READING & WRITING GOALS

WHEN PRACTICING LETTERS AND SOUNDS, I CAN…

• • Name and write upper and lowercase letters
  • Identify rhyming words
  • Read common words (the, of, you, she, my)

DURING STORYTIME, I CAN…

• • Ask questions about the story
  • Listen and take turns speaking during discussions
  • Identify characters, settings, and major events
  • Take part in shared reading, writing, research
  • Recognize the person, place, thing or idea that an illustration shows
  • Compare the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories, such as fairy tales and folktales

WHEN SPEAKING, I CAN…

• • Express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly
  • Use a combination of drawing, speaking and writing to describe an event, give information about a topic or share an opinion
  • Understand and use question words (such as who, what, where, when, why, how) in discussions
  • State an opinion or preference about a book or topic (such as My favorite book is …)

MATH GOALS

I CAN COUNT…

• • Objects in a group
  • To 100 by ones and by tens
  • A set of objects to 20 and write numbers 1-20
  • By adding/subtracting very small numbers using fingers, drawings or words

WHEN DOING MATH PROBLEMS, I CAN…

• • Break up numbers less than or equal to 10 in more than one way (such as 9=6+3 or 9=5+4)
  • Work with numbers 11-19 to gain an understanding of place value with objects or drawings
  • Act out addition and math problems; draw diagrams to represent them
  • Add/subtract small numbers very quickly

I CAN NAME AND UNDERSTAND…

• • Shapes
  • How to compare two written numbers to tell which is greater
  • Which group of objects has more than the other(s)

SCIENCE GOALS

WHEN THINKING OF THE EARTH, I KNOW…

• • It has seasons, and I can describe them
  • The sun gives the Earth heat and light
  • The difference between living and non-living things
  • What happens when the sun’s light is blocked
  • The difference in temperature between day, when the sun shines, and night, when it doesn’t
  • That organisms – living things including plants and animals – can be described and sorted by their physical characteristics

UNDERSTAND MOTION, AND…

• • The different ways objects can move, and how it can be described using speed and direction
  • That people must push harder to move their bikes, skateboards or scooters as they go faster or up a hill

WHEN SORTING, I…

• • Understand that objects can be sorted by physical properties, which can be observed and measured

SOCIAL STUDIES GOALS

WHEN THINKING OF FAMILIAR PLACES AND LOCATIONS, I CAN…

• • Identify my home address, school, and city
  • Identify my school, cafeteria, and gymnasium
  • Describe my surroundings and what people do in my surroundings
  • Understand the difference between a map and globe and that they are tools for finding different places around the world
  • Use words related to location, direction and distance such as up, behind and far

WHEN TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE, I CAN…

• • Discuss differences and similarities in families and communities
  • Discuss the different jobs they do, why people earn a living
  • Recognize that they own things (such as backpacks, shoes, toys)
  • Talk about concepts of fairness, justice, responsibility and rules, as well as explain and practice good manners
  • Understand that people use money and that coins are currency

CAN UNDERSTAND CHANGE IN TIME AND…

• • Discuss ways food, clothing, and shelter change in different environments
  • Sequence a set of activities or event words such as past, present, future, days, weeks, months, years, first, next, last
  • Ask questions, share ideas and discuss ideas about the past

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP YOUR CHILD?

READING AND WRITING

• • Read to your child and have your child read to you every day for at least 15 minutes, and pick out new or complex words
  • Encourage your child to tell you about his or her day at school
  • Ask your child to retell a story in his or her own words by telling what happened first, second, third, etc
  • Ask your child to think about what he or she learned from a book or article
  • Look for opportunities in everyday places to build your child’s vocabulary
  • Be sure your child has a library card. Your child should select books in which they are interested to develop a passion for reading

MATH

• • Use everyday objects to allow your child to count and group a collection of objects
  • Encourage your child to construct numbers in multiple ways. For example, what are some ways you can make 10? Answers might include 5+5, 6+4, 8+2, etc
  • Have your child create story problems to represent the addition and subtraction of small numbers. For example: “Ann had eight balloons. Then she gave three away so she only had five left.”
  • Encourage your child to stick with it whenever a problem seems difficult. This will help your child see that everyone can learn math
  • Praise your child when he or she makes an effort and share in the excitement when he or she solves a problem or understand something for the first time

LANGUAGE ARTS GOALS

WHEN WRITING, I CAN…

• Write to describe an event, provide information on a topic or share an opinion
• Write about a topic, supplying some facts and providing some sense of a beginning and ending

DURING STORYTIME, I CAN…

• Read stories and demonstrate understanding of the moral or lesson of the story
• Ask and answer questions about a story, including characters, settings and major events
• Compare and contrast the experiences of different characters
• Identify the reasons an author gives to support a point
• Explain differences between texts that tell stories and texts that provide information

WHEN SPEAKING AND WORKING WITH OTHERS, I CAN…

• Learn and use new words
• Participate in class discussions by listening, responding to what others are saying and asking questions
• Describe people, places, things and events, expressing feelings and ideas clearly
• Learn basic rules of spoken and written English
• Gather facts and information about a topic

MATH GOALS

WHEN UNDERSTANDING NUMBERS, I CAN…

• Understand what the different digits mean in two-digit numbers (place value)
• Compare two-digit numbers using the symbols > (more than), = (equal to) and < (less than)
• Understand the meaning of the equal sign (=) and determine if statements involving addition and subtraction are true or false (for example, which of the following statements are true? 3+3=6, 4+1=5+2)
• Count to 120 starting at any number less than 120

WHEN DOING MATH PROBLEMS, I CAN…

• Quickly and accurately add numbers that total 10 or less and subtract from numbers through 10 (such as 2+5, 7–5)
• Solve addition and subtraction word problems in situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart and comparing
• Add one-digit and two-digit numbers together

I CAN NAME AND UNDERSTAND…

• How to tell and write time in hours and half-hours
• Measure the lengths of objects using a shorter object as a unit of length
• Organize objects into categories and compare the number of objects in different categories
• Divide circles and rectangles into halves and quarters

SCIENCE GOALS

WHEN INVESTIGATING PROPERTIES, I CAN…

• Understand that solids and liquids have unique properties that distinguish them
• Learn that the properties of solids and liquids help us understand how to use matter. For example, we cannot build a bridge out of tissue because it is not strong enough

WHEN UNDERSTANDING ANIMALS AND THEIR NEEDS, I CAN…

• Learn that offspring have properties or characteristics that are similar to, but not exactly like, their parents’ characteristics (for example, a parent’s eye color can differ from their child’s)
• Learn that an organism is a living thing that has physical characteristics to help it survive

WHEN INVESTIGATING WEATHER, I…

• Understand that weather and the changing seasons impact the environment and organisms such as humans, plants and other animals
• Consider how living things adjust to changes in weather (such as bears hibernating or humans wearing winter coats

SOCIAL STUDIES GOALS

I CAN UNDERSTAND CHANGE IN TIME AND…

• Understand the concepts of patterns and chronological order
• Arrange life events in chronological order
• Identify the components of a calendar, including the days of the week, months and notable events
• Use words related to time, sequence and change

I CAN IDENTIFY THE U.S.’s SYMBOLS AND PEOPLE AND…

• Understand family and cultural events in the United States in the past
• Identify and explain the meaning of national symbols such as the American flag, bald eagle, Statue of Liberty and the White House

WHEN UNDERSTANDING GEOGRAPHY, LOCATIONS, AND THE PEOPLE IN THEM, I CAN…

• Understand that individuals create and memorize addresses to help locate places
• Learn that geographic tools such as maps and globes represent places
• Distinguish between land and water on a map or globe
• Learn how people in different groups and communities interact with each other and with the environment
• Identify how community activities differ due to physical and cultural characteristics (such as skiing in the mountains)
• Learn that people work at different types of jobs and in different types of organizations to produce goods and services and receive an income

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP YOUR CHILD?

READING AND WRITING

• Encourage your child to read to you books like Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik, and help them sound out difficult words
• Pick a “word of the day” each day starting with a different letter. Have your child write the word and look for other things beginning with the same letter
• Provide time and space for your child to read without distractions such as TV
• Ask your child what topics, events or activities he or she likes. Then look for books and other materials about those topics
• Start a family book club. Let different members of the family pick the book
• Be sure your child has a library card

MATH

• Look for “word problems” in real life
• Play the “I’m thinking of a number” game. For example, “I’m thinking of a number that makes 11 when added to 8. What is it?”
• Encourage your child to read and write numbers in different ways. For example, 15 can be 10+5, 7+8, 20-5 or 5+5+5
• Have your child create story problems to represent addition, subtraction and comparisons.
• Encourage your child to stick with it whenever a problem seems difficult. This will help your child see that everyone can learn math

READING & WRITING GOALS

DURING WRITING, I CAN…

• Write stories that include a short sequence of events and a clear beginning, middle and end
• Write an opinion piece on books using details and examples to support a position

WHEN READING, I CAN…

• Read stories, including fables and folktales from different cultures, and identify the lesson or moral of the story
• Read texts about history, social studies or science and identify the main idea
• Use features in text, such as captions, bold print and indexes, to locate key facts or information efficiently
• Participate in shared research projects (for example, read books on a single topic to produce a report)
• Read stories, including fables and folktales from different cultures, and identify the lesson or moral of the story
• Produce, expand and rearrange sentences (for example, “The boy watched the movie”; “The little boy watched the movie”)

WHEN SPEAKING, I CAN…

• Answer who, what, where, when, why and how questions about stories and books
• Take part in conversations by listening to the remarks of others, and asking and answering questions to gather additional information or deepen understanding of the topic
• Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known prefix or suffix is added to a known word (such as happy/unhappy;

MATH GOALS

WHEN USING PLACE VALUE, I CAN…

• Understand what the digits mean in three-digit numbers (place value). The digits in a three-digit number represent hundreds, tens and ones (for example, 324 represents three hundreds, two tens and four ones)
• Use understanding of place value to add and subtract three-digit numbers (such as 811-367) and add and subtract two-digit numbers quickly and accurately (such as 77-28)

WHEN DOING MATH PROBLEMS, I CAN…

• Solve one- or two-step word problems by adding or subtracting within 100
• Quickly and accurately add or subtract with a sum of 20 or less (such as 11+8 or 16-9) and know all sums of one-digit numbers from memory by the end of the year
• Solve addition and subtraction word problems involving length (such as “The pen is 2 cm longer than the pencil. If the pencil is 7 cm long, how long is the pen?”)
• Solve addition, subtraction and comparison word problems using information presented on a bar graph

WHEN USING SHAPES, I CAN…

• Solve addition, subtraction and comparison word problems using information presented on a bar graph

SCIENCE GOALS

WHEN UNDERSTANDING SOUND SYSTEMS, I CAN…

• Understand energy comes in many forms such as light, heat, sound, magnetic, chemical and electrical

WHEN INVESTIGATING PLANTS, I CAN…

• Understand that living things depend on non-living things in their habitat to satisfy their needs (such as plants depending on air)
• Understand the basic needs of plants and animals and how those needs differ (such as fish needing to live in water)
• Learn that plants and animals have different structures or behaviors that serve different functions (such as theleaf of a plant)

WHEN UNDERSTANDING EARTH MATERIALS, I CAN…

• Learn that Earth’s materials – soil, sand, rocks and oil – can be broken down and combined into different materials, naturally and by people

SOCIAL STUDIES GOALS

WHEN UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE, I CAN…

• Create timelines to understand the development of important community traditions and events
• Give examples of people, events and developments that brought important changes to the community
• Explain scarcity and give examples of choices people make when resources are scarce
• Discuss the rights and responsibilities of citizens
• List the ways people express their ideas respectfully
• Demonstrate skills to resolve conflicts or differences

WHEN USING MAPS, I CAN…

• Use map keys, legends, symbols, intermediate directions and a compass to derive information from various maps
• Identify and locate cultural, human, political and natural features using map keys and legends

WHEN THINKING OF FINANCES, I CAN…

• Identify components of financial decision-making including gathering, evaluating and prioritizing information based on a financial goal, and predicting the possible outcome of a decision
• Differentiate between a long-term and a short-term financial goal

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP YOUR CHILD?

READING AND WRITING

• Read at home every day and assist your child by reading every other paragraph. You can find recommendations at www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_B.pdf
• Pick a “word of the day” each day starting with a different letter. Have your child write the word and look for other things beginning with the same letter
• Provide time and space for your child to read without distractions such as TV
• Ask your child what topics, events or activities he or she likes. Then look for books and other materials about those topics
• Start a family book club. Let different members of the family pick the book
• Be sure your child has a library card

MATH

• Look for “word problems” in real life. For example, when saving for a purchase, compare the cost of the item to the amount of money you have
• Additional math games: “I’m thinking of a number. It has 5 tens, 3 hundreds and 4 ones. What is the number?”
• Play “draw the shape.” Ask your child to draw a hexagon with one side longer than the others or ask your child to shade in a quarter of a rectangle
• Have your child explain the relationship between different numbers without counting. For example, 147 is 47 more than 100 and three less than 150
• Encourage your child to stick with it whenever a problem seems difficult. This will help your child see that everyone can learn math

READING & WRITING GOALS

DURING WRITING, I CAN…

• Write stories with dialogue and descriptions of characters’ actions, thoughts, and feelings
• Write research or opinion papers over extended periods of time

WHEN READING, I CAN…

• Read a wide range of stories and describe how a story teaches a lesson
• Describe characters in a story and how their actions contributed to events
• Read texts about history, social studies or science and answer questions about what they learned
• Gather information from books, articles and online sources to build understanding of a topic

WHEN SPEAKING, I CAN…

• Refer to information from illustrations such as maps or pictures as well as the words in a text to support answers
• Learn the rules of spoken and written English
• Learn and use new words, including words related to specific subjects (such as science words)
• Participate in class discussions by listening, asking questions, sharing ideas and building on the ideas of others
• Give a class presentation on a topic or tell a story using relevant facts and details, and speaking clearly

MATH GOALS

WHEN DOING MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION, I CAN…

• Understand and explain what it means to multiply or divide numbers
• Multiply all one-digit numbers from memory (knowing their times table)
• Begin to multiply numbers with more than one digit (such as multiplying 9 x 80)
• Solve two-step “word problems” using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division

WHEN USING FRACTIONS, I CAN…

• Understand fractions as numbers (such as recognizing that 3/1 and 3 are the same number) and identify a fraction as a number on a number line
• Compare the size of two fractions

WHEN USING SHAPES AND MEASURING, I CAN…

• Recognize the characteristics of shapes (such as squares, rectangles, pentagons and hexagons)and be able to name and classify them
• Find the area of shapes and relate area to multiplication (for example, why is the number of square feet for a 9-foot by 7-foot room found by multiplying 9 x 7?)
• Measure and estimate weights and liquid volumes, and solve word problems involving these quantities
• Tell time and measure time intervals in minutes

SCIENCE GOALS

WHEN UNDERSTANDING ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS, I CAN…

• Understand that energy comes in many forms such as light, heat, sound, magnetic, chemical and electrical

WHEN INVESTIGATING LIFE CYCLES, I CAN…

• Understand that living things – animals, plants – develop differently over time
• Understand that living things have different needs at different points in their lifetimes, such as when they’regrowing or reproducing
• Compare fossils to each other or to living organisms to learn about prehistoric environments and differences with organisms today

WHEN INVESTIGATING OBJECTS IN THE SKY, I CAN…

• Learn that Earth is part of the solar system, which includes the sun, moon and other bodies that orbit the sun in predictable patterns

SOCIAL STUDIES GOALS

WHEN USING FACTUAL HISTORICAL SOURCES, I CAN…

• Compare factual historical sources with works of fiction about the same topic
• Use a variety of historical sources including artifacts, pictures and documents to help define factual historical evidence
• Learn how different groups of people have lived together and interacted in the past

WHEN USING MAPS, I CAN…

• Understand how people and events bring important changes to a community or region (such as how mining affects the mountains)
• Know how to use a map to find continents, oceans, mountains and states
• Understand how regions in the world differ by geography and by the people who live in them

WHEN UNDERSTANDING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, I CAN…

• Describe the differences between producers and consumers in a community, and explain how goods and services are exchanged
• Create a plan for a short-term financial goal (such as buying a book)
• Understand citizens have rights and responsibilities
• Identify the elements of civil discourse, such as listening with respect for understanding and speaking in a respectful manner
• Identify the origins, structure and functions of the local government

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP YOUR CHILD?

READING AND WRITING

• Make reading for fun a part of your child’s daily routine. Provide time and space for them to read without distractions like TV
• Encourage your child to find a picture from a newspaper or magazine, cut it out and write a story about it
• Start a family vocabulary box. Write down new words they discover, add them to the box and use the words in conversation
• Start a family book club. Let different members of the family pick the book and experience the joy of reading together
• Be sure your child has a library card
• Children should select books they are interested in to develop a passion for reading. Ask your child what topics, events or activitieshe or she likes, then help them find materials about these topics. Ask your child’s teacher or a librarian for suggestions

MATH

• Look for word problems in real life. Notice those times when you are using multiplication and divison and involve your child
• Play math games with your child. For example, “I’m thinking of two numbers whose product is between 20 and 30. How many pairs can you think of that would satisfy this problem?”
• Encourage your child to write or describe numbers in different ways. For example, what are some different ways to make 1,450? 1,450 = 1 thousand, 4 hundreds, 5 tens and 0 ones
• Use everyday objects to allow your child to explore the concept of fractions. For example, use measuring cups to have your child demonstrate how many 1/3 cups are in a whole, how many 1⁄4 cups you need to make 11⁄4 cups and how many times you have to refill a 1⁄2 cup measuring cup to make 11⁄2 cups

READING & WRITING GOALS

DURING WRITING, I CAN…

• Takes notes and organize information from books, articles, and online sources
• Write complete sentences with correct capitalization and spelling
• Write stories with dialogue and descriptions of characters’ actions, thoughts, and feelings
• Write research or opinion papers over extended periods of time

WHEN READING, I CAN…

• Identify the theme or main idea of a story, play or poem
• Describe the basic elements of stories – such as characters, events, and settings – by drawing on specific details in the text
• Explain how an author uses facts, details, and evidence to support points
• Compare ideas, characters, events and settings in stories and myths from different cultures
• Read and interpret information presented in charts, graphs, and illustrations
• Independently conduct short research projects on different aspects of a topic using evidence from books and the Internet
• Relate words that are common in reading to words with similar meanings (synonyms) and to their opposites (antonyms)

WHEN SPEAKING, I CAN…

• Participate in discussions by listening, asking questions and sharing ideas

MATH GOALS

WHEN DOING ADDITION, SUBTRACTION, MULTIPLICATION, AND DIVISION IN WORD PROBLEMS, I CAN…

• Add and subtract whole numbers up to 1 million quickly and accurately
• Solve multi-step word problems, including problems involving measurement and converting measurements from larger to smaller units (such as pounds to ounces)
• Multiply and divide multi-digit numbers in simple cases (such as multiplying 1,638 x 7 or 24 x 17, and dividing 6,966 by 6)

WHEN USING FRACTIONS AND DECIMALS, I CAN…

• Compare decimals and fractions using the symbols > (more than), = (equal to) and < (less than)
• Locate decimals on a number line
• Understanding simple decimals in terms of fractions (such as rewriting 0.62 as 62/100)
• Adding, subtracting and multiplying fractions in simple cases (such as 23⁄4 – 11⁄4 or 3 x 5/8), and solving related word problem
• Adding and subtracting fractions with the same denominator (such as 3⁄4 – 2/4)
• Creating equal fractions (such as 3⁄4 = 3 x 2/4 x 2 = 6/8)
• Extending understanding of fractions by comparing the size of two fractions with different numerators (top numbers) and different denominators (bottom numbers)

WHEN LEARNING ANGLES, I CAN…

• Measuring angles and finding unknown angles in a diagram

SCIENCE GOALS

WHEN INVESTIGATING PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES, I CAN…

• Understand that mixtures of matter can be separated regardless of how they were created. For example, properties help determine how to separate mixtures
• Learn that all weight and mass of the mixture are the same as the sum of weight and mass of its parts

WHEN INVESTIGATING ECOSYSTEMS, I CAN…

• Understand that all living things share similar characteristics, but they also have differences that can be described and classified
• Use evidence to develop a scientific explanation for similarities and/or differences among different living things. For example, humans use technology, such as heating and air conditioning, to survive in some climates

WHEN INVESTIGATING THE CHANGING EARTH, I CAN…

• Understand that the Earth’s surface is constantly changing through a variety of processes and forces such as erosion and weathering
• Learn that the Earth and sun provide a diversity of renewable and nonrenewable resources

SOCIAL STUDIES GOALS

WHEN LEARNING ABOUT COLORADO’S HISTORY, I CAN…

• Organize and sequence events to understand chronology and cause-and-effect in the history of Colorado
• Construct a timeline of events showing the relationship of events in Colorado history with events in U.S. and world history
• Analyze primary source historical accounts related to Colorado

WHEN LEARNING ABOUT COLORADO’S GEOGRAPHY, I CAN…

• Use maps and other geographic tools to answer questions about the geography of Colorado
• Explain how physical environments have influenced individuals and businesses in decisions to settle in Colorado. For example, Colorado Springs has a dry climate that is favorable for computer companies and ski resorts developed in the Rocky Mountains

WHEN UNDERSTANDING COLORADO’S GOVERNMENT, I CAN…

• Describe the development of the political structure in Colorado history, including an understanding of the Colorado Constitution and the relationship between state and national government
• Define positive and negative economic incentives. For example, the tourism industry uses incentives to attract tourists and government agencies use tickets to discourage speeding
• Learn how to analyze and debate multiple perspectives on an issue
• Provide supportive arguments for both sides of a current public policy debate
• Learn the origins, structure and functions of Colorado government

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP YOUR CHILD?

READING AND WRITING

• Provide time and space for your child to read independently, without distractions such as TV
• Ask your child what he or she learned from reading and how that knowledge can be used in real life
• Keep track of the time that your child spends reading every day
• Be sure your child has a library card. Children should select books they are interested in to develop a passion for reading
• Urge your child to use logical arguments to defend his or her opinion. If your child wants a raise in allowance, ask him or her to research commonsense allowance systems and, based on that research, explain reasons why supported by facts and details
• Talk about the news together. Pick one story in the news, read it together and discuss with your child what it means

MATH

• Ask your child to compare numbers using phrases such as “times as much.” For example, if the family cat weighs 8 lbs. and the family dog weighs 56 lbs., how many times as much does the dog weigh?
• Ask your child to help you compare fractional amounts – for example if one recipe calls for 2/3 of a cup of oil but another recipe calls for 3/4 of a cup of oil, which recipe calls for more oil?
• Have your child write or describe fractions in different ways. For example, what are some different ways to make 3/4? Answers could include 1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4 or 3 x 1/4
• Ask your child to create and describe equal fractions
• Encourage your child to stick with it whenever a problem seems difficult. This will help your child see that everyone can learn math

READING & WRITING GOALS

DURING WRITING, I CAN…

• Write stories, real or imaginary, that unfold naturally and develop the plot with dialogue, description and effective pacing of the action
• Write opinions that offer reasoned arguments and provide facts and examples that are logically grouped to support your point of view
• Expand, combine and reduce sentences to improve meaning, interest, and style of writing
• Build knowledge of academic words with an emphasis on those that signal contrast in ideas or logical relationships, such as on the other hand, similarly and therefore

WHEN READING, I CAN…

• Summarize the key details of stories, dramas, poems and nonfiction materials, including their themes or main ideas
• Compare and contrast stories that deal with similar themes or topics
• Explain how authors use reasons and evidence to support their points or ideas
• Draw on information from multiple books, articles or online sources to locate an answer or solve a problem quickly
• Understand figurative language, such as “She was as quiet as a mouse.”

WHEN SPEAKING, I CAN…

• Participate in classroom discussions by listening, asking questions, sharing ideas and building on the ideas of others
• Give a class presentation on a topic or tell a story, introducing relevant facts and details in a clear and logical order

MATH GOALS

WHEN MULTIPLYING AND DIVIDING AS WELL AS USING FRACTIONS AND DECIMALS, I CAN…

• Multiply whole numbers quickly and accurately (such as 1,638 x 753) and divide whole numbers in simple cases (such as 6,971 by 63)
• Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators (such as 2 1⁄4 – 1 1/3)
• Multiply fractions, divide fractions in simple cases and solve related word problems
• Measure volume using multiplication and addition

WHEN LEARNING PLACE VALUE, I CAN…

• Understand the place value system (the value of where the digit is in the number). For example, in 461, the place value of the 6 is “tens”
• Read, write and compare decimals to the thousandths place
• Add, subtract, multiply and divide decimals to the hundredths place

WHEN UNDERSTANDING NUMBER OR WORD PROBLEMS, I CAN…

• Use exponents to express powers of 10 (in 102, 2 is the exponent)
• Write and interpret mathematical expressions using symbols such as parentheses. For example, “add 8 and 7, then multiply by 2” can be written as 2 x (8+7)
• Analyze mathematical patterns and relationships
• Understand the concept of volume (the amount of space a substance occupies or that is enclosed within a container)

SCIENCE GOALS

WHEN INVESTIGATING HEAT AND CHANGES IN MATERIAL, I CAN…

• Understand the different states of matter: solids, liquids, and gases
• Learn how matter changes from one state to another by heating and cooling
• Identify the state of any sample of matter
• Use these lessons in real-world situations, such as figuring out where snow around your school would melt the fastest and/or slowest and why

WHEN INVESTIGATING HUMAN SYSTEMS, I CAN…

• Learn that all organisms or living things have structures and systems with separate functions. For example, human body systems have basic structures, functions, and needs
• Compare and contrast a human system to that of another organism, and provide hypotheses (proposed explanations) about why the similarities and differences exist

WHEN INVESTIGATING WEATHER SYSTEMS, I CAN…

• Learn that weather conditions change because of the uneven heating of the Earth’s surface by the sun’s energy
• Learn that weather changes are measured by differences in temperature, air pressure, wind and water in the atmosphere

SOCIAL STUDIES GOALS

WHEN UNDERSTANDING U.S. HISTORY, I CAN…

• Analyze historical sources from multiple points of view to develop an understanding of historical context
• Examine significant historical documents such as the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence
• Create timelines of eras and themes in North America from 1491 through the American Revolution
• Learn about the individuals and groups in North America from 1491 through the founding of the U.S. government
• Explain important political, social, economic and military developments leading to and during the American Revolution
• Use maps and other geographic tools to answer questions about the geography of the United States
• Learn about the causes and consequences of discovery, exploration, and migration
• Explain the historical foundation and the events that led to the formation of the U.S. government

WHEN LEARNING ABOUT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, I CAN…

• Understand the foundations of citizenship in the United States, giving examples of civic ideals such as freedom, equality, and responsibility
• Understand the origins, structure, and functions of the U.S. government
• Define a capitalist market economy

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP YOUR CHILD?

READING AND WRITING

• Provide time and space for your child to read independently, without distractions such as the TV
• Ask your child what he or she has learned from reading. Have him or her read the most interesting or useful sections out loud and discuss how that knowledge can be used in real life
• Assist your child in using references such as the Internet or a dictionary to look up unfamiliar words
• Make sure your child has a library card
• Invite your child to read his or her writing out loud to other family members. Ask questions about word choices and ideas
• Go to a play or musical with your child. Discuss the way the actors bring the words to life
• Discuss your family stories and history. Encourage your child to ask relatives questions about their lives. Put the information together in an album or brainstorm different ways to tell family tales, such as poems or short stories

MATH

• Look for “word problems” in real life. This includes doing arithmetic with decimals, such as when balancing a checkbook. Multiply with fractions.
• Use everyday objects to allow your child to explore the concept of fractions
• Have your child explain how to write fractions in different ways
• Ask your child to give you a fraction equal to a decimal
• Use the length, width and depth of a garden plot to determine how many bags of garden soil to buy

READING & WRITING GOALS

DURING WRITING, I CAN…

• Support written claims or arguments with clear reasons and relevant evidence
• Produce clear and coherent writing appropriate to the task, purpose, and audience

WHEN READING, I CAN…

• Provide detailed summaries of texts
• Determine the theme or main idea of a text and how it is expressed
• Describe how a particular story or text unfolds and how characters respond to plot developments
• Use a range of reading strategies to determine the meaning of unknown words as they are used in a text
• Compare and contrast various texts, including poems, stories, and historical novels
• Understand the figurative and literal meaning of words and phrases. The figurative meaning of a word or phrase often goes beyond the literal definition, such as the phrase “It’s raining cats and dogs.”

WHEN SPEAKING, I CAN…

• Participate in class discussions about various texts and topics
• Conduct short research projects to answer questions, using several sources

MATH GOALS

WHEN MULTIPLYING, DIVIDING, ADDING AND SUBTRACTING, I CAN…

• Build on knowledge of multiplication and division to divide fractions by fractions
• Add, subtract, multiply and divide multi-digit decimals quickly and accurately
• Write and determine the value of expressions with whole-number exponents (such as 15+32)
• Identify and write equivalent mathematical expressions by applying the properties of operations. For example, recognize that 2(3+x) is the same as 6+2x
• Solve problems involving area and volume

WHEN LEARNING RATIOS AND RATE, I CAN…

• Understand and apply the concepts of ratios and unit rates, using the correct language to describe them
  (for example, the ratio of wings to beaks in a flock of birds is 2 to 1, because for every 2 wings there is 1 beak)

WHEN UNDERSTANDING NUMBER OR WORD PROBLEMS, I CAN…

• Understand that positive and negative numbers are located on opposite sides of 0 on a number line
• Use pairs of numbers, including negative numbers, as coordinates for locating or placing a point on a graph
• Understand that solving an equation such as 2+x=12 means answering the question, “What number does x have to be to make this statement true?”
• Represent and analyze the relationships between independent and dependent variables

SCIENCE GOALS

WHEN INVESTIGATING NATURAL RESOURCES, I CAN…

• Understand how water on Earth is distributed and circulated through oceans, glaciers, rivers, ground water and the atmosphere
• Research and evaluate data and information to learn about the types and availability of Earth’s various natural resources

WHEN LEARNING GEOLOGY, I CAN…

• Learn how forces inside Earth and on the surface build, destroy and change Earth’s crust
• Analyze how Earth’s crust changes over time due to forces such as earthquakes and landslides
• Learn how major geologic events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, mid-ocean ridges and mountain formation are associated with Earth’s plate boundaries and attributed to plate motions
• Understand that geologic time, history and changing life forms are indicated by fossils and successive sedimentation, folding, faulting and uplifting of layers of sedimentary rock

WHEN INVESTIGATING WEATHER SYSTEMS, I CAN…

• Understand that weather is a result of complex interactions of Earth’s atmosphere, land, and water that are driven by energy from the sun, and can be predicted and described through complex models
• Learn that the relative positions and motions of the Earth, moon, and sun can be used to explain observable effects, such as seasons and eclipses

SOCIAL STUDIES GOALS

WHEN LEARNING ABOUT THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE, I CAN…

• Analyze and interpret historical sources to ask and research historical questions
• Identify ways different cultures record history
• Learn about the historical eras, individuals, groups, ideas, and themes in regions of the Western Hemisphere and understand their relationships with one another

WHEN LEARNING ABOUT GEOGRAPHY, I CAN…

• Understand how the use of geographic tools can solve problems. For example, technology can help in identifying the spread of disease
• Understand how human and physical systems vary and interact. For example, nations use such geographic information to determine where to locate cities, establish trade routes and create security systems like forts

WHEN LEARNING HOW DIFFERENT GOVERNMENTS RELATE TO CITIZENS, I CAN…

• Identify and analyze different economic systems, including traditional, command, market and mixed economies
• Learn that saving and investing are key contributors to financial well-bein
• Analyze the interconnectedness of the United States and other nations
• Compare multiple systems of government
• Identify how different forms of government relate to their citizens. Topics include democracy and authoritarian government

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP YOUR CHILD?

READING AND WRITING

• Provide time and space for your child to read independently, without distractions such as the TV
• Make time for conversation at home. Discuss current events, shared interests and future aspirations for education and career
• Listen with your child to a television reporter, politician or another speaker. Ask your child to tell the speaker’s main points. Was the speaker trying to convince the audience of something? How?
• Encourage your child to learn at the library or on the Internet what life in your community was like 100 years ago
• Visit museums, zoos, theaters, historical sites, aquariums and other educational places to help increase your child’s exposure to new knowledge and vocabulary
• Use technology to help build your child’s interest in reading. There are several websites where children can read books or articles online. The computer will help with words your child cannot read independently. Libraries also have computers children can use to access those sites. Feel free to ask a librarian or teacher for suggestions.

MATH

• Look for “word problems” in real life
• Ask your child to calculate the unit rates of items purchased from the grocery store. For example, if 2 pounds of flour cost $3.00, how much does flour cost per pound?
• Have your child determine the amount of ingredients needed when cooking. For example, if a recipe calls for 8 cups of rice to serve 4 people, how many cups of rice do you need to serve 6 people?
• Find the surface area of the walls and ceiling in a room to determine the cost of painting the room
• Encourage your child to stick with it whenever a problem seems difficult. This will help your child see that everyone can learn math

READING & WRITING GOALS

WHEN SHOWING UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT I HAVE READ, I CAN…

• Analyze how the form or structure of a play or poem contributes to its meaning
• Analyze how particular elements of a story or play interact (such as how the setting shapes the characters or plot)
• Determine how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text
• Conduct short research projects, drawing on several sources and identifying related questions for further research and investigation

TO EXPAND MY VOCABULARY, I CAN…

• Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video or multimedia version of the text, analyzing how the text is portrayed in each of the different ways
• Engage in a range of discussions on topics and texts, expressing ideas clearly and building on the ideas of others
• Identify a speaker’s argument and specific claims and evaluate the reasoning and evidence behind these claims
• Introduce a topic clearly and develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations or other information and provide a concluding statement when writing informative texts
• Write for a range of purposes and audiences
• Use clues such as word roots or add-ons to a word (such as hyper- in the words hyperactive and hypersensitive) to determine the word’s meaning

MATH GOALS

WHEN ANALYZING PROPORTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS, I CAN…

• Analyze proportional relationships and distinguish proportional relationships from other kinds of mathematical relationships (such as buying 10 times as many items will cost you 10 times as much but taking 10 times as many aspirin will not lower your fever 10 times as much)
• Solve percent problems (such as simple interest, tax, markups, and markdowns)
• Identify the unit rate of change (the constant rate at which the value of a variable changes) in tables, graphs, equations, and verbal descriptions
• Understand that numbers cannot be divided by 0
• Use statistics to draw inferences and make comparisons (such as deciding which candidate is likely to win an election based on a survey)

WHEN WRITING EQUATIONS TO SOLVE WORD PROBLEMS, I CAN…

• Solve equations such as 3x + 12 = 2(x – 4) to find the missing variable (x)
• Use variables to represent quantities and construct simple equations to solve problems (such as 5x + 2 > 10)
• Solve word problems that have a combination of whole numbers, fractions, and decimals (such as a woman making $25 per hour receives a 10% raise; she will make an additional 1/10 of her salary an hour, or $2.50, for a new salary of $27.50 per hour)
• Solve problems involving angle measure, area of two-dimensional objects, the formula for the circumference of a circle, and volume and surface area of three-dimensional objects

SCIENCE GOALS

WHEN UNDERSTANDING ADAPTATIONS OF ORGANISMS, I CAN…

• Understand why individual organisms with certain traits are more likely than others to survive and have offspring in a specific environment (for example, species that can live with humans, such as rats and pigeons, are more common around towns and cities)
• Develop, communicate and justify an evidence-based explanation for why a given organism with specific traits will or will not survive to have offspring
• Compare and contrast the basic structures and functions of plant cells, animal cells, and single-celled organisms
• Understand that photosynthesis and cellular respiration are important processes by which energy is acquired and utilized by organisms
• Explore the multiple lines of evidence showing the evolution of organisms over geologic time

WHEN LEARNING HOW LIFE CHANGED, I CAN…

• Learn the human body is composed of atoms, molecules, cells, tissues, organs and organ systems that have specific functions and interactions
• Understand how each body system contributes to supporting human life
• Learn that cells are the smallest unit of life that is able to function independently and perform all the necessary functions of life
• Analyze the evidence showing how life on earth may have changed over time
• Analyze and critique the evidence regarding the causes and effects of a mass extinction event

SOCIAL STUDIES GOALS

WHEN LEARNING ABOUT HISTORY AND CITIZENSHIP, I CAN…

• Seek and evaluate multiple historical sources with different points of view to investigate a historical question and to form and defend a thesis
• Understand the interdependence of people around the world during significant eras or event
• Use maps and other geographic tools to find patterns in human and physical systems
• Compare how various nations define the rights and responsibilities of citizens
• Evaluate how various nations interact, resolve differences and cooperate
• Analyze conflicts among nations including causes and consequences

WHEN LEARNING ABOUT RESOURCE DISTRIBUTION, I CAN…

• Explain how the physical environment of a place influences its economy, culture and trade patterns
• Define supply and demand
• Understand how different factors can affect supply and demand
• Understand how the distribution of resources influences economic production and individual choices

WHEN LEARNING ABOUT THE EASTERN HEMISPHERE, I CAN…

• Learn about the historical eras, individuals, groups, ideas, and themes within regions of the Eastern Hemisphere and their relationships with one another
• Describe the history and contributions of various cultures that have lived in or migrated to the Eastern Hemisphere(such as world religions, the Silk Road)

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP YOUR CHILD?

READING AND WRITING

• Provide time and space for your child to read independently. This time should be free from distractions such as TV
• Ask your child for favorite topics, events or activities. Then look for books, magazines or other materials about those topics to help motivate your child to read
• Ask your child the names of favorite authors. Ask questions that invite thinking and learning, such as, “Why are these your favorite authors?”
• It is helpful for your child to see other people reading at home. You could share what you have read
• Make time for conversation at home. Discuss current events, shared interests and future aspirations for education and career
• Visit a local museum together. Take time to closely observe the exhibits and talk about what you see. Local museum options include the Denver Art Museum, the Museo de las Americas or the Denver Museum and Nature and Science

MATH

• Look for “word problems” in real life. For example, figure the amount of a 15% tip or determine what percentage of weekly income goes to pay taxes.
• For a long-term project, help your child choose a stock and follow its value on the stock market using the newspaper or the Internet. Have your child calculate the stock’s percent increase or decrease each month
• Use store advertisements to engage your child in working with numbers. For example, if a store advertises 30% off, have your child estimate the dollar amount of the discount as well as the sale price of the item
• Have your child use four 4’s and any of the four arithmetic operations to write the numbers from 0 to 20. For example, 44 – 44=0
• For math games and challenges to do at home, go to www.figurethis.org. The site is also available in Spanish

READING & WRITING GOALS

WHEN SEEING POINTS OF VIEW, I CAN…

• Analyze where materials on the same topic disagree on matters of fact, interpretation or point of view
• Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media (such as print, TV, web) and evaluate its social, political or commercial motives
• Present findings and claims to others, emphasizing key points with relevant evidence and sound reasoning, adapting speech to the audience and the formality of the setting, and responding to questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas
• Build writing around strong central ideas or points of view; support the ideas with sound reasoning and evidence, precise word choices, smooth transitions, and different sentence structures
• Interpret figures of speech, such as puns or verbal irony, in context. Verbal irony is when words are used to say something other than their usual meaning (such as saying “as clear as mud” for something that isn’t clear)

WHEN INFERENCING, I CAN…

• Identify what a reading selection directly or explicitly says and draw inferences based on evidence from the text (an inference is a conclusion based on facts or circumstances rather than direct or explicit statement)

WHEN DOING MULTISTEP RESEARCH PROJECTS, I CAN…

• Plan and conduct research projects that include several steps and use many credible and documented print and digital sources
• Use strong, active verbs to create a clear picture for the reader (such as walk, skip, meander, lurch, limp)

MATH GOALS

WHEN SOLVING LINEAR EQUATIONS, I CAN…

• Solve linear equations and pairs of linear equations. A linear equation is an equation such as y=mx + b that makes a straight line when graphed. Students learn that the values of (x,y) on the graph are the solutions of the equation and m is the slope of the line
• Work with positive and negative exponents, square root and cube root symbols, and scientific notation
• Understand the connections between proportional relationships, lines, and linear equations

WHEN WORKING WITH FUNCTIONS, I CAN…

• Understand that a function is a rule that assigns to each value of x exactly one value of y, such as y=2x, a rule that would yield such ordered pairs as (-2,-4), (3,6) and (4,8)
• Use functions to model relationships between quantities
• Graph proportional relationships and determine slope, or rate of change

WHEN SOLVING FOR CONGRUENCY AND UNDERSTANDING SIMILARITIES, I CAN…

• Understand congruence (when shapes are of equal size and shape) and similarity (same shape but different sizes) using physical models, transparencies or geometry software
• Understand the properties and relationships of rotations, reflections, and translations, and explain their effects on 2-D figures
• Understand and implement the Pythagorean Theorem (an equation relating the lengths of the sides of a right triangle: a2+b2=c2)

SCIENCE GOALS

WHEN UNDERSTANDING ALL MATTER IS MADE OF ATOMS, I CAN…

• Learn that all matter is made of atoms, which are far too small to see
• Understand that elements have unique atoms and thus, unique properties. Atoms themselves are made of even smaller particles
• Learn that atoms may stick together in well-defined molecules or be packed together in large arrangements. Different arrangements of atoms into groups compose all substances
• Learn that physical characteristics and changes of solid, liquid and gas states can be explained using the particulate model (which states all matter is made up of particles that are moving all the time)
• Explain the relationships among mass, weight, volume, and density
• Learn that mixtures of substances can be separated based on their properties, such as boiling points, magnetic properties, and densities

WHEN EXPLORING DIFFERENT FORMS OF ENERGY, I CAN…

• Identify and calculate the direction and the magnitude of forces that act on objects and explain results in objects’ change of motion
• Understand there are different forms of energy and those forms can be changed from one form to another — but total energy is conserved
• Distinguish between physical and chemical changes, noting that mass is conserved during any change
• Recognize that waves (electromagnetic, sound, seismic and water) have common traits and unique properties

SOCIAL STUDIES GOALS

WHEN EXAMINING U.S. HISTORY FROM THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION THROUGH RECONSTRUCTION, I CAN…

• Formulate appropriate hypotheses about United States history based on a variety of historical sources and perspectives
• Learn the historical eras, individuals, groups, ideas, and themes from the origins of the American Revolution through Reconstruction
• Use geographic tools to analyze patterns in human and physical systems. For example, consider human settlements near rivers
• Analyze conflict and cooperation over space and resources

WHEN LEARNING ABOUT TRADE AND COSTS, I CAN…

• Analyze why economic freedom, including free trade, is important for economic growth
• Explain why nations often restrict trade by using quotas and tariffs
• Learn to manage personal credit and debt
• Analyze the benefits and costs of credit and debt

WHEN UNDERSTANDING LAWS AND SYSTEMS, I CAN…

• Analyze elements of continuity and change in the United States government and the role of citizens over time
• Describe instances in which major political, social, economic and cultural changes occurred in the United States and the reasons for the changes
• Learn about the place of law in a constitutional system
• Discuss the tensions between individual rights, state law, and national law

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP YOUR CHILD?

READING AND WRITING

• Provide time and space for your child to read independently, without distractions such as TV
• Make time in everyone’s busy schedule for family discussions about things going on around the world
• Visit the campus of a local college with your child. Begin talking about college early. What does he or she expect from college? What high school courses will your child need to pass to prepare for college?
• Visit museums, zoos, theaters, historical sites, aquariums and other educational places to help increase your child’s exposure to new knowledge and vocabulary
• Be sure your child has a library card
• Use technology to help build your child’s interest in reading. There are several websites where children can read books or articles online. Libraries also have computers your child can use to access those sites. Feel free to ask a librarian or teacher for suggestions

MATH

• Ask your child to do an Internet search to determine how math is used in specific careers. This could lead to a good discussion and allow students to begin thinking about their future aspirations
• Ask your child to share with you any work he or she is doing in math class that strikes him or her as interesting
• Analyze data with a scatterplot to decide whether exercise and obesity are related
• Using different objects or containers (such as a soup can or shoebox), ask your child to estimate surface area and volume, and check the answer together
• Prompt your child to face challenges positively and to see mathematics as a subject that is important. Avoid statements like“I wasn’t good at math” or “Math is too hard.”

READING & WRITING GOALS

WHEN READING COMPLEX WORKS, I CAN…

• Read and analyze foundational works of American and world literature and examine how two or more texts from the same time period treat similar themes or topics
• Support arguments in an analysis of challenging topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence

TO PRODUCE HIGH-QUALITY WRITING, I CAN…

• Demonstrate understanding of complex or figurative language (such as hyperbole) and distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is actually meant
• Understand the role that figurative language plays in a text
• Present evidence using multiple media formats (such as graphics or audio/visual presentations) to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence

WHEN DOING RESEARCH PROJECTS AND DEMONSTRATING UNDERSTANDING, I CAN…

• Cite strong evidence from a text to analyze what it says explicitly as well as what it implies, including determining when a text leaves a point unclear or unproven
• Identify and evaluate the reasoning used in historical documents, including the application of constitutional or legal principles
• Conduct short- and long-term research projects to answer a question or solve a problem
• Participate effectively in group discussions, expressing ideas clearly and persuasively and building on the ideas of others

MATH GOALS

WHEN USING NUMERICAL SKILLS AND QUANTITATIVE REASONING, I CAN…

• Create and solve equations (mathematical statements that use letters to represent unknown numbers, such as 2x – 6y = 14) with two or more variables to describe numbers or relationships
• Build an understanding of rational numbers (such as 3⁄4) to include rational expressions (such as 3/(x-4))
• Use the structure of an expression to identify ways to rewrite it
• Add, subtract and multiply polynomials
• Interpret the slope of a line as the rate of change in two variables and the intercept as the constant term in a linear model

WHEN PRACTICING ALGEBRA, FUNCTIONS, AND GEOMETRY, I CAN…

• Build and analyze functions that describe relationships between quantities and use function notation
• Represent and perform operations with complex numbers
• Understand the rules of probability and use them to interpret data and evaluate the outcomes of decisions
• Distinguish between correlation and causation
• Interpret quantitative and categorical data
• Use algebraic reasoning to prove geometric theorems
• Apply geometric concepts to model real-life situations

SCIENCE GOALS

WHEN UNDERSTANDING THE LAWS OF MOTION, I CAN…

• Observe, explain and predict natural phenomena governed by Newton’s laws of motion, acknowledging the limitations for very small or very fast objects
• Apply the understanding that energy exists in many forms and its transformation and conservation occur in processes that are predictable and measurable

TO UNDERSTAND ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR STRUCTURE, I CAN…

• Apply an understanding of atomic and molecular structure to explain the properties of matter and predict outcomes of chemical and nuclear reactions

WHEN LEARNING ABOUT LIVING THINGS AND BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION, I CAN…

• Analyze the relationship between structure and function in living systems at a variety of organizational levels, and recognize living systems’ dependence on natural selection
• Explain and illustrate with examples of how living systems interact with the biotic and abiotic environment
• Analyze how various organisms grow, develop and differentiate during their lifetimes based on an interplay between genetics and their environment
• Explain how biological evolution accounts for the unity and diversity of living organisms

WHEN UNDERSTANDING GEOLOGY, I CAN…

• Describe and interpret how Earth’s geologic history and place in space are relevant to our understanding of the processes that have shaped our planet
• Evaluate evidence that Earth’s geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere interact as a complex system

SOCIAL STUDIES GOALS

WHEN UNDERSTANDING HISTORY, I CAN…

• Use the historical method of inquiry to ask questions, evaluate primary and secondary sources, critically analyze and interpret data, and develop interpretations defended by evidence from primary and secondary sources
• Understand key concepts of continuity and change, cause and effect, complexity, unity, and diversity over time
• Interpret the significance of ideas as powerful forces throughout history

TO ANALYZING PUBLIC POLICY, I CAN…

• Design a financial plan based on short- and long-term financial goals
• Analyze strategic spending, saving and investment options to achieve diversification, liquidity, income, and growth
• Describe purposes of and limitations on the foundations, structures, and functions of government
• Analyze how public policy – domestic and foreign – is developed at the local, state and national levels and compare how policymaking occurs in other forms of government

WHEN UNDERSTANDING GEOGRAPHY AND ITS RESOURCES, I CAN…

• Use maps and geographic tools to analyze features on Earth
• Explain and interpret geographic variables that influence the interactions of people, places, and environments
• Understand the interconnected nature of the world, its people and places
• Recognize productive resources – natural, human, capital – are scarce and choices must be made about how individuals and societies allocate them

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP YOUR CHILD?

READING AND WRITING​

9TH/10TH GRADE READING/POEM/INFORMATIONAL TEXT RECOMMENDATIONS

• The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
• The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe
• Letter from the Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln

11TH/12TH GRADE READING/POEM/INFORMATIONAL TEXT RECOMMENDATIONS

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
• Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats
• Common Sense by Thomas Paine
• Politics and the English Language by George Orwell

MATH​

HELP YOUR CHILDREN LEARN OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL

• Show enthusiasm for your child’s study of mathematics
• Encourage your child to be persistent; make sure that he or she knows that math requires patience, practice and time
• Urge your child to ask the teacher questions either during or after class
• Encourage your child to review class notes every night. If there is something he or she doesn’t understand, have your child look at the answers and work backward to determine how the solution was found

REACH OUT TO YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER AND ASK QUESTIONS LIKE​

• Where is my child excelling?
• How can I support this success?
• What do you think is giving my child the most trouble, and what are you doing to support them through it?
• How can I help my child improve in this area?
• Are there options provided by the school for enrichment experiences in math, science, technology or engineering (STEM areas)?
• Is there a homework hotline to ask questions?