ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, August 18, 1996 TAG: 9608190075
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
Virginia's schools now have clear guidelines on the academic content and skills they are expected to cover in each grade and course. Here are excerpts from the new standards of learning that describe what students will be required to do:
First grade
Math
* Draw and describe triangles, squares, rectangles and circles according to the number of sides, corners and square corners.
* Identify the number of pennies equivalent to a nickel, dime and quarter; tell time to the half-hour, using an analog or digital clock; compare the weight of two objects, using a balance scale.
Science
* Investigate and understand that animals, including people, have life needs and specific characteristics and can be classified according to certain characteristics.
* Investigate and understand the basic relationships between the sun and the Earth. Key concepts include the sun is the source of heat and light that warms the land, air and water, and night and day are caused by rotation of the Earth.
English
* Apply phonetic principles to read: Use beginning and ending consonants in decoding single-syllable words; use vowel sounds in decoding single-syllable words; blend beginning, middle and ending sounds to recognize and read words.
* Alphabetize words; use a picture dictionary to find meanings of unfamiliar words; make a personal dictionary or word list to use in writing.
Social Sciences
* Use maps, pictures and stories to compare the geography of the local community with that of other communities in Virginia, the United States and world.
* Name the president of the United States and recognize symbols and traditions of Virginia and the United States such as flags, holidays and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Fifth grade
Math
* Differentiate between area and perimeter and identify whether the application of the concept of the perimeter or area is appropriate for a given situation.
* Investigate, describe and extend numerical and geometric patterns, including triangular numbers, perfect squares, patterns formed by powers of 10, and arithmetic sequences. Concrete materials and calculators will be used.
Science
* Investigate and understand that matter is anything that has mass, takes up space and occurs as a solid, liquid or gas. Key concepts include atoms, molecules, elements and compounds; mixtures and solutions; and effect of temperature on states of matter.
* Investigate and understand that organisms are made up of cells and have distinguishing characteristics. Key concepts include parts of a cell; five kingdoms of living things; vascular and nonvascular plants; vertebrates and invertebrates.
English
* Read a variety of literary forms, including fiction, nonfiction and poetry; describe character development, plot and characteristics of free, rhymed and patterned poetry.
* Write for a variety of purposes to describe, inform, entertain and explain; choose planning strategies for various writing purposes; organize information; use vocabulary effectively; vary sentence structure.
Social Sciences
* Describe the challenges faced by the new United States government, with emphasis on the writing of a Constitution in 1787 and the struggles over ratification and the addition of a Bill of Rights; major issues facing Congress and the first four presidents; conflicts between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton that resulted in the emergence of two political parties.
* Identify the causes, key events and effects of the Civil War and Reconstruction, with emphasis on economic and philosophical differences between the North and South; events leading to secession and war; leaders on both sides of the war including Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison.
LENGTH: Medium: 90 linesby CNB