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Mrs. Andrea Fisher » Welcome to First Grade with Mrs. Fisher!

Welcome to First Grade with Mrs. Fisher!

I reside in Vernon Hills with my husband and five children.  I enjoy cooking, gardening, DIY projects, walking my dogs, spending time with my kids.   I attended Northeastern Illinois University and University of Phoenix.  I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and an endorsement in Structured English Immersion for PreK-12.  I was a third grade student teacher and a substitute at St. Francis de Sales School in Lake Zurich. I volunteered at St. Mary School in Buffalo Grove for five years as a lunch and recess monitor, created costumes for the school plays, and was a “science lady” for the kindergarten class. I also helped with small reading groups or anywhere else I was needed throughout the school. I am so happy to be a part of the SJCS community!
 

Posts

Week at a Glance

April 14th - 17th
 

ELA  

  • Vowel-consonant-e syllable in one-syllable words
  • Long vowel sounds
  • Narrative fiction vs. informational books
  • Reading with accuracy and prosody
  • Vowel team sounds for: oa, oe, ow, ou, oo, ue, ew, au, aw
  • To understand that reading a book multiple times for different purposes helps readers better understand and enjoy the story
  • Write an informative paragraph.

MATH

  • Subtract 10s review
  • Count back by 10s review
  • Relate addition and subtraction of tens review

SCIENCE

  • Students will watch a Read-Along lesson. Jin plants some sunflowers in a sunny spot and some in a shady spot, watches to see which grow best, and then figures out why. The lesson includes a short exercise where students stand up and pretend to be sunflowers, turning their faces to the sun as young sunflowers do. 

SOCIAL STUDIES

  • Distinguish between needs as things we must have to live and wants as things it would be nice to have.
  • Identify food, clothing, and shelter as needs each family has.
  • Understand that people use money to buy goods and services in markets.
  • Explore the choices people make when buying needs and wants.
  • Describe jobs that people do to earn money to meet their needs and wants.
  • Identify items a family might need and want while away from home.

RELIGION

  • Identify Lent as a time to do good things and to live like Jesus.
  • Tell how Jesus helps us grow closer to God the Father.
  • Explain the significance of Ash Wednesday
  • Tell that Jesus served his friends.
  • Explain that Jesus wants us to follow his example.

Week at a Glance

April 7th - 11th
 

ELA  

  • Unit 10 test Monday
  • Vowel-consonant-e syllable in one-syllable words
  • Long vowel sounds
  • Narrative fiction vs. informational books
  • Reading with accuracy and prosody
  • Vowel team sounds for: oa, oe, ow, ou, oo, ue, ew, au, aw
  • To understand that reading a book multiple times for different purposes helps readers better understand and enjoy the story
  • Identify the main topic and retell key details of sections of What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?
  • Know and use text features to locate more information in What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?
  • Write and draw evidence about the chimpanzee uncovered through text features.
  • Write an informative paragraph that describes how two animals use the same feature differently.

MATH

  • Equal parts review
  • Halves review
  • Quarters and Fourths review

SCIENCE

  • Students will watch a Read-Along lesson. Jin plants some sunflowers in a sunny spot and some in a shady spot, watches to see which grow best, and then figures out why. The lesson includes a short exercise where students stand up and pretend to be sunflowers, turning their faces to the sun as young sunflowers do. 

SOCIAL STUDIES

  • Distinguish between needs as things we must have to live and wants as things it would be nice to have.
  • Identify food, clothing, and shelter as needs each family has.
  • Understand that people use money to buy goods and services in markets.
  • Explore the choices people make when buying needs and wants.
  • Describe jobs that people do to earn money to meet their needs and wants.
  • Identify items a family might need and want while away from home.

RELIGION

  • Identify Lent as a time to do good things and to live like Jesus.
  • Tell how Jesus helps us grow closer to God the Father.
  • Explain the significance of Ash Wednesday
  • Tell that Jesus served his friends.
  • Explain that Jesus wants us to follow his example.
 

Week at a Glance

April 1st - April 4th
 

ELA  

  • Unit 10
  • Segmenting and blending up to 5 sounds
  • Suffix -s added to words with 5 sounds
  • Suffix -ed, -ing added to unchanging base words with closed syllables 
  • Vowel team sounds for: oa, oe, ow, ou, oo, ue, ew, au, aw
  • Narrative fiction vs informational
  • Reading with accuracy and prosody
  • To understand that reading a book multiple times for different purposes helps readers better understand and enjoy the story
  • Identify the main topic and retell key details of sections of What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?
  • Know and use text features to locate more information in What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?
  • Write and draw evidence about the chimpanzee uncovered through text features.
  • Write an informative paragraph that describes how two animals use the same feature differently.

MATH

  • Count on using pennies review.
  • Review money.

SCIENCE

  • Students will watch a Read-Along lesson. Jin plants some sunflowers in a sunny spot and some in a shady spot, watches to see which grow best, and then figures out why. The lesson includes a short exercise where students stand up and pretend to be sunflowers, turning their faces to the sun as young sunflowers do. 

SOCIAL STUDIES

  • Distinguish between needs as things we must have to live and wants as things it would be nice to have.
  • Identify food, clothing, and shelter as needs each family has.
  • Understand that people use money to buy goods and services in markets.
  • Explore the choices people make when buying needs and wants.
  • Describe jobs that people do to earn money to meet their needs and wants.
  • Identify items a family might need and want while away from home.

RELIGION

  • Tell the Easter story according to Luke.
  • Explain that Easter is a time to celebrate how Jesus saves us all.
  • Tell that God the Father raised Jesus from the dead.
  • Define Easter.

Week at a Glance

March 10th - 14th
 

ELA  

  • Test Monday on Unit 9
  • Segmenting and blending up to 5 sounds
  • Suffix -s added to words with 5 sounds
  • Suffix -ed, -ing added to unchanging base words with closed syllables 
  • Vowel team sounds for: oa, oe, ow, ou, oo, ue, ew, au, aw
  • Narrative fiction vs informational
  • Reading with accuracy and prosody
  • To understand that reading a book multiple times for different purposes helps readers better understand and enjoy the story
  • Identify the main topic and retell key details of sections of What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?
  • Know and use text features to locate more information in What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?
  • Write and draw evidence about the chimpanzee uncovered through text features.
  • Write an informative paragraph that describes how two animals use the same feature differently.

MATH

  • Review doubles facts
  • Review doubles plus one and doubles minus one
  • Review adding tens and ones with regrouping

SCIENCE

  • In this lesson, students examine structures like roots, branches, and leaves that keep trees from blowing down. In the activity, Wind-Proof Umbrella, they use their observations to create their own tree-inspired umbrellas that stay up in the wind.

SOCIAL STUDIES

  • Distinguish between needs as things we must have to live and wants as things it would be nice to have.
  • Identify food, clothing, and shelter as needs each family has.
  • Understand that people use money to buy goods and services in markets.
  • Explore the choices people make when buying needs and wants.
  • Describe jobs that people do to earn money to meet their needs and wants.
  • Identify items a family might need and want while away from home.

RELIGION

  • Explain how we honor our mothers and fathers.
  • Tell the story of Jesus obeying his parents.
  • Explain that when children listen to and love their parents, they are doing what God wants them to do.
  • Reflect prayerfully on God’s presence, his invitation, and our response.
  • Define honor and obey.

Week at a Glance

March 3rd - March 7th
 

ELA  

  • Closed-syllable concept with short vowels.
  • Closed syllable vs open syllable
  • Vowel team sounds for: ai, ay, ee, ea, ey, oi, oy
  • Narrative fiction vs informational
  • Reading with accuracy and prosody
  • To understand that reading a book multiple times for different purposes helps readers better understand and enjoy the story
  • Identify the main topic and retell key details of sections of What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?
  • Know and use text features to locate more information in What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?
  • Write and draw evidence about the chimpanzee uncovered through text features.
  • Write and informative paragraph that describes how two animals use the same feature differently.

MATH

  • Look at attributes to identify cubes and rectangular prisms.
  • Look at attributes to identify cones and cylinders.
  • Look for a pattern to solve problems.
  • Combine three-dimensional shapes to make a composite shape.

SCIENCE

  • Students identify the pattern that young plants are similar to their parent plants. In the activity, Mixed-up Plants, students observe three seedlings and three adult plants and use their observations to match each seedling to its adult counterpart.

SOCIAL STUDIES

  • Distinguish between needs as things we must have to live and wants as things it would be nice to have.
  • Identify food, clothing, and shelter as needs each family has.
  • Understand that people use money to buy goods and services in markets.
  • Explore the choices people make when buying needs and wants.
  • Describe jobs that people do to earn money to meet their needs and wants.
  • Identify items a family might need and want while away from home.

RELIGION

  • Tell the story of the lost coin.
  • Express an understanding of God’s love as being greater than any sin.
  • Tell the story of the lost sheep.
  • Define forgiveness and sin.

Week At A Glance

February 24th - February 28th 
 

ELA  

  • Closed-syllable concept with short vowels.
  • Closed syllable vs open syllable
  • Vowel team sounds for: ai, ay, ee, ea, ey, oi, oy
  • Narrative fiction vs informational
  • Reading with accuracy and prosody
  • To understand that reading a book multiple times for different purposes helps readers better understand and enjoy the story
  • Generate and answer questions about Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea using key details from the text.
  • Select details from the Sea Horse list or text to include in an informative paragraph.

MATH

  • Test Friday
  • Use logical reasoning to solve problems.
  • Partition shapes into two or four equal shares and identify how many parts there are in the whole.
  • Partition shapes into two equal parts.
  • Partition shapes into four equal parts.

SCIENCE

  • We will be learning about  physical and behavioral animal adaptations that help animals survive in their environment or habitat.

SOCIAL STUDIES

  • Identify family, school, and community groups.
  • Sort pictures according to specific criteria.
  • Apply knowledge about groups to one’s own life.

RELIGION

  • Retell the Bible story of a solid foundation.
  • Identify Saint Ignatius of Loyola as someone who made good decisions and lived like Jesus.
  • Explain that the commandments are God’s rules.
  • Explain the basic steps in making a good decision.
  • Define commandment and Ten Commandments.

Week At A Glance

February 10th - 14th
 

ELA  

  • Test on Chapter 7 Monday
  • Consonant blends and digraph blends
  • Blending and reading words with up to four sounds.
  • Segmenting and spelling words with up to four sounds.
  • Suffix -s added to words with four sounds.
  • R-controlled vowel sounds: ar, or, er, ir, ur
  • Reading with accuracy and prosody
  • To understand that reading a book multiple times for different purposes helps readers better understand and enjoy the story
  • Generate and answer questions about Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea using key details from the text.
  • Identify the main topic and retell key details of sections of Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea.
  • Identify and use text features, such as an index, text box, and labels, to locate key information in the Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea.

MATH

  • Test Monday
  • Time to the Half Hour: Analog
  • Time to the Half Hour: Digital
  • Time to the Hour and Half Hour

SCIENCE

  • We will be learning about  physical and behavioral animal adaptations that help animals survive in their environment or habitat.

SOCIAL STUDIES

  • Identify family, school, and community groups.
  • Sort pictures according to specific criteria.
  • Apply knowledge about groups to one’s own life.

RELIGION

  • Identify the number 40 as important in the Bible.
  • Tell that Lent, including Holy Week, is a time to grow closer to God.
  • Explain that we are called to care for others as Jesus does.
Define Alleluia, Holy Week, and Lent.

Week at a Glance

February 3rd - 5th
 

ELA  

  • Test on Chapter 7 Monday
  • Consonant blends and digraph blends
  • Blending and reading words with up to four sounds.
  • Segmenting and spelling words with up to four sounds.
  • Suffix -s added to words with four sounds.
  • R-controlled vowel sounds: ar, or, er, ir, ur
  • Reading with accuracy and prosody
  • To understand that reading a book multiple times for different purposes helps readers better understand and enjoy the story
  • Use the illustrations and details in Me…Jane to describe how Jane made discoveries about animals.


MATH

  • Guess, check, and revise to solve problems.
  • Read and write time to the hour on an analog clock.
  • Use a digital clock to tell and write time to the hour.

SCIENCE

  • We will be learning about  physical and behavioral animal adaptations that help animals survive in their environment or habitat.

SOCIAL STUDIES

  • Identify family, school, and community groups.
  • Sort pictures according to specific criteria.
  • Apply knowledge about groups to one’s own life.

RELIGION

  • Identify the number 40 as important in the Bible.
  • Tell that Lent, including Holy Week, is a time to grow closer to God.
  • Explain that we are called to care for others as Jesus does.
  • Define Alleluia, Holy Week, and Lent.

Week at a Glance

January 27th -January 31st
 

ELA  

  • Glued sounds: ang, ing, ong, ung, ank
  • Blending and reading words with ng or nk
  • Narrative fiction vs. informational books
  • Reading with accuracy and prosody
  • Proofreading
  • To understand that reading a book multiple times for different purposes helps readers better understand and enjoy the story
  • Signal unknown words in Me…Jane.
  • Identify the key details and main topic of sections of the text Me…Jane with support.

MATH

  • Math test Tuesday
  • Interpret data in a picture graph
  • Use data to make a bar graph
  • Read a bar graph
  • Start time and measurement

SCIENCE

  • We will be learning about  physical and behavioral animal adaptations that help animals survive in their environment or habitat.

SOCIAL STUDIES

  • Identify family, school, and community groups.
  • Sort pictures according to specific criteria.
  • Apply knowledge about groups to one’s own life.

RELIGION

  • Express that we are made in the image of God.
  • Tell the story of Elijah and what happened when we listened for God.
  • Explain why it is important to listen when we pray.
  • Identify practical ways to respond to God’s invitation in everyday living.
  • Define Confirmation and gestures.

Week at a Glance

January 21st - 24th
 

ELA  

  • Unit 6 test Tuesday
  • Glued sounds: ang, ing, ong, ung, ank
  • Blending and reading words with ng or nk
  • Narrative fiction vs. informational books
  • Reading with accuracy and prosody
  • Proofreading
  • To understand that reading a book multiple times for different purposes helps readers better understand and enjoy the story
  • Generate and answer questions about Seven Blind Mice using key details from the text.
  • Retell Seven Blind Mice using key details from the text.
  • Analyze the character’s actions using key details in Seven Blind Mice.

MATH

  • Math test Tuesday
  • Make and read a tally chart.
  • Make a table to solve problems.
  • Make a picture graph.

SCIENCE

  • We will be learning about  physical and behavioral animal adaptations that help animals survive in their environment or habitat.

SOCIAL STUDIES

  • Identify family, school, and community groups.
  • Sort pictures according to specific criteria.
  • Apply knowledge about groups to one’s own life.

RELIGION

  • Identify Jesus as the Bread of Life.
  • Tell the story of the Last Supper.
  • Explain that Jesus is present in the consecrated bread and wine that become his Body and Blood.
  • Describe what we remember and celebrate at Mass.
  • Define Blessed Sacrament, consecration, Eucharist, and Last Supper.

Week at a Glance

January 7th -10th
 

ELA  

  • Baseword and suffix with the suffix -s
  • Pluralizaion
  • Narrative fiction vs. informational books
  • Reading with accuracy and prosody
  • Proofreading
  • To understand that reading a book multiple times for different purposes helps readers better understand and enjoy the story
  • Generate and answer questions about The Hare and the Tortoise and The Ants and the Grasshopper using key details from the text.
  • Categorize words related to the concept of features.
  • Retell The Hare and the Tortoise using key details from the text.
  • Identify the components of an informative paragraph.

MATH

  • Add tens and ones to find the sum with regrouping.
  • Subtract tens to find the difference.
  • Use a number line to count back by tens.
  • Relate addition and subtraction facts to solve problems.

SCIENCE

  • We will watch a read-along, Amy notices that baby animals look a lot like the adults in their families—and then discovers that she does, too! The lesson includes a short exercise where students get moving by acting like farm animals. We will then play a Matchup Game, where students work together to match pictures of animals with their babies.

SOCIAL STUDIES

  • Identify the purpose and benefits of having rules at school.
  • Compare rules at home with rules at school and laws in the community.
  • Illustrate the consequences of following and breaking rules.

RELIGION

  • Tell that Jesus wants us to love one another as he loves us.
  • Explain that the sacraments are signs of Jesus’ love for us.
  • Describe how Jesus welcomed and blessed children.
  • Define priest, sacrament, Sacraments at the Service of Communion, Sacraments of Healing, and Sacraments of Initiation.

Week At A Glance

December 9th - December 13th

 

Monday: Mass

Tuesday: Santa Secret Shop

Wednesday: Christmas Show Dress Rehearsal 12:30 pm in Church

Thursday: Christmas Concert in Church at 6:30 pm 

ELA  

  • Unit 5 Test Tuesday
  • Base word and suffix with the suffix s
  • Pluralization
  • Reading with accuracy and prosody
  • Proofreading
  • To understand that reading a book multiple times for different purposes helps readers better understand and enjoy the story
  • Analyze the main character’s actions using key details in The Hare and the Tortoise
  • Identify the components of an informational paragraph using colored pencils.
  • Collaboratively write an informative paragraph about The Ants and the Grasshopper.

MATH

  • Identify numbers that are ten more and ten less than a given number.
  • Use nickels to count by fives.
  • Compare two-digit numbers.
  • Compare two two-digit numbers using symbols.
  • Make groups of hundreds, tens, and ones.

SCIENCE

  • Read-Along lesson, Amy notices that baby animals look a lot like the adults in their families—and then discovers that she does, too! The lesson includes a short exercise where students get moving by acting like farm animals.  In the activity, Matchup Game, students work together to match pictures of animals with their babies.

SOCIAL STUDIES

  • Identify the purpose and benefits of having rules at school.
  • Compare rules at home with rules at school and laws in the community.
  • Illustrate the consequences of following and breaking rules.

RELIGION

  • Tell that Jesus was born in a stable.
  • Explain that Advent is a time of waiting.

Week At A Glance

December 2nd - December 6th
 

ELA  

  • Glued sound: all
  • Punctuation
  • Glued sounds: am, an
  • Reading with accuracy and prosody
  • Proofreading
  • To understand that reading a book multiple times for different purposes helps readers better understand and enjoy the story
  • Generate and answer questions about The Hare and the Tortoise and The Ants and the Grasshopper using key details from the text.
  • Categorize words related to the concept of features.
  • Retell The Hare and the Tortoise using key details from the text.
  • Identify the components of an informative paragraph.

MATH

  • Use dimes to count by tens
  • Make groups of ten and some more
  • Make groups of tens and ones
  • Make a table to solve problems
  • Write numbers to 100 in different ways

SCIENCE

  • Students carry out an investigation to determine the relationship between the shape of different bird beaks and the food each bird eats. In the activity, Find the Best Beak, students experiment with long pointy beaks that are great for picking up seeds and wide flat beaks that are good for scooping. They discover that different beaks are best for different kinds of food.

SOCIAL STUDIES

  • Identify the purpose and benefits of having rules at school.
  • Compare rules at home with rules at school and laws in the community.
  • Illustrate the consequences of following and breaking rules.

RELIGION

  • Demonstrate understanding that the Church is God’s family.
  • Explain that followers of Christ are called Christians.
  • Define Christian and Sign of Peace.

Week At A Glance

November 25th and 26th
 

ELA  

  • Glued sound: all
  • Punctuation
  • Start Unit 5
  • Glued sounds: am, an
  • Reading with accuracy and prosody
  • Proofreading
  • To understand that reading a book multiple times for different purposes helps readers better understand and enjoy the story

MATH

  • Count and write numbers 11 to 19
  • Count groups of tens
  • Review

SCIENCE

  • Read-Along lesson, Juan Carlos visits his grandmother who has a backyard full of ducks. The lesson includes a short exercise where students get moving by acting like ducks. The students will watch videos and discover ways that animal parents help their offspring.

SOCIAL STUDIES

  • Make decisions about the best way to be a good citizen.
  • Describe characteristics of being a good citizen.

RELIGION

  • Explain that God wants all people to be part of his Church.
  • Describe how the Holy Spirit is with us.
  • Explain that the Holy Spirit gave the Apostles courage.
  • Define parish and Pentecost.

Week At A Glance

November 18th - November 22nd
 

ELA  

  • Unit 4 test on Wednesday
  • Bonus letter spelling rule: ff,ll, ss, and sometimes zz.
  • Glued sound: all
  • Punctuation
  • Start Unit 5
  • Glued sounds: am, an
  • Reading with accuracy and prosody
  • Proofreading
  • To understand that reading a book multiple times for different purposes helps readers better understand and enjoy the story
  • Generate and answer questions about Green Eggs and Ham using key details from the text.
  • Retell Green Eggs and Ham, including details about characters, settings, and major events.
  • Identify who is telling the story at key points in Green Eggs and Ham.
  • Identify interrogative sentences.
  • Use sentence level context as a clue to the meaning of the words portrait, landscape, and still life.

MATH

  • Subtract to find missing addends
  • Chapter 4 test Thursday
  • Count and write numbers 11 to 19

SCIENCE

  • Students make observations of baby animals and their parents, gathering evidence that they look similar because they share many of the same traits. In the activity, Baby Bird Rescue, students help identify lost baby birds based on observations of their specific traits.

SOCIAL STUDIES

  • Make decisions about the best way to be a good citizen.
  • Describe characteristics of being a good citizen.

RELIGION

  • Explain that God wants all people to be part of his Church.
  • Describe how the Holy Spirit is with us.
  • Explain that the Holy Spirit gave the Apostles courage.
  • Define parish and Pentecost.