Lower K-5

Our Students

Overview

In the Lower Grades (Grades K–5), teachers encourage our children’s imagination and love of learning as they become confident students with a strong ability to articulate their ideas and use different strategies of inquiry to explore complex concepts. Our core curriculum includes Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, Singapore Math/Eureka Math, and Passport to Social Studies. NEST+m believes in supporting the whole child, and we have daily and weekly social/emotional learning lessons through Sanford Harmony curriculum.

In addition to our classroom curriculum, our Specials offerings include Art, Music, STEMscopes Science and Physical Education. K-2 students learn Chess, Grades 3-5 have dance residencies with Alvin Ailey and Dancing Classrooms. Grade 5 also studies Technology. Grades 1-5 visit our Library weekly for read aloud and selection of high-interest children’s literature.

We believe that New York City is the world’s greatest classroom, and the students embark on numerous field trips throughout the year, both in conjunction with their studies and to take advantage of the city’s cultural offerings. All Lower Grades families will be invited to participate in bi-monthly Family Fridays, a program in which parents/guardians are invited to begin the school day with their child in the classroom.

Lower Grades Admissions

Curriculum Overview

Please see the Curriculum Summary below for each of our core academic subjects (Reading, Writing, Math and Social Studies) and Specials (Art, Physical Education, Music and Technology) listed by grade.

LOWER GRADES PARENT HANDBOOK

Please read the NEST+m K-5 Parent Handbook.

Kindergarten

Reading	We Are Readers Emergent Reading: Looking Closely at Familiar Texts Super Powers: Reading with Phonics and Sight Word Power Bigger Books, Bigger Reading Muscles Becoming Avid Readers Growing Expertise in Little Books: Reading for Information Readers are Resourceful: Tackling Hard Words and Tricky Parts in Books
Writing	Launching Writing Workshop Show & Tell: From Labels to Pattern Books How-To Books: Writing to Teach Others Persuasive Writing of All Kinds All About Books Crafting Stories
Math	Numbers to 0 to 10 Number Bonds Addition within 10, Subtraction within 10 Ordinal Numbers Numbers to 20 Shapes, Length Comparing Numbers Graphs
Social Studies	My School and School Community Self and Others: Individual Development and Cultural Identity The Community Families, Change and Time

First Grade

Reading	Building Good Reading Habits Reading Non-Fiction Fluency Phonics & Comprehension Meeting Characters and Learning Lessons: A Study of Story Elements [Along with the Teachers College Phonics Curriculum]
Writing	Small Moments How-To Non-Fiction Chapter Books Opinion: Writing Reviews Realistic Fiction Chapter Books Poetry
Math	Review: Numbers to 20 Addition and Subtraction to 40 Multiplication & Division Fractions: Making Halves and Fourths Time Addition and Subtraction to 120 Money
Social Studies	Family & Community Families: Now and Long Ago The Community

Second Grade

Reading	Second Grade Reading Growth Spurt Becoming Experts: Reading Nonfiction Bigger Books Means Ramping Up Reading Power Series Books Clubs Mystery: Foundational Skills in Disguise
Writing	Lessons from the Masters: Narrative Writing The How-To Guide for Non-Fiction Writing Poetry: Big Thoughts in Small Packages Writing About Reading (Opinion) Gripping Fictional Stories (Realistic Fiction)
Math	Numbers to 1,000 Addition and Subtraction Length Multiplication and Division Money Fractions Time Tables and Graphs Geometry
Social Studies	Our Communities Geography NYC Overtime Urban Suburban and Rural Rights, Rules, and Responsibilities

Third Grade

Reading	Building a Reading Life Series Book Clubs Reading to Grasp Main Idea Character Studies Test Prep Social Issues Book Clubs Research Clubs
Writing	Crafting True Stories The Art of Information Change the World: Persuasive Writing Baby Literary Essay Test Prep Once Upon a Time Writing about Research
Math	Place Value Number Patterns & Rounding Addition & Subtraction to 1,000 Multiplication & Division by 2 & 3 digit numbers Length, Weight, Capacity Money Time Fractions Interpreting data Geometry Area and Perimeter
Social Studies	Geography Case study of China Case study of Egypt Case study of Peru

Fourth Grade

Reading	Interpreting Characters: The Heart of the Story Reading the Weather, Reading the World Reading History: The American Revolution Book Clubs
Writing	The Arc of Story Writing: Realistic Fiction Boxes and Bullets: Personal and Persuasive Essays Bringing History to Life The Literary Essay
Math	Whole Numbers The Four Operations of Whole Numbers Fractions Measurement Decimals: The Four Operations of Decimals Geometry Area and Perimeter Bar Graphs Line Plots Volume
Social Studies	Geography of New York State Colonial and Revolutionary Periods Freedom and the New Nation: Federal, State and Local Government

Fifth Grade

Reading	Maintaining an Independent Reading Life Tackling Complexity: Moving Up Levels of Nonfiction Interpretation Book Clubs Argument and Advocacy: Researching Debatable Issues Fantasy Book Clubs: The Magic of Themes and Symbols Reading in the Content Area: The Civil Rights Movements
Writing	Memoir Journalism Literary Essay The Research-Based Argument Essay Fantasy Writing/Narrative Craft The Lens of History: Research Reports/Civil Rights
Math	Number Sense and Operations: Decimals, Fractions, Pattern Recognition Geometry: Angles, 2D shapes, 3D figures, and Related computations Measurement and Data: Graphing, Central Tendency Algebraic Thinking and Advanced Skill Development: Linear -Equations, Ratio/Rate/Percent Throughout all units: Logical reasoning, Out-of-the box thinking, Real world connections
Social Studies	Geography and Early Societies of the Western Hemisphere European Exploration Canada, Mexico and Dominican Republic Case Studies Civics For All

Specials

In Grades K-5, our Curriculum is enriched by several Specials classes: Art, Music, Science & Technology and Physical Education.

Art

Kindergarten	Unit 1- Explore Materials and Approaches to Artmaking Unit 2- Explore Color Unit 3- Explore Design Unit 4- Explore Line Printing Unit 5- Explore Found Materials Unit 6- Explore and Construct with Clay Unit 7- Explore Animals Unit 8- Explore Buildings and Communities
Grade 1	Unit 1- Looking Around: Where do we find beauty in the world? Unit 2- People and Places: Who are we, and what do we care about? Unit 3- Colorful Stories: How do we tell stories? Unit 4- Art and Nature: What do we see in nature? Unit 5- Special Times: How do we remember special times? Unit 6- Change: Where do we see change in the world?
Grade 2	Unit 1- Nature’s Beauty: Where do we find beauty in nature? Unit 2- We Belong Together: How do we share our lives? Unit 3- Back to Nature: How are we inspired by nature? Unit 4- Picture Stories: How do we tell stories? Unit 5- Work and Play: How do we work and play? Unit 6- Outside and Inside: How do we plan our places and spaces?
Grade 3	Unit 1- Alone and Together: How do people share their lives with one another? Unit 2- Invented Worlds: Where can our imaginations take us? Unit 3- Where do we find stories in our lives? Unit 4- Places and Spaces: How do we connect with places and spaces in our lives? Unit 5- Forces of Nature: How are we connected with the natural world? Unit 6- Traditions: How do people participate in traditions?
Grade 4	Unit 1- Appearances: How do we see our world? Unit 2- Sharing Ideas: How can we share ideas? Unit 3- Presenting Places: What makes a place special? Unit 4- Nature’s Gifts: What does nature give us? Unit 5 -Traditions: How do we honor and change traditions in our lives? Unit 6- Imagination -What can we imagine?
Grade 5	Unit 1- We the People: Who are we and how do we live our lives? Unit 2- Our Artistic Heritage: What can the past teach us? Unit 3- Surprises: How can we explore the unexpected? Unit 4- Close to Nature: What can we learn by observing the natural world? Unit 5- Sharing: How can we communicate our ideas and feelings? Unit 6- A World of Wonder: What can we imagine

Music

Kindergarten	Unit 1 - Getting to Know You Unit 2 - Music From Around the World Unit 3 - Music Making Unit 4 - Exploring Elements of Music
Grade 1	Unit 1 - Getting to Know You Unit 2 - Music From Around the World Unit 3 - Music Making Unit 4 - Exploring Elements of Music
Grade 2	Unit 1 - Getting to Know You Unit 2 - Music From Around the World Unit 3 - Music Making Unit 4 - Exploring Elements of Music
Grade 3	Unit 1 - Getting to Know You Unit 2 - Exploring Elements of Music Unit 3 - Music From Around the World Unit 4 - Music Making
Grade 4	Unit 1 - Getting to Know You Unit 2 - Exploring Elements of Music Unit 3 - Music From Around the World Unit 4 - Music Making
Grade 5	Unit 1 - Getting to Know You Unit 2 - Exploring Elements of Music Unit 3 - Music From Around the World: Exploring songs and music from culturally-relevant sources Unit 4 - Music Making: Creating and sharing music with the community and peers

Science & Technology

Kindergarten	Humans and the Needs of Organisms Animal Needs Plant Needs Reducing Human Impact Dealing With Weather Weather Conditions Weather Patterns Weather Hazards Energy From the Sun Living Things and Their Habitats Habitats Organisms’ Impact on Environments Uses of Natural Resources Using Force to Change Motion Pushes and Pulls Speed and Direction
Grade 1	Design From Nature Parts of Animals Animal Survival Parts of Plants Plant Survival Parents and Their Offspring Protecting the Young Animal Trait Inheritance and Variation Plant Trait Inheritance and Variation Patterns in the Sky Seasonal Patterns Patterns in Space Communicating With Light and Sound Sound Behavior of Light Communication
Grade 2	Organisms Needs and Interactions What Plants Need Animal and Plant Dependence Diversity of Living Things Dealing With Changes to the Earth Quick Changes to Land Slow Changes to Land Effects of Wind and Water Mapping Land and Water Mapping Our World Forms of Water on Earth Selecting and Using Materials in the Design Process Properties and States of Matter Properties of Materials Building Blocks of Matter Changes from Heat
Grade 3	Animal Development and Survival Life Cycles Social and Group Behavior Environments and the Traits of Organisms Inherited and Environmental Traits Adaptations Environmental Changes and Effects Organisms Change over Time Plant and Animal Extinction Fossils Weather Weather and Climate Processes and Impacts of Natural Hazards Using Magnetic Force Objects and Motion
Grade 4	Organism Structures and Behavior Plant and Animal Parts Sense Receptors Changes Over Time to Earth’s Surface and Resources Changing Land Plate Tectonics Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources Using Energy Transformations Energy Transfer Electric Currents Wave Energy Motion of Waves Wavelength and Amplitude Light Reflection
Grade 5	Digital Citizenship Coding with Scratch Engineering Units Bridge Design Simple Machines: Making Work Easier Creating Presentations in PowerPoint and Google Slides Computer-Aided 3D Design

Library

Grade 1	How Are Books in the Library Organized? Recognizing Facts and Forming Opinions Using Facts to Answer Questions Prior Knowledge and New Understandings My Inquiry My Sources
Grade 2	Strengths and Goals in the Library Online Catalog Searching for Library Resources Now I Wonder... Developing My Own Opinion Comparing Stories from Different Cultures Taking Notes to Answer Questions
Grade 3	Dewey Decimal System Facts, Opinions, and Point of View Taking Notes on the Main Idea, Supporting Facts, and Details Drawing Conclusions from Information Identifying Story Elements and Theme Evaluating a Media Source for Accuracy
Grade 4	Using Organizational Features of a Book to Locate Information Analyzing and Comparing Primary and Secondary Sources Making Inferences about Explicit Facts Evaluating a Media Source for Accuracy and Purpose Claim, Reasoning, and Evidence Effective Presentations
Grade 5	Evaluating Sources Effects of Different Perspectives on Issues/Topics Impact of Author or Narrator Point of View Challenging Assumptions with Multiple Viewpoints Communicating Ideas to an Audience Bibliography

Physical Education

K-2

Lessons modified and adapted for each grade

Body and Spatial Awareness
Locomotor movements
Cooperative Games - throughout the year
Chasing, Fleeing and Dodging
Throwing and Catching
Jumping and Landing
Cup Stacking
Relays
Striking with long-handled implements
Kicking and ball-handling skills

Grades 3 - 5