Rigorous+and+Relevant+Curriculum

Application of knowledge to real-world problems and complex issues Math story problems + Current events/scholastic news/weekly reader Character counts…conflict resolution/community building Country projects Field trips (Science Center/Neal Smith) JA Biztown + Genetic engineering debate Building vehicle Online interfaces Star lab Mock elections Journaling about specific issues Glyphs school store - bookkeeping, inventory, deposits, purchasing, marketing, advertising, management, customer relations stock market in math - current events role in finance/investment, evaluating needs vs. wants, seasonal changes in markets, gauging interests, cause and effect, analysis of data using graphs and charts gardening - determining causes of leaf mold or plant changes, growing seasons and zones, changes in seasons vs. plants, microbial studies, measurement, cooperation/compromise and effective communication skills in planning of garden spaces writing letters to soldiers, penpals, businesses, or fan mail to support and encourage sport or club members Challenging content that is significant to a topic Science inquiry Hands on activities Pumpkin measurement Algebraic equations Laws of motion Genetic engineering Math centers (inquiry based learning) + Science fair Reading stock market in math selecting items for school store (pricing/profit/gauging interest) money management for school store(bookkeeping, deposit, inventory, placing orders) measurement for garden planning (size of plant, spacing, growth rate, season, light exposure) cooperation/compromise for garden planning teams - work within a budget for team choices genetics (hybrid plants, cross-breeding, desired traits of plants, cross-pollination) scientific techniques for research - thinking like a scientist (questionning, tools, strategies, variables, evaluating outcomes) Authentic work Books for Hope Books—flip books, writers’ workshop, learning logs Story writing Science notebook data Garden work & planning Response letters Paw Prints school newspaper Poetry café Multimedia project at end of year Bloom’s project Wikispace book club Blog book discussion Connecting music, art & social studies for ancient cultures Writing across the curriculum (SS & Science) Christmas Around the World Fractured Fairytale books Journal narratives in writing lab justifying findings in science labs

Use of Prior Knowledge Making connections KWL charts ++ 2nd grade benchmarks Math pretests Linking between reading/social studies/library Building off plants from 5th grade to cells in plants in 6th grade Health issues 2 column notes ABC chart Word Webs Reading Development of in-depth understanding on a topic Cross-curricular units + Differentiation Bloom’s taxonomy project Science fair Wax museum Greek Gods research Fieldtrips United Streaming problem-solving in math planning articles and layout of newspaper developing proper nouns from common nouns developing a hypothesis in science

Ability to develop and express ideas and finding through elaborated communication (projects and presentations) Wax museum + Book projects/presentations + Poetry café Country projects/potluck Science fair (syntheses) + Elementary Paw Prints + Country report Habitat projects JA BIztown Multimedia presentation at end of year Readers theater Power point Gardening Fractured Fairytales developing product commercials for student inventions