What Will My Children Learn at Willsboro
In Pre-Kindergarten

ELA Activities
Letter Recognition, Recognition of Last Name, Recall and sequencing a story, Sight words, following multi-step directions, Rhyming words, Writing short messages, Sentence structure, Punctuation marks, Questions, Role Playing, Learning a series of steps, Poetry

Math
Shapes, Measurement in inches, Numbers, Counting to 100, Patterning, Ordinal Positioning, Sorting, Graphing data, Identify and sort money, Estimating

Science
Domestic animals, Mountains, Valleys, Hills, Wild Animals, Earth and Moon, Vegetables, Vitamins, Life Cycle of a Plant, Rain, Seasons, Wonderful worms, Trees, Weather

Social
Holidays, Kindness, Politeness, Respect for others, Sportsmanship, Giving, Manners, How the post office works, Identify geographical features in the environment, USA, Teamwork, Earth Day, Community involvement, Map, Globe

Sample Books Read in Pre-Kindergarten
My New Kitten, I am Caring, The Mitten, Goodnight Moon, Snow Family, My Lamb Book, I Like to Munch, I See the Moon, I Made a Noise, Clifford’s First Valentine, My Dad, A Pocket Full of Kisses, The Foot Book, My Vest, The Skunk, Commotion in the Ocean, Pancakes Please, Spring Changes, Good Morning Pond, Little Beaver and the Echo, Our Big Home, The Family of Earth, Hey Little Ant, Diary of a Worm

What Will My Children Learn at Willsboro
In Kindergarten

ELA Activities
Demonstrate phonemic awareness and vowel sounds, recognize letter names and letter sounds, decode and blend letter sounds, recognize sight words, make predictions about events, recognize rhyming words, sequence events, communicate through drawing and writing, understand the writing process,  correctly write name, increase correctly spelled words, correctly form all letters of the alphabet, understand sentence structure, write a legible sentence, demonstrate an interest in reading activities, build listening skills, engage in class discussions, participate in social activities (singing, drama, poetry), develop age appropriate vocabulary and speech, follow multi-task directions

Math
Increase calendar concepts, use manipulatives to share and record thinking, count, (to 100 by 5 and by 10), write numbers from 1-20, understand 1:1 correspondence, understand concepts of greater than, less than, and equal, graph, create and solve addition and subtraction problems to 10, recognize basic shapes, compare length, weight, volume, sort, recognize and create simple patterns, collect and compare data, begin to understand concepts of equal parts of a whole, recognize time to the hour, identify penny, nickel, dime, quarter, estimate quantities

Science
Make observations using the senses, understand plants and animals structure and needs, identify living and non-living things, classify animals into groups, be introduced to the natural world (weather, seasons, water, soil, rocks, etc.), experience the process of maple syrup, frog life cycle, the plant cycle, butterfly metamorphous

Social
Increase responsibility to complete tasks and classroom jobs, understand social interactions in the classroom and family, take part in multicultural activities that increase appreciation for self and others, cultural awareness and diversity, understand farming and the process of agriculture, visits to local community and natural surroundings, understand the jobs of community employees, understand the globe and maps

Sample Books Read in Kindergarten
The Ugly Duckling, Eating Vegetable Soup, The Vest, Linda’s Late, I Love You the Purplest, Willaby Wallaby Woo, Mrs. Wishy Washy, What is a Rainbow, Old Mr. Rabbit, Rockets, Polar Bear, Three Billy Goats Gruff, How to Talk to Your Cat, The Greedy Goat, Car Wash, Cow, Joseph Had a Little Overcoat, A Dog Like Jack, Katy No Pocket, The New Kid, The Keeping Quilt, Curious George Goes to School, Monarch Butterfly, Jump Frog Jump, Pinkerton Behave, Stone Soap, The Grouchy Ladybug, Jamberry, Where the Wild Things Are, The Big Red Barn, Caps for Sale, etc.

What Will My Children Learn at Willsboro
In Grade 1

ELA Activities
Letter names and sounds, vowels, word attack strategies, reading strategies, reading fluency, word families, sight words, rhyming, contractions, reality vs. fantasy, summarizing a story, inflections, reading comprehension, context clues, digraphs, clusters, predicting, comparing and contrasting, drawing conclusions, question words, sequencing story elements, letter writing,  poetry, singular and plural forms of words, inflections, use of graphic organizers, nouns, pronouns, verbs, describing words, alphabetical order, spelling, etc

Writing Activities
Handwriting, name writing, introduction to the writing process, journal/free writing, writing a complete sentence, writing directions, lists, webs, book making, friendly letters, grammar skills, personal narratives, thank you notes, etc

Math
Addition, problem solving skills, patterns, subtraction, using number line, ordinal numbers to 10, mental math strategies, numbers to 100, skip counting, graphing, geometry(2D & 3Dshapes), symmetry, fractions, money, time using clocks and calendars, two digit addition and subtraction, estimation, fact families, measurement, adding three numbers, place value

Science
Space, five senses, weather, polar studies, dental health, nutrition, exercise, local bodies of water, plants/trees, pets, insects, animals, four seasons, fire safety, poison control, transportation, Earth features, recycling, Earth Day

Social
Holidays, community, Black history, friendship, rules, wants/needs of community economics, map skills, character education, social skills, self-esteem, feelings, family

Sample of Books Read in 1^st Grade
What I See Down on the Farm, Sometimes, Five Little Rabbits, I Went Walking, Big Brown Bear, The Chick and the Duckling, Cloudy Day, Sunny Day, Start Cloudy Day, Moving Day, Later, Rover, Catch Me if You Can, Mattie and the Fox, And I Mean It, Best of Friends, Making Friends, Keeping Friends, The Shoe Town, Rex and Lilly Playtime, The Little Red Hen, Henny Penny, Little Lumpty, Dreams, Henry and Mudge in the Green Time, Pets, Wonderful Worms, Jenny’s Journey, Frog and Toad Together, The PaperBag Princess, The Wild Woods, Lionel in the Winter, Various books that relate to Social and Science themes, Various Phonics skills books

What Will My Children Learn at Willsboro
In Grade 2

ELA Activities
Phonics – Short and long vowel patterns, vowel clusters, consonant clusters, digraphs, R controlled vowels, Inflected forms, contractions, compound words, phonological awareness
Vocabulary Development – High frequency words, key words, context clues to establish meaning, synonyms, antonyms, homophones, homographs, possessives, comparatives, dictionary skills
Comprehension – main idea, supporting details, plot elements, cause/effect, classify/categorize, compare/contrast, drawing conclusions, sequencing
Study Skills – alphabetical order, glossary and study skills
Writing – Editing, Forms of writing, paragraph format
Grammar – complete sentences, subject predicates, types of sentences, nouns, adjectives, verbs

Math
Numeration – counting to 1,000, number order to 1,000, compare 2 and 3 digit numbers, place value to 3 digits, fractions, rounding to nearest 10, odd, even
Addition/Subtraction – add and subtract 1,2, and 3 digit numbers, add and subtract money, fact families, memorize addition and subtraction facts, write and solve one-two step word problems, estimate sum/difference
Geometry – patterns, dimensional shapes, congruence, symmetry, introduction of perimeter and area
Measurement- nonstandard and standard units, length, weight, volume, temperature, telling time to the minute, introduce elapsed time, calendars, count all coins with and without bills, introduce making change
Statistics and graphing – bar graphs, pictographs, interpret data, tally marks
Problem solving – strategies to solve problems

Science
Living World – living and non-living things, habitats, plants, animals(vertebrates), adaptations in habitats, resources used by animals
Matter- what is and is not matter, solids, liquids, gases, phases, water cycle
Light and Color – sources of light, transparent, translucent, opaque, shadows, prism and spectrum, mixing colors
Simple machines – use and identify wheel and axle, pulley, lever, screw, inclined plane, wedge
Magnets – opposite poles attract, same poles repel, identify what magnets attract
Solar System – planets, day/night rotation around axis, seasons, meteors

Social
Rules and Laws – difference between rules and laws, laws at home, school, community, state, nation, types of laws, customs around the world, laws in the USA, citizenship, consequences of behavior, conflict resolution
People and Places Change Over Time – identify changes in weapons, transportation, government, religion, Willsboro history
Maps – map key, compass rose, cardinal directions, continents, oceans
Landforms – major landforms, mountains, rocks
Economics – jobs, compensation, taxes, following produce, global marketing

Sample Books Read in Grade 2

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo, Freckle Juice,  The Whipping Boy, Stone Fox, Chronicles of Narnia, Junie B. Jones books, The Magic Tree House books, Laura Ingalls Wilder collection

What Will My Children Learn at Willsboro
In Grade 3

ELA (English Language Arts)
State Test Preparation, common and proper nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, articles, and adverbs, possessives, paragraphs, mini-research reports, book reports,    story writing, word-webs, friendly letters

Math
master basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts, simple long division with a single digit remainder, place value to one thousands place, subtracting across a middle zero, master coin values and counting change to $1.00, telling time to the nearest minute, measurement (inch, foot, yard, perimeter, area, volume, cup, pint, quart, gallon, ounce and pound), temperature, geometry (cone, cube, cylinder, hexagon, octagon, pentagon, symmetry and ordered pairs), fractions (1/2, 1/3 and 1/4), two step word problems

Science
Life Cycles (Animals and Plants), Sun, Moon, and Earth (Comparing, Motions and Effects), Forms of Energy (Heat, Temperature, Using and Saving), Earth's Water (Where Found, Why Important, Wonders, Caring for), Food Groups (Health, Digestion)

Social Studies
Communities (Our Own, Rural, Urban, Suburban, Moveable and Colonial), People and Citizenship (local, county, state and national), Columbus, Martin Luther King, Lincoln and Washington, Betsy Ross, Diversity, Holidays and Customs

Sample of Chapter Books Read in Grade 3
How to Eat Fried Worms - Thomas Rockwell
Sarah Plain and Tall - Patricia MacLachlan
Charlotte's Web - E. B. White
A Chocolate Touch - Patrick Skene Catling
A Little Princess - Frances Hodgson Burnett
A Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Shoeshine Girl - Doris Buchanan Smith
A Taste of Blackberries - Clyde Robert Bulla

What Will My Children Learn at Willsboro
In Grade 4

English
Types of sentences, Subjects and Predicates, Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives, Verbs, Adverbs and Punctuation

Math
Place Value, Money, Addition & Subtraction, Estimation, Elapsed Time, Graphs, Multiplication (1 & 2 digit numbers), Division (1 & 2 digit numbers), Measurement (length, perimeters & area), Geometry (2D & 3D), Fractions & Probability and Decimals

Science
Earth, Land & Resources, Properties of Matter, Animals, Magnets & Electricity, Weather & Climate and The Body

Social Studies
Geography of NY, Environment of NY, The 1st New Yorkers (Native Americans), European Explorers, Colonial NY, American Revolution, Constitution, Industrial Revolution, NY & the Civil War and New York Government 

Sample Books Read in Grade 4
Sign of the Beaver, George Washington's Socks, You Want Women to Vote, Lizzie Stanton?, The Enormous Egg and Freedom Crossing

What Will My Children Learn at Willsboro
In Grade 5

ELA Activities
Punctuation, sentence types, compound subjects/predicates, nouns, conjunctions, adjectives, adverbs, verbs, pronouns, narrative elements, compare/contrast, biased writing, prepositional phrases

Writing
Book reviews, personal narratives, following directions, paragraphs, persuasive essays, power point presentation, writing a book (When I Was Young in the Adirondacks ), web quest (ancient civilizations), research reports, propaganda techniques

Math
Number problems and algebra, problem solving, divisibility patterns, order of operations, prime factors, powers and exponents, statistics and graphing, long division, adding/subtracting/multiplying/dividing decimals, perimeter/circumference, common factors, fractions, least common denominator, solving equations, ratios, proportions, percent, measurement, metric, mass/capacity, angles and polygons

Science
Plants, photosynthesis, producers, consumers, decomposers, plant reproduction, ecosystems, food web, biomes research project, simple machines, minerals, rocks, structure, light/sound

Social Studies
NYS test preparation, note taking for essay writing, vocabulary review, organizing information, DBQ, essay writing, map skills, objective and constructed responses, latitude and longitude, The First Americans, Ancient Indian Civilizations, Early Spanish exploration, Conquest of Latin America, Colonization of US and Latin America, Research of Latin American countries 

Sample Books Read in Grade 5
Signature Reading Series, Independent reading of accelerated books (one book per month is required), Guns for General Washington

What Will My Children Learn at Willsboro
In Grade 6

ELA Activities
Types of Sentences, Subjects, Predicates, Creative Writing, Nouns, Apostrophes, Comma use, abbreviations, titles, Pronouns, Idioms, Punctuation, Adjectives, Verbs, Writing a Report  

Math
Place value, rounding, compare&order, whole/decimal numbers, adding/subtracting decimals, multiply/divide whole and decimals, exponents, order of operation, graphing, metric units, geometry, add/subtract/multiply/ divide fractions, graphing, prime factorization, factoring, percent, probability, perimeter, area, volume  

Science
Evolution, Oceanography, Photosynthesis, Heredity, Geological time scale, fossils, dinosaurs, Matter  

Social
Geography of Eastern Hemisphere(Middle East, Asia, Europe), Archaeology, Stone Age, Civilization Formation, Farming, Mesopotamian Civilizations, Ancient Egyptian Culture, Ancient Greece Geography, Ancient Rome, Medieval Period(Renaissance, Dark Ages, Plague), Mythology, Political Structures, Ancient Rulers, Ancient India and China

Sample Books Read During Grade 6
Holes, Maniac Magee, The Golden Goblet, From the Mixed Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, The Egypt Game, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Where the Red Fern Grows, Shadow of a Bull, Julie of the Wolves, Number of the Stars

What Will My Children Learn at Willsboro
In Grades 9 - 12 Math

MATHEMATICS COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
(secondary level)

Math A and Math B are 1 ½ year courses for the typical above average to advanced math student.  Passing the Math A Regents Exam is required to graduate from high school in New York State .  A separate 2.5 year course for Math A is offered for students that do not have advanced math ability.       

MATH 12 PRECALCULUS/CALCULUS  (single year)
This full year course is a mix of pre-calculus and calculus.  Introductory calculus concepts are integrated throughout the course, which allows a more gradual and sensible advance to calculus.  The material is more meaningful and student confidence is developed to attack calculus concepts.  In general, approximately 75% of the school year is pre-calculus and 25 % is calculus.  Some Math B topics reviewed are linear equations, quadratic equations, graphing, and triangle trigonometry applications.  Advanced math ability is suggested for this challenging and thought-provoking course.  No New York State-mandated exam is required for this course.

CALCULUS (college credit available)
This is an introductory course in differential and integral calculus.  Topics include:  limits and continuity, differentiation of algebraic functions, applications of the derivative curve sketching, maximum-minimum problems, Reimann sums and the definite integral, plus applications of the integral to areas and volumes.

ADVANCED ALGEBRA  (single year)
This full year course is rigorous advanced algebra for future college students who will not be required to take calculus after high school.  The focus is a reinforcement of fundamentals and presentation of more challenging algebraic skills.  The material closely mirrors entry-level college algebra.  The newly learned skills will lead to better comprehension and retention of the fundamentals of advanced algebra.  No state-mandated exam is required for this course.

MATH B  (1.5 years)
This 1.5 year course is mostly intermediate trigonometry with some advanced trigonometry. However, advanced algebra, along with intermediate and advanced geometry is also integrated.  Specific topics are available in the course outline. This is the preparation for the Math B New York State Regents Exam that is given at the end of this course.  Advanced ability is suggested for this challenging and rapidly moving course.

MATH A  (1.5 years)
This course is considered a 1 ½ year course because the Math A Regents Exam will not be given until after 3 semesters of school (most commonly in January of the sophomore year for the typical student).  Passing the course and the Regents Exam are required for graduation.  Topics covered are operations w/integers real numbers, number properties, radicals or roots, equations, inequalities, systems of equations & inequalities, monomials, polynomials, factoring, fractions, quadratic equations, ratios, proportions, percents, basic geometry, solids, probability, statistics, characteristics of triangles, and quadrilaterals.  

TECHNICAL MATHEMATICS (college credit available)
Topics covered in this math course will be ones with specific applications for students in technical areas.  Topics include the real number system, algebraic operations, linear and quadratic functions, trigonometric functions and graphs.  Logarithmic functions, proportion, the metric system, and scientific notation are also studied.  Emphasis will be on the manipulation and use of technical formulas with extensive coverage of practical applications.