to freely ask questions in order to learn more about
what we have to offer. We hope you find this information helpful and respectful of your commitment to Clarion
School.

As important as WHAT we study, is HOW we study and HOW we know we have achieved

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CLARION CURRICULUM

WHAT we study
As children become more aware of a widening world, they can begin to explore their own past and present
and how history shapes the present. Regardless of age, a “study” is by definition broad so that children may
find areas of special interest, but also because this is how human beings encounter phenomena in the real
world – as complex, entangled dilemmas.

Each grade level has a set of Learning Goals: end points in each core subject area. These learning goals
incorporate goals aligned to emotional growth, social justice, action and advocacy. Tracking student prior
knowledge and experiences and eliciting their questions and wonderings about what they are learning about
through their study and the Common Core Standards forms the platform for teachers to develop opportunities
for students that are meaningful, relevant, significant and challenging.

Foundation Skills: How students apply core skills to everyday tasks: Literacy, Numeracy, Scientific Literacy,
ICT Literacy, Financial Literacy, Cultural and Civil literacy.

HOW we study
Children want to feel like part of the community, and when they feel connected to a community, they are likely
to invest effort in it especially when they are expected to participate in its functioning from day to day. In order
to achieve this type of classroom culture, the first weeks of school are crucial and become the foundation for
routines and expectations throughout the year.
Children will be engaged in learning that provides opportunities for them to:

• Closely observe, experience, analyze, and make sense of the world around them.
• Build intellectual curiosity and develop skills to gain new understandings.
• Build equitable communities in which they participate, learn and advocate for one another and what

they believe.
• Think critically to analyze issues and design solutions to solve problems that are current and relevant

to themselves, their communities and the world.
• See themselves and each other as whole people and active members of society.
• See the interdependent relationships of human created systems and Earth systems.
• Reflect on their learning and draw connections between new ideas and prior experiences.

Enhanced Skills: How students approach complex challenges: Critical thinking/problem solving, creativity,
communication, and collaboration.

HOW we know
Our students will be challenged to high expectations as they engage with the world as collaborative, productive
and responsible members of a global community. By igniting curiosity, they will be willing to take risks, be
active participants in their own learning, demonstrate flexibility of thinking, make connections in their learning
across the core subjects, synthesize and confidently articulate their understanding.

Students will be guided to demonstrate their understanding of the big ideas and questions underlying and
guiding their study by demonstrating the following:

• How to ask questions – thick and thin questions (who, what, when, where, why, how?)
• How to find out answers to questions (use 5 senses, books, experts, visits)
• How to sort the information found (group into categories, lists, Venn diagrams)
• How to analyze the information found (findings and hypotheses for findings)
• How to present the new understandings (poster, skit, block building, painting, book)
• How to work independently and collaborate/work together

Character Skills: How students approach their changing environment: Curiosity, initiative, persistence/grit,
adaptability, leadership, and empathy.

4

Social

Intellectual Student Physical
Centered
Learning

Developmental
Interactive
Approach

Emotional

WHAT IS PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION?

At Clarion, we believe in progressive education. Progressive education is dynamic, student led, and not easily
defined. Progressive education stresses the importance of experience, rather than learning facts. Students are
taught how to think, rather than being told what to think about. Our children learn through experiencing, asking
questions, and exploring.

In a progressive classroom, you will not see students sitting in desks while a teacher stands in front of the
room. Students are the focus of our classroom, and thus drive the classroom experience. This means that no
two classrooms will have the same experience. You will see hand on learning, opportunities for students to
share their ideas with support from adults and peers, so they know their ideas matter. The teacher is a mediator
in the classroom, not the leader. We take our resources from a variety of sources, often selected by the
students, rather than textbooks. Our students are not judged on external timelines, or tests, but are rather
evaluated on the products they create; we allow them to show us what they have learned, rather than us telling
them what they did not learn.

We use an integrated, themed based curriculum, following the New York State Early Learning Guidelines and
State Common Core Standards, which allows our students to see connections between concepts. Students
are encouraged to collaborate and learn from and with each other, their teachers, and parents. Our classroom
is not limited to four walls, but extends into the community, were we learn social responsibility. By experiencing
events beyond our class, we learn important social and emotional skills. We learn that mistakes happen and
ideas fail. We understand these mistakes and failures are essential to learning; it is through fixing our mistakes
that we improve. Our students become active learners, who are passionate, curious, critical thinkers who
evolve, adapt, and contribute to a rapidly changing world.

WHAT DO PROGRESSIVE EDUCATORS DO?

• Respect the child as a capable individual who is a member of a community.
• Respect the child’s work (We do not write or draw on children’s work. Our opinions of their work are

not what is important.)
• We give genuine and specific praise for growth and cooperation by naming the positive and setting

goals. (Rewards come from success and the joy of learning. No stickers, no smiley/frowny faces)
• We know that everyone makes mistakes. When we correct children’s behavior, we help them learn from

their mistakes. (It is the behavior we are correcting, not the child.)
• We guide children toward independence. (We don’t do for them.)

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HOW WILL WE KNOW WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL?

• Assessment by evaluation of the student projects and productions (not testing)
• Student presentation of work for the community at the end of each learning set / Student articulation of

what they know and can do in individual/small group/class group learning celebrations.
• Compliance with Ministry mandates in order to use data to inform curriculum development, review,

teaching and learning.
o MAP to monitor student progress and attainment
o CAT 4 to identify student cognitive abilities

WHAT DOES A PROGRESSIVE CLASSROOM LOOK LIKE?
At Clarion, the children are given the tools, materials, opportunities and guidance to pursue their own
interests within the curriculum in deep ways. Students are taught how to think rather than being told what to
think about. Our students learn through experiencing, asking questions and exploring. Doing this means it
will be ‘theirs forever’.

Furniture Arrangements
Our spaces are often defined by the work we do in each area. We have tables in clusters and a meeting area
in every room. Children learn as individuals, in small groups and as a whole group. Tables are arranges so
that children experience each other as resources and for inspiration – with an emphasis on the fact that
everyone has strengths and skills to work on. Collaborative work is encouraged, but boundaries are
respected so that children can feel ownership over their own work.

Classrooms are rich in resources and materials
Early Years classroom shave many open ended materials, Exploration is encouraged and designed to
support discovery and master in a range of domains. Didactic materials are also used to support skill
development
Elementary classrooms have print rich environments as well as defined areas to support Reading, Writing,
Math, Science and the Arts. Use of technology by children becomes a larger part of the curriculum in Grade
3 and continues to develop into the Middle School.

Rooms are deliberately organized
Areas are clearly defined according to function. Shelves are labeled with words and/or pictures and
schedules are prominently displayed so that children develop familiarity with the routines of school and feel
in control of the space, materials and the flow of time. Everyone in the classroom community contributes to
the appearance and organization of the environment and helps to develop and maintain it.

Our walls and bulletin boards
Pictures, charts, schedules and graphs tell a story for each classroom about the work that children are
engage in, the things they are wondering about, the social relationships they are developing. Art, Literacy
Math and Unit of study work is displayed both inside and outside the room and demonstrates the integration
of curriculum areas as well as the importance of all subjects that children participate in. The work displayed
represents all of the students in the class.

The Language you hear
Teachers use language to affirm, redirect correct, encourage, limit or elicit ideas from children. Adults are
often heard framing their observations and questions to affirm the behavior they would like to reinforce. Open
ended questions, space for the quiet thoughtful child in meeting, limiting an impulsive behavior are all done
from the foundation of respectful trusting relationships among adults and children. We expect that children
will learn from this model and engage with their peers similarly.

Classroom Structure in the Clarion Classroom
Classroom structure and curriculum take into account the developmental stage of students. The younger
children are in a self-contained classroom with a Master Educator and a Teaching Assistant, and often a
support member of staff. Their classroom is the center of all learning activities with Social Studies, Science,
Literacy and the Expressive Arts, Arabic, French and Technology integrated into the daily work and play of
the children. Although they leave their room for outdoor time, and time with specialists in Physical Education
skills and swimming. Their classroom life offers them the emotional security provided by a small stable
community and familiar environment. As students progress though school, informational demands increase
in the various subject areas and children see more specialist teachers. While subject areas are clearly
defined and studied, the concept of the self contained classroom continue to influence the schedule and
classroom organization.

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Clarion Student Profile

CLARION STUDENT PROFILE ACADEMIC ACQUIRING ACADEMIC FOUNDATION SKILLS WHAT IS WORTH
SOCIAL ACHIEVEMENT CHARACTER SKILLS KNOWING
CIVIC ENHANCED SKILLS
ASSIMILATING LEARNING HOW TO
CHARACTER LEARN

APPLYING TAKING ACTION WITH
SERVICE WHAT YOU KNOW

Our educational goals are best reflected by the Student Profile we seek to develop in support of successful
engagement with the world that our students will inherit.

Academic Goals
Clarion students will:

• Develop higher order thinking skills including critical thinking, creative thinking and problem solving
• Master the subject standards
• Graduate with a proficiency in Arabic (advanced for non-native speakers, superior for native speakers)
• Graduate with an advanced proficiency in technology, information and media literacy

Social Goals
Clarion students will:
• Be responsible for their own learning
• Be resourceful, adaptive and creative as well as willing to take calculated risks to extend themselves
• Have compassion, empathy & tolerance for others driven by an open mindedness and the ability to view

issues
• from multiple perspectives
• Have a respect and appreciation for the diversity of people and cultures
• be able to self-reflect and have a self-awareness to contextualize themselves and their actions within a

larger framework, allowing them to act appropriately and self-regulate
• Have strong social skills including effective communication and collaboration skills
• Have a strong work ethic, proactivity, perseverance and resilience to meet challenges planned or

unplanned
• Have a healthy balance to life including a commitment to staying healthy

Civic Goals
Clarion students will:

• Understand that their actions have consequences
• Have a sense of responsibility to others and the environment
• Participate as active members in the community and the world at large and contribute positively to all

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Our curriculum is crafted into three sections:

The Composed Curriculum: As important as WHAT we know is HOW we know it and, WHY it is worth
knowing
Grade Level Units of Study are based on 9 Meta Concepts of which have the NY Standards woven into
them. These specifically written, developmentally appropriate units of study specifically focused on Dubai as
the laboratory for learning.

The Coached Curriculum: As important as WHAT we learn is Learning HOW to learn
Experiential learning, integrated studies, student centered planned teaching and learning engagements.
Differentiated, authentic, relevant, connected learning opportunities for students to collaboratively problem
find and solve.

The Considered Curriculum – As important as WHAT we do is HOW we do it.
Students demonstrate what they have learned and what they know. With guidance students apply their
knowledge and skills in meaningful investigations and projects. Students reflect, share and celebrate.

Unit of Study

GRADE 1 COMMUNITY
Enduring Understandings:
Children continue to consider their identities: culture, ethnicity and race of self and of others.
They learn from direct experiences (both past and present).
• A city/community has needs and wants
• Communities have a system of democracy in order to function
• Communities often have a certain structure for a specific purpose
• Every community has members who play a role in its functionality

First Graders, continue to make meaning of the world, of themselves and their place within it. All over the
world, families, teachers and communities begin to change what they expect from children this age. The
nature of the responsibilities may vary, but these altered expectations both mirror and fuel most children’s
increasing abilities in most areas. They are also moving from an egocentric focus to a focus on the world
beyond their immediate surroundings. Their learning revolves around I am me AND I am part of a
community. They are also ready to broaden their understanding of community, including that they can be a
part of more than one community. Children see themselves as a member of their family, and of my class and
of their school community, as well as communities outside school such as the school neighborhood
community and/or their home neighborhood community. Fairness is very important to six and seven-year old
children, and questions around equity and justice are easily and effectively integrated into a study of
communities. For example, when thinking about who makes decisions about what is built in a community.

As the study progresses, after the exploration of the community within the classroom community and school
community, children then begin to build their identities thinking about who they are in relation to the larger
world. Constructing identity includes learning about culture, ethnicity and race, of self and of others in their
community. A community study lends itself to children learning from direct experience (both their past and
present experiences.

Children are learning how to research by being researchers. The children ask questions, make and implement
research plans to find out information to answer their questions, sort and analyze the information they gather,
and share what they find out. It is also important that this study provides children with many opportunities to
practice working collaboratively, as well as individual accountability for learning.

A focus on ‘Stores’ is on the goods and services offered in their immediate neighborhood or city. Children
understand the interdependence of goods, services and systems. This key component of this study serves
as a lens for integrating mathematics, literacy and the arts. Children will study the different aspects of stores
and all that is needed for them to serve the public well. The universality of many items that are sold in stores
allows us to explore cultural similarities as well as differences.

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ELEMENTARY – Grade 1-5

In the Elementary Years, the curriculum will maintain its interdisciplinary nature focusing on both
developmental and academic goals. Elementary school subjects taught are the following, which are vertically
aligned to the Early Years developmental domains.

Arabic (from Grade 1) t

* Islamic Education is for Muslim students only
* Arts will be broken into Visual Arts, Dance, Drama and Music
* MoE Social Studies will be integrated into Social Studies.

Subject offerings are broad and balanced holistically building the students’ knowledge, understanding, skills
and attitudes as well as providing them the opportunity to explore and discover their interests. Each discrete
subject will have its own scope and sequence broken into different units geared towards meeting subject
standards. These standards are appropriately spiraled and scaffolded to provide for the progression of learning
where knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes advance and deepen over time. (We do acknowledge
that learning is a developmental process and that the phases a learner passes through are not always linear
or age related).

Through the Study, the teachers will be able to meet learning goals using a relevant, rich and engaging topic
bringing subject standards to life in meaningful ways that are tied to real world experiences. The Study will be
coordinated and systematic, focusing on essential questions while addressing the diverse subject standards
as well as Learner Profile.

Each Interdisciplinary Study will have its essential questions. However, the Study itself will have an emergent
aspect that allows for the pursuit of students’ interests and their own questions. It also provides students an
opportunity to take responsibility for their own learning. This not only makes the learning fun and engaging but
allows for unplanned problems and questions which require students to apply increasing higher order and
critical thinking skills. This also means that the way a Study evolves or the very Study itself may change from
year to year to reflect the interests of the current cohort.

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INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Clarion School is dedicated to positive growth of its students in all areas of life. The aim is to provide a well-
rounded program appropriate to the diverse intellectual, social, emotional and physical needs of students at
both ends of the spectrum of ability, the Determined Ones as well as those who are Gifted and Talented
Currently, Clarion follows a mixed model of support. Students with additional needs will be classified as
needing support at either Wave 1, 2 or 3.avigation

● Wave 1 provision: In class teaching through differentiation with the application of any accommodations
and modifications that have been identified as necessary.

o The classroom teacher will provide this support
o Students may be on a reduced timetable with the agreement of the student and parents/guardians.
● Wave 2 provision: Small Group withdrawal for literacy and numeracy
o The LSA will provide this support and the parents will be asked to pay a nominal fee per session
o Students may be on a reduced timetable with the agreement of the student and parents/guardians.
● Wave 3 provision: Students needing long term or intensive support
o intensive support will be provided by the ILSA
o Students may be on a reduced timetable with the agreement of the student and parents/guardians.
For more detailed information please view the school’s ‘The Determined Ones Policy’

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Our mission is to help students acquire proficiency in the English language, to ensure academic success,
and to help them confidently participate and integrate as an active member of the Clarion School community.
We believe that all students should have equal access to the curriculum and should be immersed into the
mainstream classrooms whenever possible.
Students are strongly encouraged to maintain their mother tongue, enhancing both cognitive development
and English language acquisition.
We believe and practice the following:
• English is the primary medium of instruction, and teachers work collaboratively to provide a program of
English language learning for all students to address their academic needs.
• All staff members are language teachers and are responsible for addressing and meeting the needs of all
students of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
• We believe that ELL students are best educated in a sheltered instruction environment.
• Our students are instructed in a mainstream classroom setting with learning support push-in and pull-out

support when possible.

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TECHNOLOGY
The goal of the technology program, is that technology is integrated seamlessly into the curriculum, and
used as a tool to enhance creativity, learning, and thinking. This goal is achieved by our innovative
programs, by having technology and resources in the classrooms and in the Exploratorium, and integrating
design thinking into all subjects. We also have a variety of programs aimed at helping students to find their
passions, and become innovators. Programs such as the Clarion Hackathon, robotics teams (FLL Jr and FLL
teams), and Passion Hour.

In the Elementary years, students will continue to develop their computational thinking and design skills, by
being introduced to more tools and technologies. In the Elementary years, students will:

• See technology as a tool that can be used to solve problems
• Invent, design, and build various machines to solve problems
• Begin to use design thinking in a habitual way
• Program different robots to using multiple programming languages
• Utilize computational thinking practices, perspectives, and vocabulary when programming
• Begin using variables and conditionals in coding

A Clarion student will be a(n):

Innovative Designer
Students identify problems in the community around them, and utilize the design process to build solutions.
Students:

• find and identify problems to solve
• know and use the design process to build innovative and creative solutions to the problems

Intuitive Engineer
Students design, build, and use various machines and structures.
Students:

• question and explain how different machines work
• build various machines, structures and products
• problem solve while building and tinkering

Computational Thinker
Students utilize computational thinking practices, perspectives and concepts when coding.
Students:

• give various kinds of technology step-by-step instructions
• understand and identify common computational thinking concepts of sequence, loops, parallelism,

events, conditionals, operators, and data, that are found in every coding language
• use computational thinking practices of experimenting and iterating, testing and debugging, reusing

and remixing, and abstracting and modularizing while coding
• utilize computational thinking perspectives of expressing, connecting, and questioning while coding

Robotics Creator and Programmer
Students successfully design, build, and use robots.
Students:

• design and build a variety of robots
• program robots to perform various tasks
• explain how different robots work

Collaborative and Creative Technology User
Students can safely use various kinds of technology and formats to share ideas, locate information, and
collaborate effectively with others.
Students:

• find, evaluate, and use information in a variety of formats
• collaborate with others both locally and globally using technology
• communicate clearly and express ideas creatively using various platforms, tools, styles, and formats
• use technology safely and responsibly to accomplish desired goals

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GRADE 1
OVERVIEW & EXPECTATIONS

Language
New York State Common Core Standards
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/common_core_standards/pdfdocs/p12_common_core_learning_standards
Literacy Continuum: http://www.fountasandpinnell.com/continuum

Children's reading experiences range from whole and small group to individual instruction; from the
development of phonetic and comprehension skills and understanding to a focus on the more advanced skills
of prediction, characterization, and author's language; and from discussions about specific books aimed at
developing an appreciation and love of literature to the individual exercises aimed at supporting reading and
writing skills. Throughout all these experiences children listen to stories, read their own books, read recipes
and math sheets, write observations and answer questions on trip sheets, work from workbooks, and write
their own pieces in various genres.

Our writing program offers children a variety of genres. Teachers expect children to respond to assigned writing
and to originate their own topics. Students use writing to explore and express their beliefs; to synthesize
information and to incorporate the conventions of writing spelling, punctuation, paragraphing, and organization
in to their written work. Learning how to revise and edit is a major emphasis in our work with students. Students
recognize teachers and other adults as learners and writers, meet with peers for help and advice, and share
work in both small and large groups. They feel the importance of having the authority to make some choices
about how and what they write, and they realize that rethinking and revising are natural and essential parts of
the writing process.

Most students will begin the year with a repertoire of known words and some experience in drawing and writing
to express their ideas. Some may be only beginning to realize the functions of print. They will benefit from rich
demonstrations of writing through shared and interactive writing for a variety of purposes. Students benefit
from the use of the writer’s workshop where they write independently, conference with the teacher and share
with their classmates. By the end of the year, they demonstrate writing narratives, information texts, a variety
of functional texts, and some poetic texts. They demonstrate the use of conventions in terms of lines, spaces,
many correctly spelled words, and may good attempts at more complex words. Opportunities to draw extend
their thinking.

At the completion of the academic year, students in `GRADE 1 should:

Listening
• Gain meaning by listening
• Follow multistep directions

Speaking
• Speak clearly and conveys ideas effectively
• Follow conversational rules and begins to adjust language to varied contexts
• Use expanded vocabulary and language for a variety of purposes
• Present knowledge and ideas.

Reading
• Show understanding of concepts of print
• Demonstrate phonological awareness
• Use phonics and word analysis skills to decode
• Read text with fluency at appropriate instructional level
• Use strategies to construct meaning from different types of text
• Recount key ideas and details from text
• Analyze, integrate and evaluate knowledge and ideas from text
• Read for varied purposes.

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Writing
• Use writing strategies to convey ideas
• Use conventions of writing
• Write for different purposes
• Review, share and make simple changes in writing
• Gather and use information for research purposes

Math
New York State Common Core Standards
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/common_core_standards/pdfdocs/nysp12cclsmath.pdf
Bridges Math: https://www.mathlearningcenter.org/bridges

The Elementary Bridges mathematics program emphasizes conceptual understanding of mathematical ideas.
Students explore relationships and properties of number through the use of materials, including cubes, Place
value blocks (Base 10 materials), color cubes, and pattern blocks, before they write down their discoveries.
They learn to perform fundamental operations and derive algorithms (common procedures for addition,
subtraction, multiplication, and division) by using manipulatives. Elementary children relate mathematics to
practical and real-life situations through measurement, telling time, money, mapping, graphing, patterns,
spatial relations, and statistics.

The program provides a balance between the development of a strong number sense and problem solving
skills on the one hand, and practicing computational skills on the other. Math instruction involves a variety of
experiences, including investigations with materials, class discussions, games, projects, and paper and pencil
work.

At each age level, students review, consolidate, and build on prior knowledge. Teachers encourage students
to develop their own intuitive mathematical sense and to trust their hypotheses. There is as much emphasis
on the strategy, process, and mental exercise used to solve a problem as on getting the right answer. Valuing
the process as well as the product is an essential part of the school's philosophy regarding learning; we believe
learners internalize new concepts through a thorough grasp of the process involved. Mathematics is taught by
the classroom teacher.

At the completion of the academic year, students in `GRADE 1 should:

Processes and Practices
• Make sense of problems and uses simple strategies to solve them
• Reason quantitatively and uses tools strategically
• Communication and represent mathematical thinking
• Identify patterns and make simple generalizations

Number
• Count with understanding
• Show understanding of whole numbers, quantities and relationships
• Understand the base ten system (place value)

Operations and Algebraic Thinking
• Understand and begin to apply addition and subtraction to problems
• Demonstrate basic number combination and computational fluency
• Begin to understand the base ten system (place value)

Measurement
• Order, compare and describe objects by size, length, capacity, and weight
• Begin to understanding measuring processes and tools

Data Analysis
• Begin to collect, classify, and represent data

Geometry
• Show understanding of and uses direction, location, and position words

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• Recognize and describe some attributes of shapes
• Compose and decompose shapes

Science
Next Generation Science Standards: https://www.nextgenscience.org/

The science program emphasizes original thinking, inquiry and scientific investigation. Across the age groups,
the study of science is hands-on, interdisciplinary and incorporates math and language acquisition while
teaching scientific principles applicable to the whole curriculum.

At the completion of the academic year, students in `GRADE 1 should:

Inquiry Skills and Practices
• Identify questions and problems and suggests solutions during investigations
• Plan and carry our simple investigations and experiments and collect, record and display data
• Formulate ideas, solutions, and explanations based on evidence from their own experiences and

observations and those of others
• Communicate science information and ideas in a variety of ways and engages in argument from

evidence.

Physical Science
• Observe, describe, and compare properties of matter and how they change
• Observe, investigate and describe force, motion and stability of objects and materials
• Investigate, observe and describe the properties of light, heat, and sound.

Life Science
• Observe, describe and compare the characteristics of living things and how they grow change and

survive
• Investigate how living things depend on and interact with the environment
• Explore variation and diversity of living things

Earth Science
• Observe and describe phenomena related to the sun, moon, and stars
• Observe, describe and conserve the earth’s nonliving environment.
• Observe and describe weather and seasonal changes, and look for patterns.

Social Studies

The philosophy and practice at Clarion School begins with the idea that children are makers of meaning
through their interactions in the human world. As such, social studies serves as the core interdisciplinary
curriculum. Teachers integrate concepts and skills from the other academic areas within children's daily
experiential work. The program addresses two major themes: (1) the study of human life as it presents itself
from moment to moment, e.g., sharing, working together cooperatively, resolving conflicts; and (2) the study
of the connections and relationships necessary for physical and psychological survival in the world around us.

The social studies curricula in Elementary gradually moves from the "here and now" in Grade 1 to "long ago"
in the Grade 2 and to long ago and far away in Grade 3. Students continue to learn primarily from direct
experience; however, as they get older, they also employ other sources of knowledge such as books,
museums, pictures, documents, and information from the internet.

Through this kind of work, children begin to make powerful connections between historical and distant
occurrences and the situations they experience in their everyday lives. All of the social studies curricula draw
upon and extend children's developing skills as readers and writers. In each study, children have
opportunities to participate in interdisciplinary activities that enrich their learning in a variety of ways.

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At the completion of the academic year, students in `GRADE 1 should through their unit of study on
COMMUNITY should:

People, Past and Present
• Identify similarities and differences in people’s characteristics, habits, and living patterns
• Demonstrate beginning awareness of community, city, state, and country
• Show beginning understanding of past and present.

Human Interdependence
• Identify how people rely on other for goods and services
• Show understanding of what it means to be a leader

Citizenship and Government
• Demonstrate some understanding of the reasons for rules and laws
• Show beginning understanding of what it means to be a leader

People and Where they live
• Show beginning understanding that maps represent actual places
• Begin to identify ways the environment affects how people live and work
• Recognize some ways people affect their environment.

The Arts - VISUAL
NSAE - Kennedy Center for Art Edge Standards
https://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/standards

In their first year in Elementary, children come to the art and shop studios for the first time. Painting, drawing,
clay, collage and construction, paper mache, and printmaking are done in the art room. Shop has wood, a
variety of construction materials, and carpentry tools. As children gain an understanding and appreciation of
the expressive qualities of materials, they develop skills and discover their potential for creating increasingly
complex subject matter in art and shop.

At the completion of the academic year, students in GRADE 1 should:

Expression and Representation
• Explore materials and techniques in the arts
• Use the arts to express and represent ideas, experiences, and emotions

Understanding and Appreciation
• Respond to artistic creations or events
• Begin to recognize cultural and historical connections with the arts

The Arts – MUSIC
https://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/standards

The Elementary music curriculum is largely influenced by the philosophy of Kodaly, while also including
techniques from the Orff approach. Singing traditional songs of various cultures and time periods provides the
foundation for musical literacy and for studying the comparative and structural elements of music; among these
are pitch, dynamics, tempo, texture, and form. Students are able to take ownership of these concepts when
they use them in their own compositions and improvisations. Along with accompanying songs with instruments,
children create original music in their instrumental work. In an age appropriate manner, all students improvise.

At the completion of the academic year, students in GRADE 1 should:

Expression and Representation
• Participate in group music experiences
• Participate in creative movement, dance, and drama

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Understanding and Appreciation
• Respond to artistic creations or events

Personal, Social and Physical Education
SHAPE America’s National Standards
https://www.shapeamerica.org/standards/pe

Physical education teachers introduce activities based on their approaches to children's cognitive and physical
development in order to give all children an opportunity to succeed. In physical education, as in other areas of
the curriculum, staff members encourage and support the participation of all students in activities, but allow
the children to develop at their own pace, free from any pressure to perform at certain skill levels at a particular
age.

At the completion of the academic year, students in GRADE 1 should:

Gross Motor Development
• Move consistently with balance and control to perform tasks
• Coordinate and adjust movement patterns to perform simple tasks

Fine Motor Development
• Use strength and control to perform tasks
• Use eye-hand coordination to consistently perform tasks
• Use writing, drawing, and art tools with some control

Self-Care, Health and Safety
• Perform some self-care tasks independently
• Follows basis safety rules with reminders

World Languages: Arabic and French

Students meet for World Language instruction in smaller groups throughout the Elementary School, and the
program builds on the work done in the Early Years. Whereas the focus in the Early Years is on receptive
language and creating a disposition for language learning, the emphasis in the Elementary School is on helping
students develop strategies for acquiring and retaining the language. Arabic A is instruction in Arabic on a
daily basis. Arabic B is learning Arabic through English 3 lessons per week. Two lessons of French are offered
each week.

The learning of World Languages aligns with the same expectations we have for children’s literacy learning in
English. Our goal is to:
• Use and apply ‘learning to learn’ tools and strategies across all subject areas
• Integrate world languages across the curriculum in all grade levels

At the completion of the academic year, students in GRADE 1 should:

Listening for English/Arabic/French Language Learners
• Gain meaning by listening
• Follows directions

Phonological Awareness for English/Arabic/French Language Learners
• Develop awareness of the sounds of English/Arabic/French

Speaking for English/Arabic/French Language Learners
• Speak in social situations

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Library
Building on skills acquired through formal instruction, discussion, and storytelling, students become proficient
in the following areas: finding information, selecting books, understanding fiction/non-fiction, using shelf
markers, comprehension and appreciation of folktales, assisted use of the computer catalog, awareness of
genres, and how to care for books.
With the cooperation of classroom teachers, students embark on research that enables them to become
discerning and capable users of information. They learn how to gather data efficiently and effectively, evaluate
it critically, and then use and present it accurately and creatively. As children get older, they become proficient
and independent library users. In order to support their independent research, they continue to develop their
skills in evaluating print and on-line materials for accuracy, currency, and bias.
During weekly interactions with library material and teachers, students read and discuss stories from different
literary genres. Children borrow books and learn about the organization and uses of the library.

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Moral Education

Moral Education is an innovative, engaging curriculum designed to develop young people of all nationalities
and ages in the UAE with universal principles and values, that reflect the shared experiences of humanity. At
Clarion School, Moral Education is embedded in the very ethos, vision and values of who we are as a
school.

Moral Education 20/20 Vision Clarion School Vision
‘A journey to preparing a generation of young ‘Our students will be challenged to high
people who are responsible, resilient and expectations and engaging with the world as
knowledgeable who can contribute to their collaborative, productive and responsible members
community locally and globally.’ of a global community’.

At Clarion the Moral Education Curriculum is best illustrated and evidenced in Social Studies. Social
Studies is made up of several components that provide opportunities for teachers and children to:

• Learn in an interdisciplinary way—using literacy, mathematics, science, and art for example, as
means for exploration and expression.

• Examine the interaction between people and their environments and analyze how human life is
shaped by the environment and how people have reshaped it;

• Study human technologies from the simple to the complex, and how technology serves the basic
human needs of food, clothing, and shelter and communication;

• Explore the social systems—family, community, work, laws, taboos, customs, and beliefs—that
determine a people’s way of life and structure individual and group behavior;

• Study cultures through myths, religion, science, and art to gain an understanding of how a
people arrive at a sense of meaning;

• Recognize that we live in an ever-changing world and examine the competencies needed to meet
and challenge that world

• Prepare to live as citizens by being part of a classroom where children have the opportunity to
participate in making decisions, learning to work collaboratively, listening to each other’s ideas, and
coming to respect different points of view.

Social Studies includes the social fabric of classroom life. EVERYTHING is Social Studies.
EVERYTHING is Moral Education.

At Clarion, the implicit curriculum refers to —how children interact with each other, how they speak to
the adults in the room, what happens when playing outside or in the lunchroom. This is why the
routines and setting of expectations for classroom living are so important in the beginning of the year.
The organization and the management of the classroom reflect the kind of values we share as a
community.
As important as WHAT we Study, is HOW we Study.

The Moral Education program is designed using the following 4 pillars. These pillars are reflected in our Clarion
Student Profile:
• Character and Morality
• The Individual and the community
• Cultural Studies
• Civic Studies

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Links to Curriculum Standards:

Subject Link

Arabic https://sigeducation-
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French my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/cs_parents_clarionschool_com/EWYcNqLtvidOg6Z9
ATCFL mEZEvdcB6owrOni63VCuFerwRT6GBg?e=RtsNAE

Islamic https://sigeducation-
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NGSS my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/cs_parents_clarionschool_com/ESbpEJQzR1FGqp
Scienc 42GTi1jKwBtULJ8JnkPZS02iKSmG7cBQ?e=pzVnzQ
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NYS https://sigeducation-
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NYS https://sigeducation-
Music my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/cs_parents_clarionschool_com/Ee87e2djdAVPiCulq
Zz4vjUB_yfJArNfSWBGBuMAd-7E4A?e=53mE5t

NYS https://sigeducation-
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Arts _u12KoQBkxOPc9nlpD86RtMTHU_aOA?e=xfgfZY

SHAP https://sigeducation-
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Social
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natives apdiiEMKMBWNaJK_5r7zpWH3PR2CWdPQ?e=w3buBm

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