Unit 1 · Me, My Family, My School

Ana has a name. Her name is Ana Cruz. Someone picked that name for her. Her mom picked it. Ana was named for her great-grandma. Your name is yours. It tells people who you are.

Ana also has a birthday. A birthday is the day you were born. Ana was born on March third. Every year on March third, she turns one year older. This year she turned six.

Everyone in Ana’s class has a name. Everyone has a birthday. No two people have the very same name and birthday. That makes each person special.

Ana likes to draw. She draws cats. She draws her house. Ana does not like loud noise. She covers her ears at parades. What you like is part of you.

Ana can tie her shoes. She learned last year. It was hard at first. Now it is easy. Ana cannot ride a bike yet. She is still learning. What you can do is part of you too.

Think about yourself. What do you like? What can you do? Maybe you can count to one hundred. Maybe you can swim. Each thing you learn makes you more you.

A family is the people who take care of you. Ana lives with seven people. That is a big family. Her friend Leo lives with his mom. That is two people. Both are families.

Some kids live with a mom and a dad. Some live with one parent. Some live with a grandma. Some live with two moms or two dads. Some kids have a step-parent. Some are adopted. All of these are families.

A family can be big or small. It can live in one home or two homes. What makes a family is not the size. It is the care. Family members love each other and help each other.

At dinner, Ana’s family works as a team. Mateo pours water. Grandma cuts bread. Dad helps Great-Grandma sit down. Ana passes the rice. Each person does a job.

Kids can help too. Ana feeds the cat. She puts her toys away. Mateo takes out the trash. These jobs are small. But they matter. The home runs better when everyone helps.

Grown-ups help kids. They cook. They read stories. They take you to the doctor. Kids help grown-ups too. When a family helps each other, everyone feels safe.

Every Sunday, Ana’s family eats together. Every March, they make a cake for Ana. Every winter, they hang lights. These are traditions. A tradition is a thing you do again and again.

Families have different traditions. Leo and his mom make pancakes on Saturdays. Mia’s family lights candles on special nights. Sam’s family goes to the lake every summer.

Some traditions are big. A holiday is a big one. Some are small. A song at bedtime is a small one. Big or small, traditions bring a family together.

Grandpa was a boy a long time ago. His family had one phone. It hung on the kitchen wall. It had a cord. There was no phone in his pocket. There was no computer at all.

Grandpa walked to school. He walked in the rain. He walked in the snow. He wore his brother’s old boots. Great-Grandma Rosa bought those boots. They cost two dollars.

How do we know? Grandpa tells us. Great-Grandma was there too. A story from a person who was there is a clue about the past. The past is the time before now.

Ana and Leo are in the same class. They both like to draw. They both have March birthdays. In those ways, they are the same.

Ana has a big family. Leo has a small one. Ana speaks Spanish at home. Leo speaks English. Ana likes cats. Leo likes trucks. In those ways, they are different.

Different is good. Leo teaches Ana about trucks. Ana teaches Leo a Spanish word. A class with many kinds of kids can learn many things.

Ana’s class has twenty kids. Some are tall. Some are short. Some have big families. Some have small ones. They come from many places. They are one class.

A group is people who are together. A family is a group. A class is a group. In a group, each person matters. Each one adds something.

Ana adds her drawings. Leo adds his jokes. Mia adds her singing. Sam adds his help. Take one away, and the class is not the same.

Sam fell in the hall last year. He was running. He hit his head. It hurt. Now Sam knows why there is a rule. A rule tells you what to do or not do. No running in the hall.

Many rules keep us safe. Walk, do not run. Keep your hands to yourself. Look both ways before you cross. Sit down on the bus. Each rule stops someone from getting hurt.

Think of a rule at your school. Ask yourself: who could get hurt without it? If you can name someone, that rule is a safety rule.

There is one swing. Five kids want it. Without a rule, the biggest kid gets it every time. That is not fair. Fair means everyone gets the same chance.

So there is a rule. Count to twenty. Then give the next kid a turn. Now all five kids swing. The rule made it fair.

Rules help people get along too. Raise your hand to talk. Then everyone gets heard. Clean up your own mess. Then no one does all the work. Fair rules stop fights before they start.

Ana’s family has rules at home. Wash your hands before you eat. Shoes off at the door. Lights out at eight. Grandma made the shoes rule. She does not like mud on her floor.

Every home has its own rules. Leo’s rule is no TV before homework. Mia’s rule is feed the fish first. Rules at home can be different from house to house.

Home rules have reasons. Clean hands keep germs away. Lights out means good sleep. Ask a grown-up why a rule is there. There is almost always a reason.

On the bus, the rule is sit down. Stay in your seat. The bus stops fast. A kid who is standing can fall. The bus driver makes the rules on the bus.

At the pool, the rule is walk, do not run. The ground is wet. Wet ground is slippery. The lifeguard makes the rules at the pool. If she blows a whistle, you stop and listen.

Every place has its own rules. The rules fit the place. A pool rule is about water. A bus rule is about riding. Look at a place. You can guess its rules.

Ms. Park did not make the rules for Room Twelve. The kids did. First, everyone shared an idea. Then they put the same ideas together. Then they voted.

A vote is when each person picks what they want. Each kid got three dots. They put the dots by the rules they liked. The three rules with the most dots won.

Be safe. Be kind. Listen. The kids picked those. So the kids follow them. When you help make a rule, you want to keep it.

Leo grabbed a crayon from Mia. Mia cried. Leo broke a rule. Be kind. Ms. Park did not yell. She asked, "What happened? How can you make it right?"

Leo gave the crayon back. He said, "I am sorry." He asked, "Can I use it when you are done?" Mia said yes. Leo made it right. To make it right means to fix what you did.

Everyone breaks a rule sometimes. What matters is what you do next. Tell the truth. Say sorry. Fix it if you can. Then try again.

There is one red marker. Ana uses it. Then she hands it to Leo. Then Leo hands it to Mia. That is taking turns. Everyone gets a chance.

Mia is telling a story. Sam looks at her. He does not talk. He waits. That is listening. It shows Mia that she matters.

Ana broke a cup. No one saw. Ana tells Ms. Park anyway. That is telling the truth. It is hard sometimes. But people trust you when you tell the truth.

Ms. Park is a teacher. She helps the class learn. She helps kids follow the rules. A teacher is a leader. A leader is a person who guides a group.

Mr. Green is the principal. He leads the whole school. He makes rules for every class. He walks the halls. If a kid is hurt or lost, he helps.

Ms. Lee is the crossing guard. She stands at the corner. She holds a red sign. She stops the cars. Then kids can cross. She is a leader too. Leaders help people stay safe.