1st Grade

Click here to view Utah's 1st Grade Math Standards on the Utah Education Network Website.

Click here to download a printable PDF version of Utah's 1st Grade Math Standards.

COURSE INTRODUCTION

In Grade 1, instructional time should focus on four critical areas: (1) developing understanding of addition, subtraction, and strategies for addition and subtraction within 20; (2) developing understanding of whole number relationships and place value, including grouping in tens and ones; (3) developing understanding of linear measurement and measuring lengths as iterating length units; and (4) reasoning about attributes of, and composing and decomposing geometric shapes.

(1) Students will develop strategies for adding and subtracting whole numbers based on their prior work with small numbers. They will use a variety of models, including discrete objects and length-based models (for example, cubes connected to form lengths), to model add-to, take-from, put-together, and take-apart; compare situations to develop meaning for the operations of addition and subtraction; and develop strategies to solve arithmetic problems with these operations. Students will understand connections between counting and addition and subtraction (for example, adding two is the same as counting on two). They will use properties of addition to add whole numbers and to create and use increasingly sophisticated strategies based on these properties (for example, "making tens") to solve addition and subtraction problems within 20. By comparing a variety of solution strategies, children will build their understanding of the relationship between addition and subtraction.

(2) Students will develop, discuss, and use efficient, accurate, and generalizable methods to add within 100 and subtract multiples of 10. They will compare whole numbers (at least to 100) to develop understanding of and solve problems involving their relative sizes. They will think of whole numbers between 10 and 100 in terms of tens and ones (especially recognizing the numbers 11 to 19 as composed of a ten and some ones). Through activities that build number sense, they will understand the order of the counting numbers and their relative magnitudes.

(3) Students will develop an understanding of the meaning and processes of measurement, including underlying concepts such as iterating (the mental activity of building up the length of an object with equal-sized units) and the transitivity principle for indirect measurement.

(4) Students will compose and decompose plane or solid figures (for example, put two triangles together to make a quadrilateral) and build understanding of part-whole relationships, as well as the properties of the original and composite shapes. As they combine shapes, they will recognize them from different perspectives and orientations, describe their geometric attributes, and determine how they are alike and different to develop the background for measurement and for initial understandings of properties such as congruence and symmetry.

Click here to view Utah's 1st Grade ELA Standards on the Utah Education Network Website.

Click here to download a printable PDF version of Utah's 1st Grade ELA Standards.

COURSE INTRODUCTION

The P-12 Utah State Standards for English Language Arts (ELA) were revised by Utah educators in 2022 to identify the key literacy standards necessary for Utah students to master by the end of each grade level. Some standards are mastered in previous grades. If a student has not mastered previous grade level standards, the teacher will need to intervene in order to fill the student's skill gaps.

Organization

The Utah State Standards are organized into strands, which represent significant areas of learning within content areas. In ELA, these strands are speaking & listening, reading, and writing.

Within each strand are standards. All standards are considered essential to master. The skills in the standards require repeated exposure with increasingly complex texts and in increasingly sophisticated contexts. Mastery is only obtained by regular practice over time.

Shifts in the Standards

Changes in the standards were made to improve the consistency and practicality of the standards. These changes include:

• The standards were reduced, simplified, and clarified.
• Phonological Awareness was added in grades 2 and 3.
• The Reading Literature (RL) and Reading Informational (RI) standards were combined where it was most logical.
• The language strand of standards was woven throughout the speaking and listening, reading, and writing strands.
• Much like 9-10 and 11-12, 7th and 8th grade standards were banded.
• References to specific texts were removed from the standards in an effort to broaden representation and enhance local control over curricular choices.

Click here to view Utah's 1st Grade Science Standards on the Utah Education Network Website.

Click here to download a printable PDF version of Utah's 1st Grade Science Standards.

COURSE INTRODUCTION

Utah's Science and Engineering Education (SEEd) standards were written by Utah educators and scientists, using a wide array of resources and expertise. A great deal is known about good science instruction. The writing team used sources including A Framework for K-12 Science Education, the Next Generation Science Standards, and related works to craft research-based standards for Utah. These standards were written with students in mind, including developmentally appropriate progressions that foster learning that is simultaneously age-appropriate and enduring. The aim was to address what an educated citizenry should know and understand to embrace the value of scientific thinking and make informed decisions. The SEEd standards are founded on what science is, how science is learned, and the multiple dimensions of scientific work.

Click here to view Utah's 1st Grade Social Studies Standards on the Utah Education Network Website.

Click here to download a printable PDF version of Utah's 1st Grade Social Studies Standards.

COURSE INTRODUCTION

Elementary students are deeply curious and full of questions. They may ask, "How did people build those things?" or, "Why can't countries seem to get along?" or even, "How can I make a difference in the world?" One place they can find answers is in social studies. Social Studies is the study of the physical world and our place in it, which involves oral traditions, biographies, dances, artifacts, writings and original documents, and other aspects of culture that comprise the record of human life.

Effective social studies instruction in the elementary classroom encourages this inherent curiosity of young people. A firm grounding in rich and engaging content knowledge about history, geography, civics, and economics lifts learning for all students. This rich content knowledge - coupled with essential skills development - helps students deepen their understanding of the world around them. This deeper understanding will also help reach a central overarching goal of effective social studies instruction: to help young people develop civic competence including the ability to make informed decisions for the public good.

Developing civic competence is one of the fundamental purposes of public schools. The Utah State Board of Education's vision statement strives for the civic engagement of students, as well as civic education. Utah statute defines civic education as, "the cultivation of informed, responsible participation in political life by competent citizens committed to the fundamental values and principles of representative democracy in Utah and the United States." A thorough study of American history and government is an essential component of responsible citizenship.

The future progress of our communities, state, nation, and world rests upon the preparation of young people to collaboratively and deliberately address problems, defend their own rights and liberties - as well as the rights and liberties of others - and to balance personal preferences with the common good. E pluribus unum, or, "out of many one," emphasizes the idea that a varied and diverse people contribute to a unifying national identity. This rich phrase adds depth and understanding to our complex national history. Students are led to enquire about the character and talents of all Americans, which in turn promotes a greater understanding about their own individual contributions and the value they add to this nation.

Social studies offers the ideal venue to nurture civic virtue, consider current issues, practice acting civilly toward others, build a civic identity, bolster historical awareness of governmental structures, and cultivate global awareness. These skills, habits, and qualities of character will better prepare students to recognize and accept responsibility for preserving and defending the liberties secured by the Constitution.

To reach these ends, students should have ample opportunities to:

• Engage in deliberative, collaborative, and civil dialogue regarding historical and current issues.
• Apply knowledge of governmental structure, historic concepts, geographic interrelationships, and economic principles to analyze and explain current events.
• Identify local, state, national, or international issues; consider solutions and understand who best can address the needs; and share their ideas with appropriate public and/or private stakeholders.
• Develop and demonstrate the values that sustain America’s constitutional democratic republic, such as open-mindedness, engagement, honesty, problem-solving, responsibility, diligence, resilience, empathy, self-control, respect for the beliefs of others, and cooperation, as well as its foundational principles, such as limited government, separation of state and federal governance, and free-market economy.
• Engage in dialogue regarding American exceptionalism in the sense of the special character of the United States as a free nation based on democratic ideals and personal liberty.

Civic competence requires an awareness of self and others. Social studies provides the underpinnings for civic awareness and action and exposes the history and wonders of cultures. Disciplines as varied as history, geography, economics, and civics provide clearer vision as students interpret, analyze, and make sense of the world. Access to and use of primary and secondary sources are foundational to understanding historical events. Ideas and concepts central to the purpose of public education are also central to social studies, among them the notion of the common good, the value of self-rule and self determination, the dignity and necessity of honest labor, respect for parents, home, and family, the rights and responsibilities we humans share, and the interconnectedness of human endeavor. With their application of democratic processes, personal responsibility, and life skills, students will be prepared to protect the freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution, improving their lives and the lives of all members of society.