1st Grade Activities: Week 16

Monday
1. Music: learn Christmas carols; listen to contemporary Christmas music on the radio; Mozart Horn Concertos.
2. Religion: pray; hang Jesse tree ornaments, read associated Bible stories: anointing of David, King David; visit altar of Our Lady of Guadalupe decorated for the feastday.
3. Art: wooden Christmas doorknob hangers: felt pen and glitter; decorate a ballerina with same materials, and color King Kong (from movie and theater advertisements in the newspaper).
4. Phonics: Rusty and Rosy Letter Sound Songs (video).
5. Geography: The Geography of Mexico (video).
6. Read Aloud: The Silver Chair.
7. P.E.: ballet; run and play.

Tuesday
1. Religion: pray; hang Jesse tree ornament; read the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal, the story of Jonah from Bible and discuss; read brief bio. of St. Lucy.
2. Language Arts: use of table of contents to find book of the Bible, then find chapter and verse.
3. Math: count to 106; "Wow, that [rocket] must be 80 hundred feet long!": demonstrate that 80 hundred (80 hundreds) = 8 thousand.
4. Music: listen to contemporary Christmas songs; sing made up song about Mary our mother standing on the serpent (inspired by Our Lady of Guadalupe).
5. Drama: the Kings come looking for baby Jesus; He is not here yet; Mary and Joseph are praying and waiting.
6. Science: There Goes a Spaceship, The Magic School Bus Goes to Seed (videos).
7. Art: make dashboard, dials, windshield, lights, and steering wheel out of paper and attach to office chair for car.

Wednesday
1. Religion: pray; read and discuss Bible readings for the day; hang Jesse tree ornament; read brief bio. of St. John of the Cross.
2. Art: paintings: life-size Nutcracker (and an ant), Jolly the fish in his fish bowl; various small drawings.
3. Reading: finish Go Dog, Go!; read signs, packages, advertisements.
4. Read Aloud: The Silver Chair.
5. Spanish: story time at library.
6. Drama: watch a puppet show: The Lollipop Princess; watch a short performance of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
7. P.E.: play at park.
8. Writing: "THE END"; "CAT MEETING"

Thursday
1. Religion: pray Our Father; read Gospel and Psalm of the day; hang Jesse tree ornament and read associated Bible passage; read short bio. of St. Nino.
2. Art: make a bean-bag snowman out of a white sock, decorating with permanent markers; make a necklace with pom-poms on thread (using a needle); draw Indian clothes for a doll and associated items.
3. Read Aloud: Hide and Snake; Maples in the Mist (poetry from the Tang Dynasty); The Night Before Christmas; Amazing Grace (a young African-American actress); The Night Before Christmas; Angelina, Star of the Show.
4. Reading: Duckie's Rainbow; The Silver Chair.
5. Assisted Reading: A Dog Named Sam.
6. Music: sing Christmas carols; listen to contemporary Christmas music; listen to O Magnum Mysterium and Missa Sesquialtera at choir rehearsal.

Friday
1. Religion: pray; read Bible readings for the day; read short bio. of St. Adelaide; hang Jesse tree ornament and read associated passage from Bible.
2. Music: sing O Come, O Come Emmanuel (more verses).
3. Reading: Biscuit Goes to School; Yoo Hoo Moon; Babar's Little Circus Star.
4. Art: make a "Zooflake" modeled after Zoo Flakes ABC by will Howell (pretty alphabet book) -- paper snowflakes that incorporate animals into the design; color snowflake and fish.
5. Library time.
6. Language Arts: watch Jump Start Kindergarten video, including vowel review and other concepts.

Weekend
1. Music: sing Christmas carols; follow chant at Mass.

1st Grade Activities: Week 15

Monday
1. Religion: Jesse ornaments and accompanying readings from Genesis, especially the Story of Joseph, son of Jacob, and his brothers; read Gospel for the day: Lk 5:17-26; read short bio. of St. Sabas.
2. Geography: The Geography of Mexico (video).
3. Math: "Mom, will you please divide this into 3 halves?": fractions 1/2 vs. 1/3 (dividing food); 4+5=9, 5+5=10 (oral); counting, type phone number.
4. Reading: Toys (booklet); Cat at Bat; Cat Is Back at Bat.
5. Assisted Reading: Brave Norman; Twelve Bells for Santa; Little Owl and the Star.
6. Read Aloud: The Horse and His Boy; The Cats in Krasinski Square; The Little Reindeer; Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star; The Sesame Street Pet Show.
7. Music: sing made-up songs; listen to Beethoven Piano Sonatas.
8. Calendar: chant days of the week.

Tuesday
1. Art: draw and color 10 Christmas ornaments / use the patterns for cookies; make twist-tie animals; draw St. Nick; draw toys for dogs, mermaid, pigs.
2. Cooking: shape and decorate cookies.
3. Religion: pray, read Bible readings for the day; put up Jesse tree ornament, read accompanying Scripture passage.
4. Music: sing a song of thanksgiving (made up) similar to He's Got the Whole World in His Hands; listen to Haydn piano sonatas.
5. Reading: Fall; The Big Box; When Spring Comes (booklet).
6. Assisted Reading: People Work at the Supermarket, Walking Up Walls (booklets).
7. Read Aloud: Country Angel Christmas; Cats; The Singing Tree; Town Mouse, Country Mouse.
8. Calendar: practice reciting the months of the year.
9. P.E.: dancing.

Wednesday
1. Religion: pray; read Gospel of the day and the other readings; read short bio. of St. Ambrose; hang Jesse tree ornament and read related Bible reading; light 2 Advent candles.
2. Art: make Christmas decorations: paper cone angel, St. Nicholas, cut-out snowflakes; make snowman from torn paper pieces; decorate small Christmas tree with paper ornaments.
3. Read Aloud: browse Christmas craft books; The Silver Chair; Merry Christmas Geraldine; Just in Case You Ever Wonder; The Little Fir Tree; Little Tree.
4. Reading: signs and labels.
5. Spanish: story time.
6. P.E.: play at park.

Thursday
1. Religion: pray Our Father; read Bible readings for the day; read brief explanation of the feast: Immaculate Conception; put up Jesse Tree ornament, read accompanying Scripture passage; attend Mass.
2. Math: 12+12 = 24, 3 rows of 4 are 12 (3 x 4 = 12) from the story Mrs. Brice's Mice.
3. Reading: Morris the Moose, B. Wiseman.
4. Read Aloud: Mrs. Brice's Mice; Come Dance With Me; The Grandma Mix-Up; Minnie and Moo and the Night Before Christmas; Christmas Magic.
5. Music: sing O Come, O Come, Emmanuel; The First Noel, from Tomie dePaola's Book of Christmas Carols (pretty); listen to Missa Caca; noodle around on keyboard.
6. Art: color another paper St. Nicholas.

Friday
1. Field Trip: attend performance of the Nutcracker ballet.
2. Recess: visit and play with friends at their house.
3. Religion: pray; attend Mass.

Weekend
1. Religion: hang Jesse tree ornaments, read associated readings from Old Testament; Bible readings for Sunday Mass.
2. Music: sing Advent and Christmas songs; sing O Come, O Come Emmanuel solo for a group of adults at a party; listen to Chant requiem, and polyphonic pieces by Tallis, Rore, Gibbons, Palestrina.
3. Art: color and draw; decorate Christmas cookies.
4. P.E.: run and play outdoors.
5. Read Aloud: The Silver Chair; A Gift from St. Nicholas; Rose and Dorothy.

1st Grade Activities: Week 14

Monday
1. Religion: pray Our Father; Bible readings for the day; read short bio. of St. Catherine Laboure; print, color, cut out ornaments for Jesse Tree and read suggested Bible passage for the day; light Advent wreath candle.
2. Math: 2+2+2=6; count to 100.
3. Phonics: recite alphabet; online phonics games: Starfall; spell words with moveable alphabet.
4. Reading: 0 to 10; Dot and the Dog; Go, Bus; The Visit (Bob Books).
5. Music: sing O Come, O Come Emmanuel and It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, following the words along with the music; listen to Beethoven Sonatas for Cello and Piano.
6. Art: color paper Christmas tree and Jesse tree ornaments with felt pens and glitter glue; color, cut out, and play with two fairies.
7. Read Aloud: The Horse and His Boy.
8. P.E.: ballet class.
9. Computer: internet search for fairy coloring pages.

Tuesday
1. Art: color, cut out, and play with more fairies; decorate paper Christmas tree with ornaments and hang up.
2. Computer: lighten, transform, touch up, decorate fairy images in Photoshop.
3. Religion: hang up Jesse tree ornaments, discuss Adam, Eve, meaning of the tree/fruit, serpent; read Gospel of the day; read brief bio. of Blessed Francis Anthony of Lucera; discuss obedience to God, becoming a saint.
4. Reading: Biscuit Wins a Prize.
5. Assisted Reading: If You Had a Tail (nature book); Henry and Mudge and the Wild Goose Chase; Poppleton in Fall.
6. Read Aloud: Joe Lion's Big Boots.
7. Music: sing made-up songs.

Wednesday
1. Reading: Baseball; Sid and Sam; Oh Cats.
2. Assisted Reading: Minerva Louise; Pepe and Papa; The Biggest Cookie in the World; read signs, and book spines on shelf.
3. Read Aloud: A Great Big Ugly Man Came Up and Tied His Horse to Me; Henry and Mudge and Annie's Good Move; Baby Bird's First Nest; Under My Hood I Have a Hat; Moonbear's Pet.
4. Religion: prayers; Bible readings for the day; brief bio. of St. Andrew the Apostle; Advent candle and prayer.
5. Art: watch Blue's Clues video and make drawings of Blue, paw prints, clues, make a small notebook.
6. Drama: act out Blue's Clues scene with props.
7. Spanish: story time at library.
8. P.E.: park time.
9. Writing: 1, 2, 3 on a list (for Blue's Clues); Sheriff on a badge.

Thursday
1. Religion: pray Our Father, Hail Mary; read Scriptures to go with Jesse tree ornaments, color and hang up ornaments; Bible readings for the day; short bio. of St. Edmund Campion.
2. Science/Nature: read from Monkeys of Asia and Africa; draw and color white-faced capuchin (Costa Rica); note differences between hands and paws (claws); read all about apples (how they grow, are processed, sold, cooked, etc.).
3. Telling Time: go through hours of the day: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. using a book with clock face and moveable hands (Que hora es?).
4. Calendar: 1st day of December -- change month. Note December 25th. Observe the number of days until Christmas.
5. Drama: do shadow puppets with flashlight when lights go out in storm.
6. Music: sing O Come, O Come Emmanuel; discuss harmony; discuss wanting to be a composer (and a veterinarian); sing made-up song (grace); attend music rehearsal.
7. Geography: read Hottest, Coldest, Highest, Deepest and note these extreme locations on the globe; put together puzzle of the world: identify North America, Mexico, South America, Mediterranean Sea, Italy, Australia, etc. Read names of oceans and continents.
8. Assisted Reading: Dumpy to the Rescue; Come Play with Me (poems); Silly Little Goose; Apples.
9. Read Aloud: The Mystery of the Missing Dog; Goodnight Everyone (Buenas Noches a Todos); The Horse and His Boy. Comment on Narnia books (while coloring a picture of a lion): "It's okay to cuddle with this lion. You see, they're really representing God as a lion. This lion is okay to cuddle with."
10. P.E.: skipping, dancing.
11. Math: count to 106.
12: Art: draw Rolie Polie Olie, friends, and toys to cut out and play with.

Friday
1. Religion: pray Our Father, Hail Mary, Come Holy Spirit; read Gospel of the day: Mt 9:27-31; Jesse ornament and Scripture reading; Mass attendance.
2. Math: count to 100.
3. Cooking: shape and cook bone-shaped buttermilk biscuits.
4. Drama: pretend to be a dog.
5. Reading: book spines, covers.
6. Science/Nature: watch video: Zoboomafoo: Play Day at Animal Junction; make observations about elephants; draw monkeys, including an owl monkey.
7. Library time.
8. P.E.: park time.

Weekend
Videos: There Goes a Spaceship; Big Red (firefighters); It's a Plus: Learn to Add.
P.E.: run and play with friends outdoors.
Drama: face painting (her own) and playing a superhero.
Music: follow words and music for chant at Mass; listen to Guillaume de Machaut, Le Messe de Nostre Dame, Songs from Le Voir Dit.