1st Grade: Day 4

Student Page - Day 4 Daily Lesson

Daily Prep

Materials Needed:

  • Growing Start, SEL, Reading, Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, Science, and P.E. notebooks

  • Crayons, markers, pencils

  • Blocks or toys for subtraction

  • Magnet (fridge magnet is fine)

  • Household items: spoon, key, paperclip, coin, wood block, plastic toy

  • Book of choice for reading

  • Space for P.E. (jumping jacks, bear crawls, running in place)

Time Expectation:
Around 4–5 hours, including breaks. Adjust as needed.

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

Objective: Learn and practice “Calm Down Tools” to manage big feelings like anger or frustration.

Activities:

  • Visualize or draw a “Calm Down Corner.”

  • Practice belly breathing together.

  • Write: “When I feel upset, I can try to ___.”

  • Do squeeze-and-release with hands.

Parent Tip: Model the breathing and squeeze-release alongside your child. Kids are more engaged when they see you use the same strategies.

Standards: CASEL Competency – Self-Awareness & Self-Management

Reading & Literature

Objective: Identify what causes a character’s feelings.

Activities:

  • Read for 30 minutes.

  • Record book, pages, and time in Reading Log.

  • Write: “The character felt ___ because ___.”

Parent Tip: If your child struggles, prompt with: “What happened right before the character felt that way?” Using “because” helps them connect events to emotions.

Standards: CCSS RL.1.1, RL.1.3

Language Arts

Objective: Distinguish between common and proper nouns.

Activities:

  • Sort words into “Common” vs. “Proper.”

  • Identify proper nouns in spoken names and street signs.

  • Match common noun/proper noun pairs on paper.

Parent Tip: Reinforce capitalization by “catching” proper nouns throughout the day—in book titles, cereal boxes, and signs.

Standards: CCSS L.1.1.B

Math

Objective: Practice skip counting and learn subtraction as “taking away.”

Activities:

  • Count to 50 by 1s, 5s, and 10s (with movement).

  • Solve addition review problems.

  • Use blocks or toys to act out subtraction.

  • Challenge: Compare 5 – 3 with 3 – 5.

Parent Tip: Start subtraction with real objects before moving to paper problems. Example: “You have 5 grapes. If you eat 2, how many are left?”

Standards: CCSS 1.OA.A.1, 1.OA.C.5, 1.OA.C.6

Social Studies

Objective: Understand rules in the community and create a rule sign.

Activities:

  • Answer quiz questions about rules.

  • Design a community rule sign with picture and words.

  • Present the sign and explain why it matters.

Parent Tip: Focus on understanding rules, not perfect artwork. Praise their reasoning and explanation more than the drawing.

Standards: NCSS Theme – Civic Ideals & Practices

Science

Objective: Test objects for magnetism and record results.

Activities:

  • Predict if each item is magnetic or not.

  • Test with magnet and record in two columns.

  • Write: “A magnet sticks to some metals, but not to plastic or wood.”

Parent Tip: Emphasize that predictions don’t need to be right. Scientists learn just as much from surprises.

Standards: NGSS 1-PS1-1; Science & Engineering Practice: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

Art

Objective: Use lines, shapes, and colors to express feelings through doodles.

Activities:

  • Pick a feeling and choose colors that match.

  • Doodle freely to show the feeling.

  • Write the name of the feeling on the back.

Parent Tip: Join in—compare your “angry zigzags” or “happy swirls” with your child’s.

Standards: National Core Arts Standards – Creating & Connecting

Physical Education

Objective: Build coordination, endurance, and strength.

Activities:

  • Warm-ups (stretch, arm circles, big breaths).

  • Exercises: jumping jacks, bear crawls, bicycle crunches, run in place.

  • Record in P.E. log.

Parent Tip: Encourage slow practice first, then steady pacing. Let your child “coach” you for one exercise to build confidence.

Standards: SHAPE America Standard 1 & 3

End-of-Day Teach-Back

Objective: Reinforce learning by sharing knowledge from each subject.

Prompts:

  • SEL: “What calm down tool can you use when upset?”

  • Reading: “Why did your character feel that way?”

  • Language Arts: “Tell me one common noun and one proper noun.”

  • Math: “Show me a subtraction problem you solved.”

  • Social Studies: “What was the rule on your sign, and why is it important?”

  • Science: “What did the magnet stick to?”

  • Art: “Which feeling did your doodle show?”

Parent Tip: Keep it light and fun. This daily ritual builds memory and reflection.