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Oakland Unified School District

Kindergarten

English Language Arts

EL Education is the provider of the OUSD ELA curriculum for grades K-5,.* The curriculum is standards-based, and relies heavily on fiction and nonfiction trade books. This curriculum is open access, and full materials are available to view and at the EL Education website

* OUSD Dual Language schools use the Benchmark Education curriculum for language instruction.

Module 1

Toys and Play

A colorful arrangement of play blocks on a table, ready for children to engage in imaginative play.

What can we do to make playing together fun? What makes toys fun? Which classroom toy do we prefer and why?

  • Llama Llama Time to Share by Anna Dewdney
  • Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
  • Toys Galore by Peter Stein
  • Playing with Friends by Rebecca Rissman

Module 2

Weather Wonders

Double rainbow over a field, showcasing vibrant colors in the sky.

What is weather? How can I be prepared for any type of weather? What is weather like around the world? How does weather affect people? How can I write a story that teaches my reader about weather?

  • Umbrella by Taro Yashima
  • Brave Irene by William Steig
  • On the Same Day in March: A Tour of the World’s Weather by Marilyn Singer
  • Weather (National Geographic Readers) by Kristin Baird Rattini
  • The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (Six per Classroom)
  • Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse
  • Weather Words and What They Mean by Gail Gibbons

Module 3

Trees Are Alive

Sunlight filters through dense forest canopy, casting shadows on the ground below.

What do all living things need to live and grow? What do researchers do? How do we know that something is living? How do living things depend on trees to meet their needs?

  • The Tree in the Ancient Forest by Carol Reed-Jones
  • What’s Alive? by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
  • Are Trees Alive? by Debbie Miller
  • Be a Friend to Trees by Patricia Lauber

Module 4

Enjoy and Appreciate Trees

A woman hiking in the woods with a child in a backpack carrier.

How and why are trees important to us and our communities? How can we inspire others to appreciate and enjoy trees?

  • A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry
  • A Tree for Emmy by Mary Ann Rodman
  • Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya by Donna Jo Napoli
  • We Planted a Tree by Diane Muldrow
  • Oliver's Tree by Kit Chase
  • Gus Is a Tree by Claire Babin

Math

Eureka Math2 (Eureka Math "Squared") is the adopted OUSD curriculum for elementary schools. The curriculum is aligned to California Common Core standards, which describe what students should know and be able to do in each subject in each grade.

Fall

Wooden numbers on red background, perfect for educational materials or counting activities.

Winter

Child learning math by playing with colorful abacus toy.

Spring

Colorful geometric shapes for kids learning basic geometry concepts.

Science

For elementary science instruction, OUSD uses FOSS (Full Option Science System), a research-based science curriculum developed at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley. This curriculum emphasizes hands-on activities and is aligned to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The order of the three modules varies from school to school, depending on the rotation of physical science kits at each school site.

Physical Science

Family Resource: Materials and Motion

A wooden playground set with a tire swing and a slide, providing fun and adventure for children.

What is made of wood, paper, and fabric, and how are the properties of those materials useful to us?

How can we change the motion of an object?

Investigations:

  1. Getting to Know Wood
  2. Getting to Know Paper
  3. Getting to Know Fabric
  4. Getting Things to Move

Earth Science

Family Resource: Trees and Weather

A solitary tree stands on a grassy hill under a cloudy sky.

What do trees need to live and grow?

How does weather affect trees?

What changes do trees cause in their surroundings?

Investigations:

  1. Observing Trees
  2. Observing Leaves
  3. Observing Weather
  4. Trees through the Seasons

Life Science

Family Resource: Animals Two by Two

Two goldfish swimming gracefully in a glass aquarium filled with water.

How are animal structures similar and different?

What do animals need to live and grow?

Investigations:

  1. Goldfish and Guppies
  2. Water and Land Snails
  3. Big and Little Worms
  4. Pill Bugs and Sow Bugs
An open book on a green background, showcasing knowledge and creativity.