Cuneiform Writing in 1st Grade
On Wednesday, November 16, 2022, first graders in Mrs. Priore’s class learned about the cuneiform “alphabet”. When asked if anyone could remember from their recent classroom work what cuneiform was, Cole (a first-grade student) stated that it was “the writing used in ancient times.” During circle time, students were asked what this type of writing was used for. Student replies included “laws” and “what they sold (crops)”. They concluded as a group that cuneiform was difficult and time-consuming; therefore, it was used for important things that they needed to remember and use at a later time.
Students were eager to practice writing on their own. They were asked to either write their names or a word affiliated with Thanksgiving. During the writing process, some students said that it was hard, while others were giggling as they tried to perfect the new technique of writing. Everyone was extremely engaged and clearly proud of their final work when they showed it to Mrs. Priore.
The cuneiform content came from the knowledge strand of CKLA, the recently adopted ELA curriculum. Built on the Science of Reading, Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts sequences deep content knowledge with research-based foundational skills.
