This is only a portion of the English language arts curriculum
for first grade in New York State, aligned to the Common Core standards.

Many children in first grade have not yet learned to read, but they will be expected to understand and explain facts and concepts that belong in sixth or seventh or
eighth or ninth or tenth or eleventh or twelfth grades.

Six-year-olds may have trouble pronouncing some of the words, let
alone developing a historical sense of why these facts matter or
how they relate to one another. When I read this curriculum, the first thought
that occurred was that this is developmentally
inappropriate. I am a strong believer in knowledge and content. But
knowledge must be taught when children are mature
enough to understand and absorb and reflect on what they are
learning. Otherwise, all this content is a circus trick, an effort to prove that a
six-year-old can do mental gymnastics.

“Early World Civilizations” is one of 10 units for the Listening and Learning strand of
the English Language Arts domain of first grade. Keep in mind that
Listening and Learning strand is one of three areas of instruction
for ELA, and ELA is only half of the prepared curriculum.

This is how it is described by the state:

“Tell It Again! Read-Aloud Anthology

This Tell It Again! Read-Aloud Anthology for Early World Civilizations contains background information and resources that the teacher will need to implement Domain 4, including an alignment chart for the domain to the Common Core State Standards; an introduction to the domain including necessary background information for teachers, a list of domain components, a core vocabulary list for the domain, and planning aids and resources; 16 lessons including objectives, read-alouds, discussion questions, and extension activities; a Pausing Point; a domain review; a domain assessment; culminating activities; and teacher resources. By the end of this domain, students will be able to:

“Locate the area known as Mesopotamia on
a world map or globe and identify it as part
of Asia;

Explain the
importance of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and the use of
canals to support farming and the development
of the city of Babylon;

Describe the city of
Babylon and the Hanging Gardens;

Identify cuneiform as the system of writing used in
Mesopotamia;

Explain why a written
language is important to the development of a
civilization;

Explain the significance of the
Code of Hammurabi;

Explain why rules and laws
are important to the development of a
civilization;

Explain the ways in which a
leader is important to the development of a
civilization;

Explain the significance
of gods/goddesses, ziggurats, temples, and
priests in Mesopotamia;

Identify Mesopotamia as
the “Cradle of Civilization”;

Describe how a civilization evolves
and changes over time;

Locate Egypt on a world
map or globe and identify it as a part of
Africa;

Explain the importance of the
Nile River and how its floods were important
for farming;

Identify hieroglyphics as the
system of writing used in ancient Egypt;

Explain the significance of gods/goddesses in ancient
Egypt; Identify pyramids and explain their
significance in ancient Egypt;

Describe how
the pyramids were built; Explain that much of
Egypt is in the Sahara Desert;

Identify the Sphinx and explain its
significance in ancient Egypt;

Identify Hatshepsut as a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and
explain her significance as pharaoh;

Identify Tutankhamun as a pharaoh of ancient Egypt
and explain his significance;

Explain that much of what we know about ancient
Egypt is because of the work of
archaeologists;

Identify
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as major monotheistic world
religions;

Locate Jerusalem, Israel, and the
area known as the Middle East on a
map;

Define monotheism as the belief in one
God;

Identify the Western Wall (or the
Wailing Wall) as associated with Judaism, the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre with Christianity, and the Dome of
the Rock with Islam;

Identify the Hebrews as the ancient people who
were descendants of Abraham;

Identify the Star of
David as a six-pointed star and a symbol of
Judaism; Identify the
Torah as an important part of the Hebrew scriptures;

Identify that a Jewish house of
worship is called a synagogue or temple;
Identify Moses as a teacher who
long ago led the Jewish people out of Egypt
in an event referred to as the Exodus;

Explain that, according to an important story in the
Torah, Moses received the Ten Commandments
from God and that the Ten Commandments are rules that
tell people how to behave or live their
lives;

Identify important
Jewish holidays such as Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Yom
Kippur, and Hanukkah;

Explain that Christianity developed after
Judaism; Explain that followers of
Christianity are called Christians;

Recognize the cross as a symbol of Christianity;

Identify the Bible as the Christian
holy book;

Identify that a Christian house
of worship is called a church;

Identify that Christians believe Jesus
to be the Messiah and the son of God;

Identify important Christian
holidays, such as Easter and Christmas;
Recognize that both Christians and
Jewish people follow the Ten Commandments;

Explain that Islam originated in Arabia;
Explain that followers of Islam are
called Muslims;

Identify the crescent and star
as symbols of Islam;

Identify the Qur’an as the holy book of Islam,
containing laws for daily living and many
stories that appear in Jewish and Christian
holy books;

Identify that a Muslim place of
worship is called a mosque;

Identify that Muslims believe that Moses and
Jesus were prophets but believe that Muhammad
was the last and greatest of the
prophets;

Identify important Muslim holidays,
such as Ramadan and Eid-ul-fitr;

Use narrative language to describe (orally or in
writing) characters, setting, things, events, actions, a
scene, or facts from a fiction read-aloud;

Identify who is telling the story
at various points in a fiction read-aloud;

Ask and answer questions (e.g., who, what, where,
when), orally or in writing, requiring
literal recall and understanding of the details and/or
facts of a nonfiction/informational
read-aloud;

Answer questions
that require making interpretations, judgments, or
giving opinions about what is heard in a
nonfiction/informational read-aloud,
including answering why questions that require
recognizing cause/effect
relationships;

Identify the main topic and
retell key details of a
nonfiction/informational read-aloud;

Describe the
connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or
pieces of information in a
nonfiction/informational read-aloud;

Ask and answer questions about unknown words and
phrases in nonfiction/informational
read-alouds and discussions;

Use illustrations and details in a nonfiction/informational
read-aloud to describe its key
ideas;

Compare and contrast (orally or
in writing) similarities and differences
within a single nonfiction/informational
read-aloud or between two or more
nonfiction/informational read-alouds;

Listen to and demonstrate understanding of
nonfiction/informational read-alouds of
appropriate complexity for grades 1–3;

With guidance and support from adults, focus on a
topic, respond to questions and suggestions
from peers, and add details to strengthen writing as
needed;

Make personal
connections (orally or in writing) to events or
experiences in a fiction or nonfiction/informational
read-aloud, and/or make connections among
several read-alouds;

With assistance, categorize and organize facts and
information within a given domain to answer
questions;

Use agreed-upon rules for group
discussion (e.g., look at and listen to the
speaker, raise hand to speak, take turns, say
“excuse me” or “please,” etc.);

Carry on and participate in a conversation over at least
six turns, staying on topic, initiating
comments or responding to a partner’s comments, with
either an adult or another child of the same
age;

Ask questions to
clarify information about the topic in a fiction or
nonfiction/informational read-aloud;

Ask and answer questions (e.g.,
who, what, where, when), orally or in writing, requiring
literal recall and understanding of the details and/or
facts of a fiction or
nonfiction/informational read-aloud;

Ask questions to clarify directions, exercises,
classroom routines, and/or what a speaker
says about a topic;

Describe people, places,
things, and events with relevant details,
expressing ideas and feelings
clearly;

Add drawing or other visual displays
to oral or written descriptions when
appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and
feelings;

Produce complete sentences when
appropriate to task and situation;
Identify real-life connections between words and
their use (e.g., note places at home that are
cozy);

Learn the meaning of
common sayings and phrases;

Use words and phrases acquired through
conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to
texts, including using frequently occurring
conjunctions to signal simple relationships
(e.g., because) Identify new meanings for
familiar words and apply them
accurately;

Prior to listening to
an informational read-aloud, identify what
they know about a given topic;

Share writing with others;

With assistance, create and interpret timelines
and lifelines related to an informational
read-aloud;

Demonstrate understanding of
literary language such as setting;

While listening to an informational read-aloud,
orally predict what will happen next in the
read-aloud based on the text heard thus far,
and then compare the actual outcome to the
prediction; and Use personal pronouns
orally.

This material is aligned with E.D. Hirsch’s Core
Knowledge curriculum. Rupert Murdoch’s Amplify division (run by
Joel Klein) paid an unspecified amount for a 20-year right to the
professional development resources and curriculum
materials for Core Knowledge from K-3, with the intention
of building out resources for grades 4 and 5. Thus, all curriculum
resources purchased to teach these grades will be paid to
Amplify.