Curriculum

When you walk into the classroom you will see young children learning they way they do best – through play. The room is intentionally set up with learning centers that provide inviting and engaging ways for children to explore God’s world in an interactive way.

How do we learn?

Our official curriculum is “Creative Curriculum”. In a nutshell, we believe that children’s play is their work. We provide them with many different ways to explore and learn about their world and support their curiosities with providing inquiry based learning opportunities. We listen to their conversations, provide them with the tools to further their learning, and document their progress as we go. Parent-Teacher Conferences are during the year to discuss your child’s development.

Your Child’s Faith Life:

We strongly feel that parents are their child’s primary faith teachers. We are proud to partner with you in this most important progress! If you are seeking a home church, I invite you to consider First Lutheran Church.

What are the class rules?

In everything we do, we try to model kindness, good manners, cooperation, problem solving, and respect for others and the environment. We understand that children will not master these skills at this age, it is something to consistently practice. So, our main class rules are very simple:

• Nice Hands, Nice Words
• Listen to the Teachers
• Put away your toys when you’re done.

Our discipline is based on Interaction vs. Intervention. If the teachers are helping the children practice good manners, we have to discipline less. However, if one or two reminders aren’t working, a short time-away is used. We also have time-outs for hitting or hurting.

Kindergarten is a special year when children grow in their love for Jesus, friends, school, and learning. A kindergarten day includes time for learning in groups, through individual instruction with the teacher and through play.

Religion (Jesus Time)
Through daily worship and prayer, weekly Bible story units (following Concordia Publishing House’s One in Christ format) and weekly school chapel services, we want each child to learn that:

• Jesus is my best Friend who loves and cares for me
• Jesus is my Savior who takes away my sins
• Jesus helps me love others
• God made me and my world

Literacy/Language Arts
While literacy activities are integrated throughout the day, there is a planned “Literacy Block” every day where specific skills such as phonemic awareness, phonics, rhyme, decoding, high frequency words and word families, reading strategies, comprehension skills, vocabulary, writing, and listening/speaking/viewing. The components of our literacy block are:

• Language development
• Reading and writing aloud
• Shared reading and writing
• Word study
• Guided reading and writing
• Independent reading and writing

Mathematics

Key math concepts and skills are focused on solving problems using everyday experiences. Hands-on manipulatives and learning games enhance concepts that include:

• Position
• Sorting
• Classification
• Patterns
• Measurement
• Shapes
• Fractions
• Operations and functions
• Estimating
• Graphing
• Time
• Money
• Data organization
• Skip counting

Problem solving
Social Studies Concepts are taught using an integrated, theme-base approach and include units of study such as self, family, food, relevant holidays, homes, and citizenship. These units seek to help children:

• Develop relationships of mutual trust and respect with adults and peers
• Understand perspectives of other people
• Understand and respect social and cultural diversity
• Develop an atmosphere of cooperative learning
• Know about the community and social roles
• Resolve conflicts in a God-pleasing way

Science
Concepts taught promote the child’s awareness of the physical, environmental, and life sciences through group and individual hands-on activities and labs created by the teacher. The curriculum goals are focused on developing inquiry skills including their ability to:

• Raise questions about objects and events around them
• Construct knowledge of the physical world
• Manipulate objects for desired effects
• Understand cause and effect relationships
• Record observations, explanations and ideas
• Think critically, reason and solve problems

Creative Expression
Opportunities occur throughout the day, sometimes as whole group activities, other times as self-selected activities, such as during center time. Students also experience and explore the culture and world around them by participating in field trips related to units and learning activities in class. The goals of these activities include encouraging children to:

• Develop an awareness of God’s beauty around us
• Express ideas and feelings through pretend play, drama, dance and movement, music, art and construction
• Appreciate our artistic heritage
• Demonstrate their creative expressing by participating in the Minneapolis Institute of Art program each year.

Music
Students at First Lutheran School receive classroom music instruction from kindergarten through eighth grade. The curriculum follows the national standards published by the National Association for Music Education, which include:

• Recognizing voices and music are gifts from God.
• Singing, dancing, listening, and playing rhythmic instruments from memory
• Exploring musical expression, performance, rhythm and musical history
• Joining in congregational singing.

Physical Education
Our Physical Education program focuses on keeping children healthy by learning to be active in their lives. God has given us one body and it is up to us to take care of it. The goal of the program is to help the students enjoy being physically active and understand the basics of different sports so that they may enjoy activity throughout their lives.

At this age, students partake in individual activities that promote the child’s awareness of self and others, while enhancing their development of fine and gross motor skills. The physical activities include:

• Using bean bags,scooters, mats, scoops, jump ropes (long and short), hula hoops, ropes, and movement (skipping, hoping, jumping, climbing, and running properly)
• Beginning to learn teamwork based games such as volleyball, basketball, soccer, softball, kickball, badminton and parachutes

Religion
The first grade children are told that the most important thing we learn in our school is how much the God of the Universe loves us. We learn of that great love through:

• Reading stories directly from the Bible.
• Singing Christian songs.
• Praying to our Lord throughout the day.
• The integration of the love of God into every area of the curriculum as we discuss being part of God’s family in Social Studies, wonder at God’s laws of nature in Science, marvel at God’s order in the world in Math, and appreciate God’s creation of beauty in Art.
• Memorizing Bible verses, the Ten Commandments, songs, and prayers.

Literacy/Language Arts
Our Language Arts curriculum consists of 4 main components: Reading/Phonics, English, Writing, Spelling and Handwriting.

• Reading – Students learn to read basic sight vocabulary words, apply word attack skills, use comprehension skills, and develop a love and enjoyment for reading. 
• Spelling/Phonics – Students learn a combination of a strong phonics base, direct teaching of age appropriate sight words, and use of literature written by outstanding authors provides students with a firm foundation to become readers.
• English –  Students practice writing readiness through listening, speaking and thinking. Students begin with letters and numbers and work up to sentences and paragraph structure. Students are taught how to listen and how to use correct oral language.
• Writing – Student learning integrates the themes, concepts and units studied in the classroom, and encompasses writing fiction, poetry, personal narrative, and simple research projects. An emphasis is placed on developing complete sentences using appropriate punctuation.
• Handwriting – Students learn to make letters without guesswork to increase their written communication skills. Focus is placed on the proper formation and spacing of letters and words.

Mathematics
Key math concepts and skills are focused on solving problems using everyday experiences. Math games, puzzles, and manipulatives are used to help teach concepts in a concrete way, with written activities allowing students the opportunity to show knowledge in more abstract terms. The concepts taught throughout the year include:

• The focus on numerical relationships
• Adding and subtracting to 18
• Using two-digit numbers
• Graphing
• Recording data and creating charts
• Understanding place value to 100
• Patterning
• Problem-solving skills
• Recognizing shapes, fractions (halves, thirds, fourths)
• Estimating
• Skip counting
• Learning time to the hour & half-hour,
• Identify, name, count, and exchange numerical value of coins
• Measurement
• Probability

Social Studies
In Social Studies students learn that God has placed us in an ever-changing world. They learn how God wants us to behave socially with those near us, as well as learning about cultures in places far away from us. Concepts studied are:

• Families
• Homes
• Working together
• World Celebrations

Science
In Science, students investigate God’s laws of nature, and His creation and how to help take care of it.The teacher allows time for informal learning and then directs the activity by asking questions, prompting experimentation and using vocabulary the students are expected to learn. First grade units of study include lessons on Life, Physical and Earth Science such as:

• Life Science – Plants and animals (Life Science),  Human Anatomy (senses, growing, taking care of yourself)
• Physical Science – Grouping objects, Sound, Light and Heat, Moving and Working (Energy)
• Earth Science – Earth, Weather, Sky

Art
The first grade art curriculum gives focus to God’s creation of beauty and our human desire to follow that example and develop our own creative talents. Students observe the work of famous artists and learn to appreciate different styles and techniques. Student projects work with:

• Art elements of  line, shape, color, and texture
• Medias including papers, pencils, crayons, markers, water colors, tempera paints, and clay
• Techniques including  drawing, rubbing, paper folding, paper tearing, cutting, painting, clay molding, and printing

Technology
Technology is integrated into the classroom with an educational purpose always in mind. Whether it is in the hands of the teacher or the students, it’s purpose is to enrich the learning process. Technology used to develop digital literacy skills, to reinforce concepts, to extend learning, and to differentiate instruction. Students demonstrate digital literacy through:

• The use of a mouse and keyboard
• The use of age-appropriate software in math, phonics, reading, science and social studies.

Music
Students at First Lutheran School receive classroom music instruction from kindergarten through eighth grade. The curriculum follows the national standards published by the National Association for Music Education, which include: Recognizing voices and music are gifts from God.
Singing, dancing, listening, and playing rhythmic instruments from memory
Exploring musical expression, performance, rhythm and musical history
Joining in congregational singing.

Physical Education
Our Physical Education program focuses on keeping children healthy by learning to be active in their lives. God has given us one body and it is up to us to take care of it. The goal of the program is to help the students enjoy being physically active and understand the basics of different sports so that they may enjoy activity throughout their lives. First graders continue building their skills to include:

Fitness

Rhythm, relays, jump rope, kickball, bean bags, Parachute and cooperative/team games

First Lutheran 2nd grade students enjoy their increasing abilities and new responsibilities. Curriculum and instruction strive to meet the needs of the whole child: the spiritual, physical, intellectual, emotional and social needs, in an atmosphere of respect and love. The classroom philosophy honors parents as their child’s first teacher and encourages parent involvement.

Religion
Second graders begin learning about bible characters by focusing on character traits demonstrated throughout the Biblical stories. The units are taught and centered on God’s love and wonderful plan of salvation while exploring Old and New Testament Bible stories from creation to Paul and the early church. Students are encouraged in their learning to begin to reflect and apply the Biblical lessons to their own lives and actions. The curriculum implemented for instruction includes:

• One in Christ workbooks
• Bible readings
• Singing/drama of Biblical stories and themes
• Art recreations showing comprehension and application of stories
• Memory work of Bible verses, the Ten Commandments, Apostles Creed and books of the New Testament

Literacy/Language Arts
The second grade language arts curriculum as been carefully selected to provide learning skills in spelling, reading, grammar, phonics, vocabulary, penmanship, and creative writing. Students continue to develop formal English skills, learn how to make writing attractive and inviting, and improve grammar skills. This is the last year for formal phonics at the elementary level, so students fine-tune these skills to be ready for the reading and writing expected in 3rdgrade.

• Reading:
  
  • The lessons teach core-reading skills in:
    
    • Phonics, comprehension, fluency and vocabulary
    • Developing reading skills and strategies through small reading groups, whole group reading and individualized reading
    • Exposing students to a variety of texts and genres
    • Increasing the fluency, comprehension and enjoyment of literature for young readers and writers

• Lessons taught focus on building skills in:
  
  • sentence structure, nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, capitalization, punctuation, synonyms, antonyms, pronouns, contractions, and writing in various formats

• Spelling/Phonics
  
  • Students learn a combination of a strong phonics base through vocabulary words learned through notebooks activities, computer games, small group instruction and sentence writing.
  • Assessments are given weekly over a word list from the current unit of study

• Writing:
  
  • Lessons reinforce manuscript and introduce cursive by:
    
    • Using graphic organizers to gather information and organize thoughts as part of the prewriting process and introducing and concluding sentences.
    • Focusing on the writing process of revising, editing, and publishing their work through oral reading

Math

• The second grade math curriculum is designed to help students comprehend and apply basic facts through lessons and learning activities focused on:
  
  • Deeping addition and subtraction concepts to be applied in their daily life
  • Understanding place values and number sense up to 1000
  • Memorize addition and subtraction facts up to 20, using a concrete-pictorial-abstract progression, using manipulatives, drawings, bar graphs and real-world problem solving. Regroup to add and subtract with three digit numbers
  • Multiply and divide with 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10
  • Functional processes of telling time, measurements, fractions and money

Social Studies

• Students study the theme of people and places by covering units over:

• Communities
• Rules and Laws
• The environment
• Global awareness (exploring places around the world: Ancient Egypt, Italy and Australia)
• United States: Pilgrims, Iditarod, American symbols, Minnesota history
• Bullying and Fostering Relationships with their neighbor.

Science

• Students investigate and explore the world around them through hands on experiments, observations and completing labs covering units over:

• Plants, animals, fossils, penguins, dinosaurs (Life Science)
• Matter, sound-heat-light, and force-magnets-electricity (Physical Science)
• Features of the earth, weather and seasons, the solar system (Earth Science)
• Functions of the body, nutrition, keeping healthy (Human Anatomy)
• Engineering and technology through weekly STEM activities

Art

• Artistic expression is integrated throughout the curriculum in the second grade classroom. Students experience art by:
  
  • Observing the elements of art in our environment.
  • Experimenting with line, shape, color, texture, space
  • By evaluating other works of art
  • Creating projects that explore two and three dimensions, using various media, including clay.
  • Implementation of art experiences into all the subject areas

Technology:

Technology is integrated into the classroom with an educational purpose always in mind. Whether it is in the hands of the teacher or the students, it’s purpose is to enrich the learning process. Technology used to develop digital literacy skills, to reinforce concepts, to extend learning, and to differentiate instruction. Students demonstrate digital literacy through:

• The use of i-pads for spelling practice, math skill practice, and reading practice
• Researching an animals and creating a report over their online research

Health:
Students explore concepts of health and self by:

• Communicating about their feelings
• Practicing appropriate social interactions and problem solving skills
• Understanding the role of our brain and good posture
• Knowing food groups, using the food pyramid to make healthy food choices, study germs and antibodies

Music
Students at First Lutheran School receive classroom music instruction from kindergarten through eighth grade. The curriculum follows the national standards published by the National Association for Music Education, which include:

• Recognizing voices and music are gifts from God.
• Singing, dancing, listening, and playing rhythmic instruments from memory
• Exploring musical expression, performance, rhythm and musical history
• Joining in congregational singing

Physical Education
Our Physical Education program focuses on keeping children healthy by learning to be active in their lives. God has given us one body and it is up to us to take care of it. The goal of the program is to help the students enjoy being physically active and understand the basics of different sports so that they may enjoy activity throughout their lives. 1st graders continue building their skills to include:

• fitness
• rhythm
• kickball
• bean bags
• team relays
• kickball
• softball
• soccer
• basketball
• dodgeball
• running
• dance
• aerobics
• scooters
• floor hockey
• jump rope
• Parachute and other cooperative/team games

Religion:
The goal for 3rd grade faith class is to help the students grow in discipleship as they explore key doctrinal themes and apply them to their lives. Activities include:

• studies of God’s Word, life-related activities and
• Lessons teaching key concepts of faith such as Law/Gospel, forgiveness, and grace always centering on the cross of Christ, the Word of God, and the work of the Holy Spirit.
• memorizing verses to help students learn more about God’s love for them in Jesus Christ.
• Attending chapel service weekly

Literacy/LanguageArts
Math
Math class is held daily with instruction, monitored practice and work time. The goal is to help the students build a solid understanding through use of manipulative materials and visual models. Children are encouraged to understand not only “the how” but also “the why” in problem solving. Topics covered include:

• Place value
• Money
• Addition and subtraction
• Time
• Data collection and graphs
• Multiplication concepts and facts
• Division concepts and facts
• Geometry
• Measurement

Social Studies
Third grade focuses on learning about communities. Students learn about:

• the people, government, history, and resources in a community
• life in various communities throughout the world
• utilizing maps and globes, charts, and graphs, while building critical thinking skills through research projects

Science
The students are invited to explore their environment as they seek answers to questions such as “What will happen?”, “How and why does it happen?” and “What will happen next?” The goal is to provide students with experiences that will enable them to become literate in life, earth and physical sciences. Students use hands on tools and science inquiry to learn lessons in:

• Powders and Crystals
• Sound
• Solar System
• Plant and Animal Life Cycles

Art
Third grade art is self-contained and explores a variety of mediums and techniques used with creativity. The projects and assignments correlate with topics from the other subjects. Areas of art explored include:

• collages
• murals
• watercolor
• tempera painting

Technology
Technology is integrated into the classroom with an educational purpose always in mind. Whether it is in the hands of the teacher or the students, it’s purpose is to enrich the learning process. Technology used to develop digital literacy skills, to reinforce concepts, to extend learning, and to differentiate instruction. Students demonstrate digital literacy through:

• The use of chromebooks throughout multiple subject areas
• An emphasis on typing skills with home positioning of the hands and practice drills for touch-typing

Music
Students at First Lutheran School receive classroom music instruction from kindergarten through eighth grade. The curriculum follows the national standards published by the National Association for Music Education, which include:

• Recognizing voices and music are gifts from God.
• Singing, dancing, listening, and playing rhythmic instruments from memory
• Exploring musical expression, performance, rhythm and musical history
• Joining in congregational singing

Physical Education
Our Physical Education program focuses on keeping children healthy by learning to be active in their lives. God has given us one body and it is up to us to take care of it. The goal of the program is to help the students enjoy being physically active and understand the basics of different sports so that they may enjoy activity throughout their lives. 3rd graders continue building their skills to include:

• fitness
• rhythm
• kickball
• bean bags
• team relays
• kickball
• softball
• soccer
• basketball
• dodgeball
• running
• dance
• aerobics
• scooters
• floor hockey
• jump rope
• parachute and other cooperative/team games

Cultural Experience

Once a year the third graders go on an organized educational field trip. They visit places like The Mill, The Works (science museum), Natural History Museum, and the Renaissance Festival. Students also visit local nursing homes with art projects or to sing. They have Lyceums throughout the year bringing in different topics to explore. Third graders visit the public library once a month. Service projects include Operation Christmas Child, sending care packages to soldiers, and leading chapel throughout the year.

Religion
Each lesson centers on God’s plan for redemption through Jesus Christ. The concepts covered include exploring:

• The Old Testament stories from Genesis through Ruth
• The New Testament focusing on the life and works of Jesus Christ and the travels and letters of Paul
• Biblical stories and themes.
• Biblical concepts to be put into action in their lives as they value each other as brothers and sisters in the faith, and grow in the realization that they are redeemed children of a loving God
• portions of Luther’s Small Catechism
• singing songs of faith
• memorizing Bible verses and sections of Luther’s Small Catechism.

Literacy/Language Arts
The 4th grade Language Arts instruction contains 4 subject areas covered; Reading, English, Writing, and Spelling.

• Reading:
  
  • Students experience a variety of books to grow their love of reading by sampling award winning authors from a variety of different genres such as fiction, nonfiction, biographies, fantasy, mystery and poetry.
  • Students build reading skills in comprehension, interpretation and vocabulary by:
    
    • Reading novels as a class
    • Demonstrating reading comprehension and defining settings, character traits, making inferences and generalizations through hands on projects assigned.

English

• • Instruction is based on the central focus of building basic grammar skills to be used and applied throughout all other subject areas. Students demonstrate and practice their grammar skills through compositions and workbook pages. Grammar skills include:
    
    • Recognizing complete sentences vs. sentence fragments and run ons
    • Locating nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions,and conjunctions
    • Determine proper usage of punctuation based on the type of sentence used

• Writing:
  
  • Students explore the writing process and formatting of a paper through:
    
    • Demonstrating the writing process of prewriting, researching, drafting, revisions, and editing a paper to its completed, published work.
    • Developing supporting arguments
    • Writing opinion piece works
    • Writing informative and narrative texts
    • Using descriptive details and imagery in writing
    • Editing and revising written works
    • Developing researching skills to create original work and avoid plagiarism

• Spelling
  
  • Students continue to improve their spelling and phonetic ability by learning, practicing and applying their skills through weekly:
    
    • Activities, assignments, and assessments

Math
4th Grade Saxon Math
Daily instruction focuses on teaching visual representations and modeling strategies to solve complex problems; a consistent concrete-pictorial-abstract progression so students that understand the “how” as well as the “why.” Concepts covered include:

• place value and naming numbers
• working with whole numbers and decimals
• Beginning algebraic concepts
• Reading and interpreting graphs
• Geometric figures
• Fractions
• Extended practice on multiplication and division
• Mastery of basic facts in all four operations

Social Studies
Social Studies instruction and curriculum focuses on studying states and regions of the United States. Areas of study include:

• US History
• US geography
• US government
• Resources, the land, the people and the regions
• Utilizing map and globe skills
• Reading charts and graphs
• Demonstrating critical thinking and research skills

Science
Science instruction invites students to explore their environment as they seek answers to questions such as “What will happen?”, “How and why does it happen?” and “What will happen next?” The goal is to provide students with experiences that will enable them to become literate in life, earth and physical sciences. Learning focuses on the wonder and beauty of the creation God has given us. In 4th grade, students examine:

• living things and ecosystems (Life Science)
• the earth’s surface, patterns on earth and in space (Earth Science)
• areas of matter, forces energy and motion (Physical Science)
  
  • Activities are research based with teacher demonstrated introductions. Experiments are done using everyday materials. Students also take part in various STEM activities during the year to explore areas of engineering

Art
Fourth graders have art instruction each week. The focus of the art program is to introduce students to various artists and the style in which they work.

Students gain experience working with:

• lines
• shape
• form
• color
• texture
• primary and secondary colors

Students explore creating art using medias such as:

• collage
• chalk and charcoal
• pastels
• watercolor
• crayon
• pottery clay
  
  • Additionally, students learn an appreciation of art through this creative experience regardless of their level of artistic ability.

Technology
Technology is integrated into the classroom with an educational purpose always in mind. Whether it is in the hands of the teacher or the students, it’s purpose is to enrich the learning process. Technology used to develop digital literacy skills, to reinforce concepts, to extend learning, and to differentiate instruction. Students demonstrate digital literacy through:

• The use of chromebooks throughout multiple subject areas
• An emphasis on typing skills with home positioning of the hands and practice drills for touch-typing
• The usage of Google based software and applications
• Demonstrating proper digital citizenship online
• Developing basic coding, critical thinking and problem solving skills

Music
Students at First Lutheran School receive classroom music instruction from kindergarten through eighth grade. The curriculum follows the national standards published by the National Association for Music Education, which include:

• Recognizing voices and music are gifts from God.
• Singing, dancing, listening, and playing rhythmic instruments from memory
• Reading music
• Playing the recorder
• Exploring musical expression, performance, rhythm and musical history
• Joining in congregational singing

Choir
Students have choir rehearsal once a week.

• Weekly choir lessons include:
  
  • practicing breathing exercises and a variety of vocal warm-ups and exercises
  • learning seasonal hymns each month, and a variety of sacred choral literature

• Student perform throughout the year through:
  
  • singing during chapel and First Lutheran Church worship services, Advent Choral Concert and Children’s Christmas Service.
  • visiting and performing for the senior citizens at Glencoe Regional Health Services Long Term Care facility

Physical Education
Fourth graders have Physical Education three days a week. Students participate in activities that promote individual skills along with team cooperation. Christian sportsmanship is emphasized throughout the year. Some of the activities that are covered during the school year are: soccer, volleyball activities, floor hockey, archery, track and field, basketball, jump rope, and softball.

Cultural Experience
First Lutheran School provides opportunities for cultural experiences by providing four lyceums per year in our facility. 4th & 5th graders partake in a variety of field trips including:

• a Christian musical concert at Mayer Lutheran High School in Mayer, Minnesota
• A musical performed by Glencoe-Silver Lake Public High School
• A field trip to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area to the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul and to the James J. Hill House
• Taking a yearly field trip as a class

Religion:
5th grade students continue to grow in their faith and discipleship through learning about Biblical stories and themes. They are encouraged to put these concepts into action in their lives, to value each other as brothers and sisters in the faith, and to live in the realization that they are redeemed children of a loving God through:

• studying stories from both the Old and New Testaments and portions of Luther’s Small Catechism
• signing songs of faith
• memorizing Bible verses and sections of Luther’s Small Catechism.

Literacy/Language Arts
The 5th grade Language Arts instruction contains 4 subject areas covered; Reading, English, Writing, and Spelling.

• Reading:
  
  • novels and chapter books are the focus of study where students practice making connections between texts, themselves, and the world
  • students work on projects to practice vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, story elements, and citing textual evidence
  • books are read and discussed as a whole class, in groups, in pairs, and individually

• English:
  
  • Instruction is based on the central focus of building basic grammar skills to be used and applied throughout all other subject areas. Grammar skills include:
    
    • Recognizing complete sentences vs. sentence fragments and run ons
    • Locating nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, and conjunctions
    • Determine proper usage of punctuation based on the type of sentence used

• Writing:
  
  • Students explore the writing process and formatting of a paper through:
    
    • Using descriptive details and imagery in writing
    • Editing and revising written works
    • Developing researching skills to create original work and avoid plagiarism

• Spelling
  
  • Students continue to improve their spelling and phonetic ability by learning, practicing and applying their skills through weekly:
    
    • Activities, assignments, and assessments

Math
Daily instruction focuses on teaching visual representations and modeling strategies to solve complex problems; a consistent concrete-pictorial-abstract progression so students that understand the “how” as well as the “why.” Concepts covered include:

• place value and naming numbers
• working with whole numbers and decimals
• demonstrating add-subtract-multiply-divide fractions and mixed numbers,
• drawing models to solve many real world problems
• working with variables and solving equations
• demonstrating ratios,
• develop basic geometry skills:
  
  • Finding perimeter
  • Finding area of polygons and geometric shapes- squares, rectangles, circles, and triangles

Social Studies
Social Studies instruction and curriculum also rotates every other year between 5th and 6th grade. The 5th grade social studies curriculum focuses on studying the United States such as units covering:

• Native Americans and Africans and Europeans who migrated to the Americas.
• the exploration of North and South America by Europeans
• the relationships between the Native Americans, Africans and Europeans in the Americas
• the colonization of North America, including detailed studies of the New England Colonies, the Southern Colonies, and the Middle Colonies.
• the French and Indian War to lead to a better understanding of the impact of the westward expansion on the Native Americans.
• the causes leading up to the Revolutionary War
• the ingenuity and determination of the early European Americans

Science
The science curriculum rotates with 5th and 6th grade yearly. Science instruction invites students to explore their environment as they seek answers to questions such as “What will happen?”, “How and why does it happen?” and “What will happen next?” The goal is to provide students with experiences that will enable them to become literate in life, earth and physical sciences. In 5th grade, students examine:

• living systems and their interaction in nature (Life Science)
• weather, rock classification, and the solar system (Earth Science)
• areas of matter, chemistry, forces, and energy (Physical Science)
  
  • Activities are research based with teacher demonstrated introductions. Experiments are done using everyday materials. Students also take part in various STEM activities during the year to explore areas of engineering

Art
5th grade students participate in learning activities that develop

• their understanding of elements of art such as:
  
  • color, shape, line, texture, and perspective.

• their various forms and usage of different mediums of art including:
  
  • painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and design

MN History
In 5th grade, students explore the history of Minnesota using the curriculum Northern Lights The Stories of Minnesota’s Past. Students also take a trip to the Minnesota History Center where they learn about the stories, people, and places of Minnesota.

Technology
Technology is integrated into the classroom with an educational purpose always in mind. Whether it is in the hands of the teacher or the students, it’s purpose is to enrich the learning process. Technology used to develop digital literacy skills, to reinforce concepts, to extend learning, and to differentiate instruction. Students demonstrate digital literacy through:

• The use of chromebooks throughout multiple subject areas
• An emphasis on typing skills with home positioning of the hands and practice drills for touch-typing
• The usage of Google based software and applications
• Demonstrating proper digital citizenship online
• Developing basic coding, critical thinking and problem solving skills through the use of Scratch and Codecademy

Health
5th grade health instruction focuses on three areas of health: physical, mental & emotional, and family & social) through which we have the opportunity to see how wonderfully God has made each and every one of us. In class students learn

• how to healthily deal with situations and emotions in their lives
• the reasons causing them to act, think, and feel the way they do
• stages of development with an emphasis on puberty
• through role-play and class discussions to discover how each of them are unique and why it is important to work on all parts of their health to reach the best health they can have

Music
Students at First Lutheran School receive classroom music instruction from kindergarten through eighth grade. The curriculum follows the national standards published by the National Association for Music Education, which include:

• Recognizing voices and music are gifts from God.
• Singing, dancing, listening, and playing rhythmic instruments from memory
• Exploring musical expression, performance, rhythm and musical history
• Joining in congregational singing

Choir
Students have choir rehearsal once a week.

• Weekly choir lessons include:
  
  • practicing breathing exercises and a variety of vocal warm-ups and exercises
  • learning seasonal hymns each month, and a variety of sacred choral literature

• Student perform throughout the year through:
  
  • singing during chapel and First Lutheran Church worship services, Advent Choral Concert and Children’s Christmas Service.
  • visiting and performing for the senior citizens at Glencoe Regional Health Services Long Term Care facility

Band
During 5th grade, students have the opportunity to begin band instruction with the band director from the Glencoe-Silver Lake public school

Physical Education
5th graders have PE twice a week with grades five and six together. The Physical Education program focuses on keeping children healthy by learning to be active in their lives. God has given us one body and it is up to us to take care of it. The goal of the program is to help the students enjoy being physically active and promote individual and team sports.

Cultural Experience
First Lutheran School provides opportunities for cultural experiences by providing four lyceums per year in our facility. 5th graders partake in a variety of field trips including:

• a Christian musical concert at Mayer Lutheran High School in Mayer, Minnesota
• a field trip to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area to the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul and to the James J. Hill House
• (On alternating years) a trip to take a cruise on a paddle boat on the Mississippi River and pay a visit to historic Fort Snelling or visit the Science Museum and Omni Theatre in St. Paul and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

Religion
6th grade students continue to grow in their faith and discipleship through learning about Biblical stories and themes. They are encouraged to put these concepts into action in their lives, to value each other as brothers and sisters in the faith, and to live in the realization that they are redeemed children of a loving God through:

• studying stories from both the Old and New Testaments and portions of Luther’s Small Catechism
• signing songs of faith
• memorizing Bible verses and sections of Luther’s Small Catechism.

Literacy/Language Arts
The 5th grade Language Arts instruction contains 4 subject areas covered; Reading, English, Writing, and Spelling.

• Reading:
  
  • novels and chapter books are the focus of study where students practice making connections between texts, themselves, and the world
  • students work on projects to practice vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, story elements, and citing textual evidence
  • books are read and discussed as a whole class, in groups, in pairs, and individually

• English:
  
  • Instruction is based on the central focus of building basic grammar skills to be used and applied throughout all other subject areas. Grammar skills include:
    
    • Recognizing complete sentences vs. sentence fragments and run ons
    • Locating nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, and conjunctions
    • Determine proper usage of punctuation based on the type of sentence used

Math
Daily instruction focuses on teaching visual representations and modeling strategies to solve complex problems; a consistent concrete-pictorial-abstract progression so students that understand the “how” as well as the “why.” Concepts covered include:

• reviewing proficiency in working basic skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
• the relationship between whole numbers, decimals, and fractions to percents
• probability,
• ratios and rates. I
• order of operations
• integers
• rational numbers
• operations with integers
• coordinate graphing.

Social Studies
Social Studies instruction and curriculum also rotates every other year between 5th and 6th grade. The 6th grade social studies curriculum focuses on studying World History with an emphasis in geography tied closely with history such as units covering:

• Beginnings of human society: Studying Mesopotamia and Fertile Crescent
• Exploring the story of Abraham and the beginning of the Biblical Hebrew nation

• The ancient world:
  
  • Ancient Egypt and Nubia
  • Ancient India
  • Ancient China
  • Ancient Greece and Rome

Through the study of ancient history students learn how all humanity is tied together, how people around the world are similar and different. They study geography, history, and culture while moving through time. Map skills are used to locate the people studied. Students are urged to see the similarities between all people and work to realize and accept our differences.

Science
The science curriculum rotates with 5th and 6th grade yearly. Science instruction invites students to explore their environment as they seek answers to questions such as “What will happen?”, “How and why does it happen?” and “What will happen next?” The goal is to provide students with experiences that will enable them to become literate in life, earth and physical sciences. In 6th grade, students examine:

• Living systems and their interaction in nature (Life Science)
• Weather, rock classification and solar system (Earth Science)
• Matter, chemistry, forces, and energy (Physical Science)
  
  • Activities are research based with teacher demonstrated introductions. Experiments are done using everyday materials
  • Students also take part in various STEM activities during the year to explore areas of engineering

Art
6th grade students participate in learning activities that develop

• their understanding of elements of art such as:
  
  • color, shape, line, texture, and perspective.

• their various forms and usage of different mediums of art including:
  
  • painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and design

MN History
In 6th grade, students explore the history of Minnesota using the curriculum Northern Lights The Stories of Minnesota’s Past. Students also take a trip to the Minnesota History Center where they learn about the stories, people, and places of Minnesota.

Technology/Coding
Technology is integrated into the classroom with an educational purpose always in mind. Whether it is in the hands of the teacher or the students, it’s purpose is to enrich the learning process. Technology used to develop digital literacy skills, to reinforce concepts, to extend learning, and to differentiate instruction. Students demonstrate digital literacy through:

• The use of chromebooks throughout multiple subject areas
• An emphasis on typing skills with home positioning of the hands and practice drills for touch-typing
• The usage of Google based software and applications
• Demonstrating proper digital citizenship online
• Developing basic coding, critical thinking and problem solving skills through the use of Scratch and Codecademy

Health
6th grade health instruction focuses on three areas of health: physical, mental & emotional, and family & social) through which we have the opportunity to see how wonderfully God has made each and every one of us. In class students learn

• how to healthily deal with situations and emotions in their lives
• the reasons causing them to act, think, and feel the way they do
• stages of development with an emphasis on puberty
• through role-play and class discussions to discover how each of them are unique and why it is important to work on all parts of their health to reach the best health they can have

Physical Education
6th graders have PE twice a week with grades five and six together. The Physical Education program focuses on keeping children healthy by learning to be active in their lives. God has given us one body and it is up to us to take care of it. The goal of the program is to help the students enjoy being physically active and promote individual and team sports.

Music
Students at First Lutheran School receive classroom music instruction from kindergarten through eighth grade. The curriculum follows the national standards published by the National Association for Music Education, which include:

• Recognizing voices and music are gifts from God.
• Singing, dancing, listening, and playing rhythmic instruments from memory
• Exploring musical expression, performance, rhythm and musical history
• Joining in congregational singing

Choir
Students have choir rehearsal once a week.

• Weekly choir lessons include:
  
  • practicing breathing exercises and a variety of vocal warm-ups and exercises
  • learning seasonal hymns each month, and a variety of sacred choral literature

• Student perform throughout the year through:
  
  • singing during chapel and First Lutheran Church worship services, Advent Choral Concert and Children’s Christmas Service.
  • visiting and performing for the senior citizens at Glencoe Regional Health Services Long Term Care facility

Band
During 6th grade, students have the opportunity to begin band instruction with the band director from the Glencoe-Silver Lake public school

Cultural Experience
First Lutheran School provides opportunities for cultural experiences by providing four lyceums per year in our facility. 5th graders partake in a variety of field trips including:

• a Christian musical concert at Mayer Lutheran High School in Mayer, Minnesota
• a field trip to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area to the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul and to the James J. Hill House
• (On alternating years) a trip to take a cruise on a paddle boat on the Mississippi River and pay a visit to historic Fort Snelling or visit the Science Museum and Omni Theatre in St. Paul and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

Religion and Confirmation
Each student in grades 7 and 8 will have Faith and Confirmation classes taught by one of the Pastors or the DCE of the congregation. This class is designed to:

• assist the student to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, equipping them to become lifelong disciples of Jesus
• encourage the student to spend time reading God’s Word for spiritual growth and guidance
• instruct the student in the main teachings (doctrines) of the Christian faith, teaching and modeling what it means to be a Lutheran Christian in our world
• instruct the student in their preparation for active participation in the life of the local church
• if they are a member of First Lutheran congregation, to guide the student in their preparation for reconfirming their baptismal vow by confessing publicly their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior in the rite of junior confirmation

Literature
We cover a variety of topics during the seventh and eighth grade years from literary elements including:

• character, plot, setting
• poetry and drama
• literary forms and styles
• hidden meanings
• a development of love for reading In addition to this, students also
• read class novels while using a variety of activities and discussions incorporating these book
• work on using text evidence to back up an opinion they have
• Increase other reading skills outlined in the Minnesota State Reading Standards.

English
In English, students cover grammatical concepts (parts of speech, usage, and mechanics) as well as writing. Students should be writing in a variety of genres each year – informational, narrative, descriptive, and opinion/persuasive. Students are working towards writing in a formal way and to be able to easily write a five paragraph essay given any topic. Students use and apply their knowledge of sentence structure, capitalization, punctuation throughout the year.

Math
Daily instruction focuses on teaching visual representations and modeling strategies to solve complex problems; a consistent concrete-pictorial-abstract progression so students that understand the “how” as well as the “why.”

• 7th Grade: Saxon Course 2 concepts covered include:
  
  • Determining ratios and proportional relationships
  • Apply and extend understandings of operations with fractions to add, subtract, multiply and divide rational numbers
  • Use properties of operations to generate equivalent expressions
  • Solve real-life mathematical problems using numerical and algebraic expressions and equations
  • Draw, construct and describe geometric figures
  • Solve real-life mathematical problems using angles, areas, surface areas, and volume
  • Use probability to draw inferences about a statistic population
  • Draw informal comparative inferences about populations
  • Investigate chance processes and develop use and evaluate probability

• 8th Grade: Saxon Course 3 concepts covered include:
  
  • Recognize rational and irrational numbers.
  • Solving with radicals and exponents
  • Demonstrate relationship between proportions, lines and linear equations
  • Analyze and solve linear equations
  • Define, evaluate and compare functions
  • Use functions to model relationship between quantities
  • Define and apply geometric concepts: angles, lines, transformations, comparing polygons through congruence and similarity
  • Apply Pythagorean Theorem to solve for side lengths/distance between two points
  • Solve real world problems involving volume of geometric solids
  • Analyze statistics and probability to find patterns in data

Social Studies
Seventh and eighth social studies rotates between U. S. History and world geography.

World Geography:
The curriculum gives students a firm foundation for understanding global issues in the context of physical and human geography.

• Students will explore in learning about:
  • the role of social media
  • refugees
  • immigration
  • trade issues
  • the effects of aging populations
  • energy resources and indigenous rights.

• Students will learn about the five themes of geography as they tour the world from North and South America through Europe, Africa, the Middle East , and Asia.

The U.S. History curriculum for seventh and eighth grade gives a thorough examination of:

• The Articles of Confederation-(shows need for a new, stronger central government)
• The Constitution
• The beginnings of the United States
• The establishment of the first National Bank
• The presidencies of early leaders of our country and how the nation developed under the leadership of each individual
• Events leading up to the Civil War
• The reconstruction of the South after the war
• The westward expansion through the Age of Industry.
• Moving through history to our modern times to find an understanding of how events of history have come together to evolve into the nation as we know it today.

Science
Science curriculum rotates every other year between 7th and 8th grade. Much of the lab work is done in our school’s STEAM lab. The 7th and 8th grade rotate their study of life science with physical science.

For life science the class studies:

• Cells and heredity
• Bacteria to plants
• Animals and human biology

For physical science the class builds their understanding of chemistry through studying:

• the elements
• bonds and reactions
• acids and bases
• Hydrocarbons

For physical science the class builds their understanding of physics through studying:

• Laws of motion
• Forces
• Energy

Art
Seventh and eighth graders have art instruction once each week. They explore different styles of art throughout the world bringing an appreciation of the creative aspect of art. Some examples of areas explored are:

• drawing
• perspective
• lines
• symmetry
• mosaics
• watercolor
• pointillism

Health
In the even-numbered years we use HUMAN SEXUALITY from Scott, Foresman, and Company. Abstinence is the main idea that is stressed. We also use TOTAL HEALTH, a Christian-based series from Rivers Edge. This series has Bible studies to develop knowledge of God as their creator. Included in the class are studies of

• the body’s systems
• fitness and exercising
• infectious and noninfectious diseases
• STD’s
• social health
• mental health
• spiritual health.

Music
Students at First Lutheran School receive classroom music instruction from kindergarten through eighth grade. The curriculum follows the national standards published by the National Association for Music Education, which include:

• Recognizing voices and music are gifts from God.
• Singing, dancing, listening, and playing rhythmic instruments from memory
• Exploring musical expression, performance, rhythm and musical history
• Joining in congregational singing

Band
During 7th and 8th grade, students have the opportunity to begin band instruction with the band director from the Glencoe-Silver Lake public school

Physical Education
Students participate in activities that promote individual skills along with team cooperation. Christian sportsmanship is always emphasized. At the end of the year all students have the opportunity to participate in the President’s Physical Fitness Test. Some of the activities that are covered during the school year are:

• soccer
• floor hockey
• dodgeball
• flag football
• hand volleyball
• archery
• dance
• track and field
• basketball
• softball

Cultural Experience
The 7th and 8th graders travel to Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in February each year to learn about God’s wonderful creation and all the blessings they are able to experience through His nature. Other field trips and events take place throughout the year.