1415 LWGMS Curriculum Guide

Curriculum Guide 2014/2015

The LWGMS curriculum

is designed to cultivate intellectual curiosity and a drive to social action in each LWGMS girl. In a safe and supportive environment that challenges each girl to reach her potential, experienced teachers guide our students to develop the creative confidence to meet the many social, emotional, physical, and academic changes of early adolescence. The program is designed to be hands-on and experiential, with collaborative learning, projects, oral presentations, and class discussions used to ensure that every girl strengthens her voice as she learns. At the heart of the curriculum is a commitment to social justice. Through social justice learning goals that thread through each subject and a focused, engaging service learning program, girls at LWGMS learn that each of them has the power to effect change in the world.

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The curriculum at LWGMS is interdisciplinary where appropriate, and it focuses on each subject individually with teachers who are experts in their subject areas. The core academic curriculum includes humanities, math, science, Spanish, and STEAM. The fine arts are considered a valuable essential; every LWGMS student takes at least 90 minutes of visual art per week all year as well as a full year STEAM course, which integrates the arts with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and introduces girls to the process of Design Thinking. To cultivate confidence, collaboration, and strong voices, every LWGMS student performs in at least one full-scale drama production every year. Additionally, students can choose from enrichment classes that offer a breadth of experiences. Classes include Entrepreneurship, Ukulele and Voice, Designing Wearable Technology, Poetry as Performance, The Elle-Dub Blog, and stage crew.

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Beginning in sixth grade, students develop skills to identify and interpret information, organize data, produce research projects, and evaluate their own final product. Using a wide variety of print and electronic sources, students conduct research in all disciplines.

Computers become tools that all students know how to use with ease and confidence. Students reinforce basic computer skills as they apply them to authentic core curriculum activities. Skills reinforced include keyboarding and word processing; creating spreadsheets, charts, and graphic organizers; using the Internet; creating digital media such as animation and film; graphic design, and working with robotics platforms.

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Every student is a member of a small, multi-grade Respect and Responsibility Advisory Group. Lead by faculty and staff advisors, R&R groups comprise “big sisters” and “little sisters” who meet on a weekly basis.

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All students are required to take physical education, in classes designed to teach girls about health, self-confidence, and positive body image. Additionally, a full range of athletic opportunities is offered after school (soccer, volleyball, cross country, basketball, track and field, and ultimate frisbee) and most LWGMS girls participate in at least one sport at school per year.

Many opportunities are also available to explore individual interests through extracurricular activities such as robotics, musical groups, drama, dance, and numerous other clubs.

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The academic program comprises:

Science

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Math

Spanish

6 Life Science

Caitlin Ronning

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6 Math

Christine Primomo, Nisha Nathani P’16

6 Spanish

Jacquie Tilden

Humanities

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Visual Art

Performing Art

6 Humanities

Theresa Falk

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6 Visual Art

Chelsea McCollum

Fall Term Play: Into the Woods

Chelsea McCollum, Jenny Zavatsky, Lindsey Mutschler

Enrichment (mixed grade)

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Physical Education (mixed grade)

After School Programs

Poetry, Literary Blog, News Blog

Jacquie Tilden

Fitness

Reggie Baker, Mary Elder, P’12

Academic Resource Center

Cristina Parades

7 Systems and Global Perspectives

Christine Primomo

8 Earth Science

Christine Primomo

6 Writing Workshop

Eva McGough P’16

7 Humanities

Lindsey Mutschler

7 Writing Workshop

Eva McGough P’16

7 Geometry and Measurement

Nisha Nathani P’16

8 Algebra, 8 Geometry

Caitlin Ronning, Nisha Nathani P’16

7 Visual Art

Chelsea McCollum

8 Visual Art

Lindsey Mutschler

8 Social Studies

Jenny Zavatsky

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7 Spanish

Jacquie Tilden

8 Spanish

Charito Sotero P’08

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Winter Term Play: Shrek

Chelsea McCollum, Jenny Zavatsky, Lindsey Mutschler

Seventh Grade Drama

Jenny Zavatsky, Chelsea McCollum

Spring Eighth Grade One-Act Festival

Patricia Hearn, Jenny Zavatsky, Chelsea McCollum

Stage Crew

Jan Frederick P’09, ’14

8 Language Arts

Theresa Falk

8 Writing Workshop

Eva McGough P’16

Technology: Computer Guts; Digitize Micro Musical Instruments; Wearable Technology

Cristina Paredes

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Art: Drawing; Graphic Novels

Molly Klema, Lindsey Mutschler

Music

Meter Music School

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Dance

Heather Harris P’12, ’15

Martial Arts

Quantum Martial Arts

Yoga and Body Image

Mary McGough

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FuerzaBOTS, Makers Club

Christine Primomo, Cristina Parades

Dance

Heather Harris P’12, ’15

Print Yearbook/Video Yearbook

Caitlin Ronning

Glee Club

Anne Gienapp P’14

Science Science Sixth Grade

Students will understand the fundamentals of science by observing, questioning, hypothesizing, and testing. Students will learn how each form and process of life is connected to and dependent on others around it. We will study how plants and animals play a part in the complex web in nature. They will learn about food webs and the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles–all examples of nature recycling the finite amount of matter in our world. From there, the students will be introduced to cells and cell parts. Spring term will be focused on learning about cells, cell division, and DNA. This will prepare the students to begin the seventh grade curriculum of the human body.

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Essential Questions

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Fall

Winter

• Why do biologists classify organisms?

• What are the differences among bacteria,

• How do living things affect one another?

• What are cells made of?

• How do adaptations help an organism survive?

• How do living things get energy?

• How does energy move through an • Why don’t offspring always look like their

viruses and protists?

• What is a plant and how does it

ecosystem?

Spring

parents?

reproduce?

• What are the different types of animals and how do they differ?

• What is the role of muscles?

• How do animals reproduce?

• What are the types of animal behavior?

• How do people use our natural resources?

• What causes outdoor and indoor pollution?

• How has energy use changed over time?

• What does DNA do?

• How can genetic information be used?

• How do life forms change over time?

Content

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• Classification

• Plant structures

• Animal body plans

• Vertebrate diversity

• Animal movement

• Animals food cycles

• Patterns of behavior

• Biomes

• Ecosystems

• Biotic and abiotic factors

• Biogeography

• Energy flow and food chains

• Natural resources

• Population growth

• Waste disposal and recycling

• Renewable sources of energy

• Conservation

• Microscopes

• Cell theory

• Cell parts

• Cell division

• DNA

• Photosynthesis

• Heredity

• Chromosomes

• Scientific Theory

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• Identifies and describes plant parts and

• Understands the biotic and abiotic parts of

their functions

• Describes the major groups of vertebrates and invertebrates

• Constructs and understands models, maps and diagrams, including a branching tree diagram and a taxonomic key

the ecological system and how they influence each other and the whole system

• Identifies and understands a food chain and food web

• Describes the effects of humans and over population on natural resources

• Understands the functions of all cell parts

• Describes the process of cell division

• Understands the process of heredity and

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• Basic microscope quiz

• Vertebrate mobiles

• Taxonomic key model

• Daily homework

• PowerPoint presentation

• Quizzes and tests

• Lab reflections

• Design thinking: solution to pollution

• Presentations of dioramas, skits, and design thinking prototypes

• Daily homework

• Quizzes and tests

• Lab reflections

• PowerPoint presentations

• Daily homework

• Quizzes and tests

• Lab reflections

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• Microscope viewings

• STEAM: Building vertebrate mobiles

• STEAM: Student teaching PowerPoints

• Alien taxonomic keys

• Keep an interactive notebook

• Keep an interactive notebook

• STEAM: Student teaching PowerPoints

• STEAM: Design and build a diorama of a

• Keep an interactive notebook

• STEAM: Student teaching PowerPoints

• Build a 3D Cell

• Turn in and correct homework daily

• STEAM: Design and build a model that can

Social Justice Learning Strands

• Attribute Awareness: Interprets data about

• Attribute Awareness: Interprets data about

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely

groups of things, of people, etc., using graphic mathematical representation

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Develops deeper understanding of participation in systems (family, classroom, community, ecological); demonstrates strategies for reusing resources; suggests or “invents” devices/strategies that would make the world better and solve problems; largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Identifies community needs; volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects)

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures

groups of things, of people, etc., using graphic mathematical representation

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Develops deeper understanding of participation in systems (family, classroom, community, ecological); largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); growing understanding of nature and of self as part of nature

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures

responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects)

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures

Skills

Assessment

Activities

biome

• Design Thinking: solution to pollution

• Create a skit to represent animal interactions

genetics

• Describes Darwin’s theory and the process of evolution

• STEAM: Presentations of models and demonstrations

represent a natural disaster

• Create and present a peer-teaching PowerPoint

Science Seventh Grade

Students will begin the year by studying the human body. We will explore how the human body systems function and work together to respond to changes in our environment or health. We will identify key processes and systems that support healthy bodily function.

In the winter, students will study sexual health based on the Our Whole Lives (OWL) sexuality education program. Students will discuss and research topics related to sexuality, pregnancy, STDs, self-advocacy, and relationships while examining their own and their families’ values on such issues. Students will also participate in the STEAM Fair by researching, creating, conducting, analyzing, and presenting a long-term science fair project to the school community and guest STEAM-related mentors. In the spring, students will learn about the Earth’s structure and how it was formed. Students will also study how the Earth is part of the larger systems in our Solar System, our Galaxy, and our Universe.

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Essential Questions

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Fall

Winter

Spring

• How is your body organized?

• Which systems control body functions?

• How does your body stay in balance?

• What is the role of the cardiovascular

• What scientific issue would I like to learn more

• How can I analyze my science experiment

about through research and experimentation?

• How can I create and implement an experiment or research project to test my question?

• OWL: What is happening to me physically, socially, and emotionally as I grow up?

• OWL: How do I navigate the difficult world of adolescence and adulthood?

• OWL: How does our body control its own development and reproduction?

or project results and present my findings to others?

• What are the main parts of the Earth system?

• How are different types of rocks created and what do they tell you about how the land was formed?

• What forces within and outside the earth create the geologic features that we see?

• What makes up the solar system and how did it form?

• What are stars and how are they created?

• What causes seasons?

• What causes the moon’s phases?

system?

• How does blood travel through your body?

• How do you breathe?

• How do pathogens cause disease?

• What are the inflammatory and immune responses?

• What is the role of the nervous system?

• What are the parts of the brain and what is their role?

• How does the endocrine system function?

Content

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• Organ systems

• Homeostasis

• Circulatory system

• Respiratory system

• Inflammatory and immune responses

• Medicine in other cultures

• Nervous system

• Parts of the brain

• STEAM Fair

• Values

• Sexuality and body awareness

• Gender and diversity

• Sexual orientation and gender identity

• Social, emotional, and physical relationships

• Parenthood and pregnancy

• Sexually transmitted diseases

• Structure of the Earth

• Rock formation

• Plate tectonics

• Earthquakes and volcanoes

• Moon phases

• Composition of the solar system

• Star formation

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• Identifies the causal and correlational

• Asks in-depth scientific questions based on

• Identifies the causal and correlational

relationships between human body systems and our health

• Identifies the role, location, basic function, and interrelationships of each of the human body systems

• Creates models of several human body systems to describe, test or predict their function

• Uses evidence and scientific reasoning to describe the functions of and relationships among human body systems

• Collaborates with other students to carry out research projects and labs on the impact of the environment on the human body

observations, evidence and research of natural phenomena

• Identifies multiple variables and predict their relationship to an overarching research question or big idea

• Plans and carries out an experiment, investigation or research project using the design thinking process

• Engages in and presents a scientific argument supported by data, observations, as well as scientific ideas, principles and theories

• Collaborates with other students to deepen understanding of difficult topics related to social and emotional health

factors influencing land formations and earth processes

• Develops and applies models of earth and solar system processes to explain, test or predict relationships and natural phenomena

• Applies computational thinking to identify patterns and relationships among the parts of our solar system

• Collaborates with other students to research, discuss and test relationships between variables influencing earth system and solar system processes

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• Daily homework

• In-class and online discussions

• Class presentations

• Medicine in other cultures debate

• Choose to lose presentation

• Unit reflections

• Lab reports

• Quizzes and tests

• Daily homework

• In-class and online discussions

• Class presentations

• Unit reflections

• Quizzes and tests

• Elements of the STEAM Fair Process – rationale

• Daily homework

• In-class and online discussions

• Class presentations

• Journey back in time project

• Moon phases journal and reflection

• Unit reflections

• Lab reports

• Quizzes and tests

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• Keeping an interactive science notebook

• Presentations on unit reflections

• Lab projects and reports on human body

• Keeping an interactive science notebook

• Carrying out all aspects of a STEAM fair project:

Skills

Assessment

Activities

systems

• Medicine in other cultures debate

• Choose to lose project

for topic chosen, preliminary bibliography, drafts of background research, experimental or research plan including variables, materials and procedures, carrying out experiment or research, data chart and conclusion, presentation of findings or project

choose a topic, research the topic, contact a primary resource, create initial experimental design, begin testing or research

• Continue researching; write drafts of background research paper; meet with science fair mentor; complete experimental design; carry out experiment; compile and analyze data

• Acting out scenarios to support emotional and physical safety in tough situations

• Gender and sexual identities panel

• Reading, discussing and writing reflections on the novel Pink

• Watching and discussing Put This on the Map documentary

• Keeping an interactive science notebook

• Presentations on unit reflections

• Lab projects and reports on earth systems and processes

• Keeping a moon phases journal

• Journey back in time project

•

Social Justice Learning Strands

• Attribute Awareness: Develops ability to take

• Attribute Awareness: Shows growing

• Point of View: Developing ability to

greater responsibility for own learning

• Understands that mastery of content is the greater goal. Retakes assessments or rewrites work until mastery is demonstrated

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates comfortable, empathetic interaction with people of diverse learning styles, abilities and intelligence

• Self and Community: Develops responsibility to group and practices methods to work efficiently and collegially

• Stewardship: Develops deeper understanding of participation in systems (family, classroom, community ecological); largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

understanding of own body, anatomically, biologically, and spatially; Learns the processes in which our bodies receive and act on outside information

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates consistent “manners” in discourse and behavior, meeting school expectations

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

describe and attribute different opinions/ perspectives; identifies perspectives that have changed/held constant during history

• Attribute Awareness: Can define self using some standard language; demonstrates ability to list ways she is “different from” as well as “the same as” peer group, society at large, parent(s)/guardian(s), etc.; understanding of variation within a group and among groups grows; can describe attributes of own learning style

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates consistent “manners” in discourse and behavior, meeting school expectations

• Fairness and Justice: Begins to demonstrate philosophic thought, may talk/learn about creation, religion, death

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Science Eighth Grade

Students will begin the year participating in the STEAM Fair by researching, creating, conducting, analyzing, and presenting a long-term science fair project to the school community and guest STEAM-related mentors. Students will also study sexual health based on the Our Whole Lives (OWL) sexuality education program. Students will discuss and research topics related to sexuality, pregnancy, STDs, self-advocacy, and relationships while examining their own and their families’ values on such issues. In the winter, students will study the forces and physical interactions between objects and within systems of objects as well as the transfer of energy from one system to another. In the spring, students will learn about the atomic and molecular interactions that explain the properties of matter that we experience in our daily lives.

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Essential Questions

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Content

Fall

Winter

Spring

• What scientific issue would I like to

• How do you describe the motion of an

learn more about through research and experimentation?

• How can I create and implement an experiment to test my question?

• How can I analyze my science experiment results and present my findings to others?

• OWL: What is happening to me physically, socially, and emotionally as I grow up?

• OWL: How do I navigate the difficult world of adolescence and adulthood?

• OWL: How does our body control its own development and reproduction?

object?

• How do you describe velocity and acceleration?

• How do forces affect motion?

• What is an object’s momentum?

• How do machines make it easier to do work?

• How are energy, work, and power related?

• How do Newton’s laws of motions apply to my daily life?

• How are different forms of energy related?

• What is the law of conservation of energy?

• What properties describe matter?

• What is matter made of?

• How are changes in energy and matter related?

• Why does a substance change states?

• What is the modern model of the atom?

• How is the periodic table useful?

• How can bonding determine the properties of a

• STEAM Fair

• Values

• Sexuality and body awareness

• Gender and diversity

• Sexual orientation and gender

• Motion: speed, velocity and acceleration

• Forces

• Momentum and the law of conservation of

identity

• Social, emotional, and physical relationships

• Parenthood and pregnancy

• Sexually transmitted diseases

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Skills

momentum

• Newton’s laws of motion

• Work

• Simple and compound machines

• Kinetic and potential energy

• Law of conservation of energy

substance?

• How is a chemical reaction different from a physical reaction?

• What determines the properties of a solution or mixture?

• What are the properties of acids and bases?

• Physical and chemical properties of matter

• Law of conservation of mass

• Solids, liquids, and gases

• Elements and the periodic table

• Atomic and molecular structure

• Bonding and molecular compounds

• Chemical reactions

• Acids, bases, and solutions

• Asks in-depth scientific questions

• Identifies causal and correlational

• Obtains and evaluates information from multiples

based on observations, evidence and research of natural phenomena

• Identifies multiple variables and predict their relationship to an overarching research question or big idea

• Plans and carries out an experiment, investigation or research project using the design thinking process

• Engages in and presents a scientific argument supported by data, observations, as well as scientific ideas, principles and theories

• Collaborates with other students to deepen understanding of difficult topics related to social and emotional health

relationships in an object’s motion as a result of various forces

• Creates models to describe, test or predict the influence of kinetic and potential energy on an object or system

• Engages multiple sources of evidence from scientific principles, laws and theories to explain phenomena related to Newton’s laws of motion

• Collaborates with other students to investigate, analyze and communicate the influence of forces and energy in our daily lives

sources on the application of chemistry to our daily lives

• Analyzes the structure of atoms and molecules to explain material properties

• Selects and uses appropriate scientific equipment to determine chemical properties and relationships

• Uses math to identify patterns and explain relationships among the elements of the periodic table

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• Daily homework

• In-class and online discussions

• Class presentations

• Unit reflections

• Quizzes and tests

• Elements of the STEAM Fair Process

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• Keeping an interactive science

Social Justice Learning Strands

• Attribute Awareness: Develops ability • Attribute Awareness: Interprets data about

Assessment

Activities

– rationale for topic chosen, preliminary bibliography, drafts of background research, experimental or research plan including variables, materials and procedures, carrying out experiment or research, data chart and conclusion, presentation of findings or project notebook

• Carry out all aspects of a STEAM fair project: choose a topic, research the topic, contact a primary resource, create initial experimental design, begin testing or research

• Continue researching; write drafts of background research paper; meet with science fair mentor; complete experimental design; carry out experiment; compile and analyze data

• Acting out scenarios to support emotional and physical safety in tough situations

• Gender and sexual identities panel

• Reading, discussing and writing reflections on the novel Pink

• Watching and discussing Put This on the Map documentary to take greater responsibility for own learning. Understands that mastery of content is the greater goal. Retakes assessments or rewrites work until mastery is demonstrated

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Develops deeper understanding of participation in systems (family, classroom, community, ecological); Explores the causes and ramifications of Global warming and sees self as an agent of positive change

• Self and Community Membership: Learns to interview on field trips and with classroom visitors; Develops responsibility to group and practices methods to work efficiently and collegially

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates comfortable, empathetic interaction with people of diverse learning styles, abilities and intelligence

• Daily homework

• In-class and online discussions

• Class presentations

• Rube Goldberg machine explanation

• Newton’s laws in our daily lives video • Unit reflections

• Lab reports

• Quizzes and tests

• Daily homework

• In-class and online discussions

• Class presentations

• Molecule monday posters and presentations

• Chemistry in the kitchen project

• Environmental chemistry science essay

• Unit reflections

• Lab reports

• Quizzes and tests

• Keeping an interactive science notebook

• Presentations on unit reflections

• Lab projects and reports on motion, forces

• Keeping an interactive science notebook

• Presentations on unit reflections

• Lab projects and reports on material and chemical

project

and energy

• School-wide Rube Goldberg machine

• Newton’s laws in our daily lives video project

groups of things, of people, etc., using graphic mathematical representation; makes elementary statistical analyses

• Emotional Intelligence: Shows growing understanding of own body, physically, emotionally, and socially. Sees self as able to plan and complete long-term and complex projects

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Explores the causes and ramifications of Global warming and sees self as an agent of positive change

• Self and Community Membership: Develops responsibility to group and practices methods to work efficiently and collegially

properties and reactions

• Molecule monday presentations

• Chemistry in the kitchen project

• Environmental chemistry science essay

• Point of View: Identifies perspectives that have changed/held constant during history

• Emotional Intelligence: Uses class discussion, reflection, and parental advice to explore and gain control of potentially challenging social scenarios

• Self and Community Membership: Develops responsibility to group and practices methods to work efficiently and collegially. Learns to interview on field trips and with classroom visitors

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

Math Math topics, Sixth Grade

The focus for this sixth grade class is on developing understanding of number patterns and ensuring that students have strong mental calculation skills. Throughout the year, we’ll use patterns and sequences to help practice calculation and problem solving. To accomplish our goal, the girls will...

• be introduced to new concepts through lectures and demonstrations,

• work in small groups to investigate solutions,

• play games and solve puzzles to explore and reinforce mathematical concepts,

• write notes, descriptions, definitions, and sample solutions and keep these together in their math binder,

• describe their problem-solving techniques in written Challenge of the Week solutions,

• create artwork that implements mathematical concepts, and

• conduct an inquiry-based statistical study and explain procedures to the entire class and, on occasion, to the entire school.

The sixth grade class uses the Prentice-Hall Middle School Mathematics, Course 1 textbook. Portions of other texts and handouts will be used to supplement this traditional text. We also use the Problem of the Week library provided through the Math Forum project of Drexel University.

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Throughout the school year, we will review calculating with integers, fractions, decimal fractions, ratios and proportions, and percentages. We’ll focus on problem-solving strategies and connect their skills in Math with humanities, Spanish, art, and science often.

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Fall Essential Questions

Content

Winter

• How can we best remember

• How do pie charts and bar graphs help us

mathematical patterns and sequences?

• Where do I see calculations and numbers in the world?

understand data?

• What are some ways to categorize numbers?

• Number theory: understanding

• Number theory: understanding factors and

sequences, and odd, even, and prime numbers

• Use ratio and rate to solve problems

• Problem-solving plans and techniques

multiples

• Comparing quantities

• Estimating quantities

• Develop understanding of statistics

• Investigating data and using graphs

Spring

• How long does it take to count to one million?

• How do numbers help us understand shapes in the world?

• Geometry vocabulary

• Measuring quantities and shapes to investigate geometric figures

• Positive and negative integers—extending the number system

• Writing and interpreting expressions and equations

Skills

• Adding, subtracting, multiplying and

• Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing

• Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing whole

dividing whole numbers and decimals

• Using order of operations rules to evaluate expressions

• Describing and evaluating number patterns

• Connecting multiplication and division to ratio and rate

• Solving single-step equations in one variable

whole numbers, decimals, and fractions

• Using ratios and percents accurately

• Writing equations and solving single-step equations

• Representing data

numbers, decimals, fractions, and positive and negative integers

• Naming and classifying geometric figures

• Converting metric units of length, mass, and capacity within the metric system

• Calculating area, perimeter, and volume

Assessment

• Daily homework and class assignments • Daily homework and class assignments

• Monthly COW solutions

• Monthly COW solutions

• Quiz and test scores • Quiz and test scores

• Daily homework and class assignments

• Monthly COW solutions

• Quiz and test scores

Activities

• Keep track of daily assignments

• Complete homework daily

• Complete written quizzes and tests in

• Keep track of daily assignments

• Complete homework daily

• Complete written quizzes and tests in class

• Solve and present solutions to problems to whole

class

• Solve and present solutions to

Social Justice Learning Strands

• Keep track of daily assignments

• Complete homework daily

• Complete written quizzes and tests in class

• Solve and present solutions to problems to whole class with a group

class with a group

problems to whole class with a group

• Write narrative solutions to Challenge of the Week

• Individually answer questions posed orally

• Write narrative solutions to Challenge of the • Write narrative solutions to Challenge of the • Individually answer questions posed orally

• Individually answer questions posed orally

• Point of View: Appreciates different

• Attribute Awareness: Interprets data about

• Emotional Intelligence: Sees self as able to

perspectives on order and disorder

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects)

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures

groups of things, of people, etc., using graphic mathematical representation; reads charts and graphs with growing fluency, discerning information about opinion, income, and more abstract social attributes

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects)

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures

complete projects and can describe the stage of a project

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects)

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures

Week

Week

Pre-Algebra, Seventh Grade

The focus for the pre-algebra class is on developing students’ understanding of shapes, both two- and three-dimensional, and on using variables and formulas. Throughout the year, we’ll use geometry and measurement to help practice calculation and problem-solving skills and to develop algebraic techniques. To accomplish our goals, the girls will...

• be introduced to new concepts through lectures and demonstrations,

• work in small groups to investigate solutions,

• play games and solve puzzles to explore and reinforce mathematical concepts,

• write notes, descriptions, definitions, and sample solutions and keep these together in their math binder,

• describe their problem-solving techniques in written Challenge of the Week solutions,

• create artwork that implements mathematical concepts, and

• conduct an inquiry-based statistical study and explain procedures to the entire class and, on occasion, to the entire school.

The pre-algebra class uses the McDougal Littell, Math Course 3, textbook. Portions of other texts and handouts will be used to supplement this traditional text. We also use the Problem of the Week library provided through the Math Forum project of Drexel University and the IXL website to support skill building. Throughout the school year, we will review calculating with positive and negative integers, fractions, decimals, ratios and proportions, and percentages. We’ll focus on problem-solving strategies, and connect their skills in math with humanities, Spanish, art, and science often (in units on scale drawings, tessellations, three-dimensional shapes, and election math, for example).

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Fall Essential Questions

Content

Skills

Winter

Spring

• How can I use numbers to describe

• How are the rules for fractions and decimals

the world around me?

• How do I compare and communicate number relationships?

different from those for whole numbers?

• How are the rules the same?

• How are an equation and its graph related?

• How are formulas helpful in describing shapes?

• What is the Pythagorean Theorem?

• What can we learn about distance and area using

• Expressions, equations, and inequalities

• Comparing quantities

• Estimating quantities

• Understanding proportions

• Graphing inequalities on a number line

• Problem-solving plans and techniques

• Fractions, ratios, proportions, and percents

• Scale drawings and maps

• Expressions and linear equations

• Geometry—measurement, area, and volume

• Investigating data and using graphs

• Geometry vocabulary

• Measuring quantities and shapes to investigate

• Adding, subtracting, multiplying and

• Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing

• Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing whole

dividing whole numbers, decimals, integers, and fractions

• Using order of operations rules and the distributive property to evaluate expressions

• Calculating using exponents and factors

• Solving single-step equations in one variable

• Solving two-step equations in one variable

• Solving and graphing inequalities in one variable

whole numbers, decimals, integers, and fractions

• Using ratios and percents accurately

• Writing equations and solving single-step equations

• Graphing linear equations

numbers, decimals, fractions, and positive and negative integers

• Naming and classifying geometric figures

• Converting metric units of length, mass, and capacity within the metric system

• Calculating area, perimeter, and volume

right triangles?

geometric figures

• Pythagorean Theorem

• Positive and negative integers

• Right triangle trigonometric ratios

Assessment

• Daily homework and class assignments • Daily homework and class assignments

• Monthly COW solutions

• Monthly COW solutions

• Quiz and test scores • Quiz and test scores

• Daily homework and class assignments

• Monthly COW solutions

• Quiz and test scores

Activities

• Keep track of daily assignments

• Complete homework daily

• Complete written quizzes and tests in

• Keep track of daily assignments

• Complete homework daily

• Complete written quizzes and tests in class

• Solve and present solutions to problems to whole

class

• Solve and present solutions to

Social Justice Learning Strands

! ! ! !

• Keep track of daily assignments

• Complete homework daily

• Complete written quizzes and tests in class

• Solve and present solutions to problems to whole class with a group

problems to whole class with a group

• Write narrative solutions to Challenge of the Week

• Individually answer questions posed orally

• Write narrative solutions to Challenge of the

• Attribute Awareness: Interprets data

• Attribute Awareness: Can describe attributes of

about groups of things, of people, etc., using graphic mathematical representation; can describe attributes of own learning style.

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates consistent “manners” in discourse and behavior, meeting school expectations.

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling.

• Self and Community Membership: Sees oneself as able to help others problem-solve.

own learning style.

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates consistent “manners” in discourse and behavior, meeting school expectations.

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling.

• Self and Community Membership: Sees oneself as able to help others problem-solve.

Week

• Individually answer questions posed orally

class with a group

• Write narrative solutions to Challenge of the Week

• Individually answer questions posed orally

• Attribute Awareness: Can describe attributes of own learning style.

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates consistent “manners” in discourse and behavior, meeting school expectations.

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Suggests or “invents” devices/strategies that would make the world better and solve problems; largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling.

• Self and Community Membership: Sees oneself as able to help others problem-solve.

Algebra, Eighth Grade

By the end of her Algebra class, an LWGMS student will be able to use her excellent math skills and her confidence with problem-solving to compute mentally, create mathematical connections, and describe those connections in various ways. In addition, she will be well prepared for high-school level math. The focus is for each girl to develop her skills using algebra to solve problems. To accomplish this, the girls will:

• be introduced to new concepts through lectures and demonstrations,

• work in small groups to investigate solutions,

• play games and solve puzzles to explore and reinforce mathematical concepts,

• write notes, descriptions, definitions, and sample solutions and keep these together in their math binder,

• describe their problem-solving techniques in written Challenge of the Week solutions,

• investigate a mathematician or mathematical idea, write about their research, and present their research to the class,

• create artwork that implements mathematical concepts, and

• present their work and explain procedures to the entire class and, on occasion, to the entire school.

The algebra class uses the Holt McDougal Larson Algebra I textbook. Portions of other texts and handouts will be used to supplement these traditional textbooks. We also use the IXL website to support skill building and math worksheets from Kuta Software. Throughout the school year, we will review calculating with positive and negative integers, fractions, decimals, ratios and proportions, and percentages and introduce graphing using a variety of linear equations and linear systems. We’ll focus on problemsolving strategies, and connect their skills in math with humanities, Spanish, art, and science often (units on mapping, using scientific notation, trigonometry in astronomy, and election math, for example).

!

Fall Essential Questions

Content

Winter

• What patterns can I find in arithmetic and

• How can I use what I know about fractions

how can I extend those patterns?

• How are algebraic expressions and equations related to expressions using integers and rational numbers?

• How do graphs of equations help me understand the equation?

to help me work with rational expressions?

• How can I use what I know about factoring integers to help me simplify rational expressions?

• What real-world applications can I solve using rational expressions?

• Integral and fractional exponents

• Graphing linear equations and related

• Solving systems of linear equations

• Understanding functions

• Factoring polynomial expressions and

inequalities in two variables

• Factoring monomials and polynomials

equations

• Simplifying polynomial expressions and

Spring

• What real-world applications can I model using a quadratic equation?

• What kinds of problems can I solve using simple trigonometric ratios?

• Applying the Pythagorean Theorem, analyzing figures in two and three dimensions

• Quadratic equations

• Quadratic formula

• Trig functions: sine, cosine, and tangent

equations

• Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing

• Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing

• Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing whole

positive and negative whole numbers, decimals, integers, and fractions

• Using the rules of exponents to calculate

• Finding opposites, roots, and reciprocals

• Solving equations and inequalities in a single variable

• Solving equations and inequalities with absolute values

• Simplifying expressions

• Graphing linear equations and related inequalities

• Solving systems of linear equations in two variables

whole numbers, decimals, integers, and fractions

• Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing monomials and polynomials

• Applying factoring to second- and thirddegree polynomials.

• Simplifying fractions with polynomials in the numerator and denominator

• Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing rational expressions and functions.

numbers, decimals, fractions, and positive and negative integers

• Finding roots of quadratic equations using the quadratic formula

• Graphing quadratic functions

• Finding roots of quadratic equations by factoring

• Applying quadratic equations to physical problems

• Using simple trigonometric ratios to solve physical problems

Assessment

• Daily homework and class assignments

• Monthly COW solutions

• Quiz and test scores

• Daily homework and class assignments

• Monthly COW solutions

• Quiz and test scores

• Daily homework and class assignments

• Monthly COW solutions

• Quiz and test scores

Activities

• Keep track of daily assignments

• Complete homework daily

• Complete written quizzes and tests in class

• Solve and present solutions to problems to

• Keep track of daily assignments

• Complete homework daily

• Complete written quizzes and tests in class

• Solve and present solutions to problems to

• Keep track of daily assignments

• Complete homework daily

• Complete written quizzes and tests in class

• Solve and present solutions to problems to whole

Skills

whole class with a group

• Write narrative solutions to Challenge of the Week

Social Justice Learning Strands

!

whole class with a group

• Write narrative solutions to Challenge of the Week

class with a group

• Write narrative solutions to Challenge of the Week

• Individually answer questions posed orally

• Individually answer questions posed orally

• Individually answer questions posed orally

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates

• Attribute Awareness: Interprets data about

• Attribute Awareness: Interprets data about groups

comfortable, empathetic interaction with people of diverse learning styles, abilities and intelligence, cultures and appearances; sees self as able to complete projects and can describe the stage of a project.

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling.

• Self and Community Membership: Values self in role of mentor to younger children.

groups of things, of people, etc., using graphic mathematical representation.

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates comfortable, empathetic interaction with people of diverse learning styles, abilities and intelligence, cultures and appearances.

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Suggests or “invents” devices/strategies that would make the world better and solve problems; largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling.

• Self and Community Membership: Values self in role of mentor to younger children.

of things, of people, etc., using graphic mathematical representation.

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates comfortable, empathetic interaction with people of diverse learning styles, abilities and intelligence, cultures and appearances.

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling.

• Self and Community Membership: Values self in role of mentor to younger children.

Geometry, Eighth Grade

After taking Algebra at LWGMS, our girls will be able to use their sophisticated skill set to analyze unknowns and understand mathematical relationships in the physical world. In addition, they will be very well prepared for highschool level Math. We will be offering a Geometry class this year for many of our eighth graders to transfer their understanding of algebra, to the world of geometry. The correspondence between numerical coordinates and geometric points allows methods from algebra to be applied to geometry and vice versa. The solution set of an equation becomes a geometric curve, making visualization a tool for doing and understanding algebra.

Geometric shapes can be described by equations, making algebraic manipulation into a tool for geometric understanding, modeling, and proof.

To accomplish this, the girls will:

• be introduced to new concepts through lectures and demonstrations,

• work in small groups to investigate solutions,

• play games and solve puzzles to explore and reinforce mathematical concepts,

• write notes, descriptions, definitions, and sample solutions and keep these together in their math binder,

• describe their problem-solving techniques in written Challenge of the Week solutions,

• investigate a mathematician or mathematical idea, write about their research, and present their research to the class,

• create artwork that implements mathematical concepts, and

• present their work and explain procedures to the entire class and, on occasion, to the entire school.

The geometry class uses the Holt McDougal Larson Geometry textbook. Portions of other texts and handouts will be used to supplement these traditional textbooks. We also use the IXL website to support skill building and math worksheets from Kuta Software.

!

Fall

Winter

Spring

• How will I identify, name, and measure

• How can I use my understanding of

figures, lengths, and angles?

• How will best use the tools of reasoning to create proof statements about geometric relationships?

• How will I use the information about parallel and perpendicular lines to identify angles, and solve for unknown angle measurements?

triangles, angles, and lines to prove for congruence?

• How can I use what I know about relationships within triangles to justify statements and solve problems?

• How do ratio and proportion apply to similar figures?

• Points, lines, planes, rays, distance formula,

• Triangle classification, theorems of

midpoint formula, and angle classification

• Inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, counter examples, conditional statements, and two column proofs

• Corresponding angles, consecutive interior angles, alternate interior angles, and alternate exterior angles

equilateral and isosceles triangles

• Perpendicular bisectors, angle bisectors, medians, and altitudes of triangles

• Triangle Inequality Theorem

• Indirect measurement

• Using classification and measurement tools

• Classifying and identifying corresponding

appropriately

• Identifying the hypothesis and conclusion statements

• Using postulates and theorems of angle pair relationships

• Finding slope of parallel and perpendicular lines

• Write and graph equations of a line

• Creating proof statements about parallel and perpendicular lines

•

elements of congruent triangles

• Proving the Midsegment Theorem and using the properties of midsegments to solve problems

• Solving problems involving the geometric mean

• Using Triangle Proportionality Theorem and its converse to justify reasoning and solve problems

• Solving proportions within right triangles using trigonometric ratios

Assessment

• Daily homework and class assignments

• Monthly COW solutions

• Quiz and test scores

• Daily homework and class assignments

• Monthly COW solutions

• Quiz and test scores

• Daily homework and class assignments

• Monthly COW solutions

• Quiz and test scores

Activities

• Keep track of daily assignments

• Complete homework daily

• Complete written quizzes and tests in class

• Solve and present solutions to problems to

• Keep track of daily assignments

• Complete homework daily

• Complete written quizzes and tests in class

• Solve and present solutions to problems to

• Keep track of daily assignments

• Complete homework daily

• Complete written quizzes and tests in class

• Solve and present solutions to problems to

Essential Questions

Content

Skills

whole class with a group

• Write narrative solutions to Challenge of the Week

Social Justice Learning Strands

whole class with a group

• Write narrative solutions to Challenge of the Week

• What are the properties of special quadrilaterals?

• How can I identify line symmetry and rotational symmetry?

• How can I use my understanding of circles and angles to find arc measures and lengths of segments

• Classification of special quadrilaterals

• Image, preimage, and isometry

• Reflection, rotation, and dilation

• Matrix operations and vectors

• Tangents, chords, and secants of circles

• Finding the interior and exterior angle measures

• Applying coordinate rules for transformation to problem solving situations

• Solving for various unknown segments of a circle.

• Understanding inscribed angles and inscribed polygons within a circle

• Writing and graphing equations of circles

whole class with a group

• Write narrative solutions to Challenge of the Week

• Individually answer questions posed orally

• Individually answer questions posed orally

• Individually answer questions posed orally

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates

• Attribute Awareness: Interprets data about

• Attribute Awareness: Interprets data about

comfortable, empathetic interaction with people of diverse learning styles, abilities and intelligence, cultures and appearances; sees self as able to complete projects and can describe the stage of a project

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Values self in role of mentor to younger children

groups of things, of people, etc., using graphic mathematical representation

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates comfortable, empathetic interaction with people of diverse learning styles, abilities and intelligence, cultures and appearances

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Suggests or “invents” devices/strategies that would make the world better and solve problems; largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Values self in role of mentor to younger children

groups of things, of people, etc., using graphic mathematical representation

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates comfortable, empathetic interaction with people of diverse learning styles, abilities and intelligence, cultures and appearances

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Values self in role of mentor to younger children

STEAM In each grade, L-Dub girls take a year-long STEAM class that integrates the arts with science, technology, engineering, and math. The three-year scope and sequence begins with an introduction to the design thinking process and basic shop safety and use of tools, and it culminates in individual projects that demonstrate students’ ability to solve problems and build prototypes using STEAM skills.

The STEAM curriculum is designed to get girls excited about engineering, technology, science, and math while expanding their creative confidence. The projects are regularly integrated with learning in other classes, so that the skills and knowledge are easily applicable and relevant across disciplines.

STEAM Sixth Grade

Fall

Winter

Spring

• How does Design Thinking help solve real

• How might we design a device to

• What are the different ways we can use Little

world problems?

• What are the different ways to approach and solve a problem?

• How can I use film to demonstrate a story?

demonstrate evolution?

• In what ways can we apply our math and science curriculum to create solutions to real world problems?

Content

!! !!

• Claymation

• Design thinking

• iMotion

• iMovie

• Filmmaking

• Engineering

• Coding

• Design Thinking

• Filmmaking

• Construction and design

• Shop safety

• Little Bits

• Filmmaking

• Mechanical Engineering

• Construction and design

!! !!

• Correctly identifies and uses the Design

• Creates models in order to demonstrate a

Thinking process

• Identifies the tools available in iMotion

• Uses filmmaking tools correctly

scientific process

• Uses STEAM studio supplies correctly

• Works well in a group setting

• Uses Little Bits to animate

• Actively participates in all creative challenges

• Uses iMovie to create a short film

!! !! !

• Filmmaking techniques rubric

• Presentations of models and

• Filmmaking techniques

• Presentations of models and demonstrations

• Group work

• Architecture and design models

• Filmmaking techniques

• Quizzes

• Presentations of models and demonstrations

• Peer reviews

Activities

!! !! !! !! !

• Claymation

• Design Thinking and prototypes

• Filmmaking

• Construction and design

• Building a new toy

• Design and architecture

• Coding

• Engineering using Little Bits

• Filmmaking

• Coding

Social Justice Learning Strands

• Attribute Awareness: Interprets data about

• Attribute Awareness: Interprets data about

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely

groups of things, of people, etc., using graphic mathematical representation

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Develops deeper understanding of participation in systems (family, classroom, community, ecological); demonstrates strategies for reusing resources; suggests or “invents” devices/strategies that would make the world better and solve problems; largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Identifies community needs; volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects)

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures

groups of things, of people, etc., using graphic mathematical representation

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Develops deeper understanding of participation in systems (family, classroom, community, ecological); largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); growing understanding of nature and of self as part of nature

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures

responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects)

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures

Essential Questions

!! !! !

Skills

Assessment

! ! !

demonstrations

• Quizzes

• Group work evaluation

Bits to animate?

• What are the ways engineering can be applied to problem solving?

!

STEAM Seventh Grade

Essential Questions

!! !! !

Winter

Spring

• How might we apply the Design Thinking

• In what ways can we apply our current

• What can we build that synthesizes all of

process to challenges in our world?

• How can we use filmmaking to demonstrate a story line?

knowledge of math and science to demonstrate creative solutions?

our STEAM skills?

• How can we apply the Design Thinking process to solve real world problems?

Content

!! !!

• Body systems

• Geometry and Algebra

• Mechanical and Electrical engineering

• Design Thinking

• Coding

• Filmmaking

• Creative group work

• Body systems

• Geometry and Algebra

• Mechanical and Electrical engineering

• Design Thinking

• Coding

• Filmmaking

• Creative group work

• Body systems

• Geometry and Algebra

• Mechanical and Electrical engineering

• Design Thinking

• Coding

• Filmmaking

• Creative group work

!! !!

• Can correctly use the Design Thinking

• Can correctly use the Design Thinking process

• Can correctly use the Design Thinking

process without assistance

• Uses iMovie without assistance

• Actively participates in creative work

• Demonstrates effective shop skills

• Adequately plans and adapts projects

• Works well in a group setting

• Uses appropriate time management

without assistance

• Uses iMovie without assistance

• Actively participates in creative work

• Demonstrates effective shop skills

• Adequately plans and adapts projects

• Works well in a group setting

• Uses appropriate time management

• Uses iMovie without assistance

• Actively participates in creative work

• Demonstrates effective shop skills

• Adequately plans and adapts projects

• Works well in a group setting

• Uses appropriate time management

!! !! !

• Filmmaking

• Presentations of models and demonstrations

• Quizzes

• Group work

• Shop safety

• Filmmaking

• Presentations of models and demonstrations

• Quizzes

• Group work

• Shop safety

• Filmmaking

• Presentations of models and

Activities

!! !! !! !! !

• Design Thinking and prototyping

• Filmmaking

• Architecture and design

• Rube Goldberg construction

• Coding using Scratch

• Coding using Scratch

• Design Thinking challenge

Social Justice Learning Strands

• Attribute Awareness: Develops ability to take

• Attribute Awareness: Shows growing

• Point of View: Developing ability to

greater responsibility for own learning.

Understands that mastery of content is the greater goal. Retakes assessments or rewrites work until mastery is demonstrated

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates comfortable, empathetic interaction with people of diverse learning styles, abilities and intelligence

• Self and Community: Develops responsibility to group and practices methods to work efficiently and collegially.

• Stewardship: Develops deeper understanding of participation in systems (family, classroom, community ecological); largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

understanding of own body, anatomically, biologically, and spatially; Learns the processes in which our bodies receive and act on outside information

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates consistent “manners” in discourse and behavior, meeting school expectations

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

describe and attribute different opinions/ perspectives; identifies perspectives that have changed/held constant during history

• Attribute Awareness: Can define self using some standard language; demonstrates ability to list ways she is “different from” as well as “the same as” peer group, society at large, parent(s)/guardian(s), etc.; understanding of variation within a group and among groups grows; can describe attributes of own learning style

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates consistent “manners” in discourse and behavior, meeting school expectations

• Fairness and Justice: Begins to demonstrate philosophic thought, may talk/learn about creation, religion, death

Skills

Assessment

Fall

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

process without assistance

demonstrations

• Quizzes

• Groupwork

• Shop safety

! !

STEAM Eighth Grade

Essential Questions

!! !! !

Fall

Winter

• How do we tell a story through

• How can we use information from our math • How are math and science incorporated into our

filmmaking?

• What are the best materials to use for a project?

and science curriculum to solve real world problems?

Spring

everyday experiences?

• How can we apply the Design Thinking process to solve real world problems?

• How can we create a demonstration that uses all STEAM techniques.

Content

!! !!

• Filmmaking

• iMovie

• Garageband

• Shop safety

• Design Thinking

• Filmmaking

• Construction and design

• Shop safety

• Design Thinking

• Filmmaking

• Shop safety

• Website design

• Architecture and model construction

!! !!

• Correctly identifies and uses the

• Works well in a group setting.

• Uses tools and supplies safety and

• Identifies areas for personal growth in technology and

Assessment

!! !! !

Skills

Design Thinking process in multiple subject areas and without assistance.

• Uses iMovie tools and techniques creatively and without assistance.

design curriculum.

appropriately.

• Participates willingly in all creative challenges.

• Identifies the correct techniques to creating an ideal “shot” for filmmaking.

• Works well in a group setting

• Uses appropriate time management.

• Demonstrates a clear understanding of design and

• Filmmaking

• Group work

• In class tool use

• Quizzes

• In class tool use

• Presentation of models and demonstrations

• Quizzes

• Peer reviews

• In class use of tools

• Group work

• Presentation of models and demonstrations

• Quizzes

• Architecture and design

!! !! !! !! !

• Create a digital story using iPads and

• Build a vehicle that can be powered by the

iMovie.

• Design a device that uses air propulsion.

• Create an app

wind.

• Filmmaking

• Design and build a working model

• Create a PSA to demonstrate a theme.

• Website construction and design

• Design Thinking challenge

• STEAM final -use all STEAM techniques

Social Justice Learning Strands

• Attribute Awareness: Develops ability • Attribute Awareness: Interprets data about

Activities

to take greater responsibility for own learning. Understands that mastery of content is the greater goal. Retakes assessments or rewrites work until mastery is demonstrated

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Develops deeper understanding of participation in systems (family, classroom, community, ecological); Explores the causes and ramifications of Global warming and sees self as an agent of positive change

• Self and Community Membership: Learns to interview on field trips and with classroom visitors; Develops responsibility to group and practices methods to work efficiently and collegially

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates comfortable, empathetic interaction with people of diverse learning styles, abilities and intelligence

groups of things, of people, etc., using graphic mathematical representation; makes elementary statistical analyses

• Emotional Intelligence: Shows growing understanding of own body, physically, emotionally, and socially. Sees self as able to plan and complete long-term and complex projects

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Explores the causes and ramifications of Global warming and sees self as an agent of positive change

• Self and Community Membership: Develops responsibility to group and practices methods to work efficiently and collegially.

construction techniques.

• Point of View: Identifies perspectives that have changed/held constant during history

• Emotional Intelligence: Uses class discussion, reflection, and parental advice to explore and gain control of potentially challenging social scenarios

• Self and Community Membership: Develops responsibility to group and practices methods to work efficiently and collegially. Learns to interview on field trips and with classroom visitors

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

Spanish Spanish Sixth Grade

The focus for sixth grade Spanish is to foster an appreciation for the relevance of the Spanish language in students’ lives, to develop an understanding of the diversity within the Spanish-speaking world, and to establish a foundation with the vocabulary and grammar of the language.

!

Throughout the year students will...

- master vocabulary and grammatical concepts that will enable them to conduct a basic conversation, describe themselves and others, and share their schedules and activities

- know the countries and capitals of South and Central America as well as geography-related vocabulary in Spanish

- prepare and present a comprehensive project on a Latin American Spanish-speaking country

- learn about various cultures and current issues of Spanish-speaking communities

- maintain discussion surrounding Spanish and bilingualism in today’s world

- learn about Spanish culture and practice reading and speaking skills independently and through collaboration across grade levels.

!

Students use the textbook Avancemos 1 by Holt McDougal. The textbook is in hardcover as well as online. Students will be able to access their online book by signing into classzone.com. Instruction will include discussion, guided practice, partner and group activity, songs, games, skits, and projects to vary practice and learning experiences and provide students with the opportunity to use creativity and problem solving skills in a language other than English. In order to check for and assess content mastery, the sixth grade will be asked to complete regular homework assignments and take regular quizzes and chapter tests.

!

Essential Questions

Fall

Winter

Spring

• Why learn a foreign language?

• What role does speaking a foreign language/

• How does appreciating other cultures

• How are the different cultures of Latin America

impact my worldview?

• How are Latin American countries geographically and culturally similar and different to my country?

• How does sharing about myself help me create connections with others?

reflected in the art, music and literature of each country?

• How are verbs, time, and numbers different and similar in Spanish and English?

• Daily schedules, time, and numbers from

• The verb estar

• Locations and prepositional phrases

• Locations in a school

• Present tense conjugation -er and -ir verbs

• The arts of the Spanish-speaking countries in

bilingualism play in global citizenship?

• How does geography mold the ethnic makeup of our immigrant population?

• Why do Latinos immigrate to the U.S? What are their contributions and experience?

• How do I share information about myself with others in Spanish?

Content

• Basic conversational questions and answers

• Classroom expressions

• Traditional songs

• The verb ser

• Characteristics and physical descriptions

• Likes and dislikes

• Geography of Spanish-speaking countries

• The role of bilingualism in the U.S.

11 to 100

• The verb tener and use of tener que

• Expressions of frequency

• Present tense conjugation of -ar verbs

• The verb ir

• Comparison and contrast of different cultures, foods, and traditions of Latin American countries

Latin America

Skills

• Locate and name Spanish-speaking countries • Identify objects and use definite and

• Use estar to describe feelings and locations

• Conjugate -er and -ir verbs in the present tense

• Talk about meals and food

• Research and prepare an instructional

and capitals on a world map

• Prepare a comprehensive country presentation

• Use and understand basic conversational Spanish and classroom related phrases

• Understand personal pronouns and how to conjugate the verb ser

• Use gustar + infinitive to express likes and dislikes

• Describe self and others

• Memorize and perform several traditional songs in Spanish

indefinite articles

• Apply noun-adjective agreement when writing and speaking in Spanish

• Read and follow a schedule in Spanish

• Read a clock in and tell time in Spanish

• Share tasks and obligations using the verb tener

• Recite numbers from 0 – 100 in Spanish

• Conjugate -ar verbs in the present tense

• Use ir to talk about where one is going

Assessment

• Daily Entrada (entrance) activity

• Nightly homework

• Quizzes and tests

• Classroom participation

• Oral and written country presentation

• Daily Entrada (entrance) activity

• Nightly homework

• Quizzes and tests

• Classroom participation

• Projects and presentations

• Daily Entrada (entrance) activity

• Nightly homework

• Quizzes and tests

• Classroom participation

• Presentation of cultural research project

Activities

• Textbook activities reinforcing target

• Textbook activities reinforcing target

• Textbook activities reinforcing target grammar

grammar skill

• Group skit writing and performance

• Vocabulary games

• Partner dialogue activities

• Amigas Project

• World map labeling games

• Map and flag drawings of Spanish-speaking world

• Song performance

grammar skill

• Online listening and comprehension activities

• Group skit writing and performance

• Vocabulary games

• Partner dialogue activities

• Song performance

• Description activity

• Point of View: Developing ability to describe

• Attribute Awareness: Understanding of

• Point of View: Demonstrates resistance to

and attribute different opinions/perspectives.

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling.

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); learns to interview on field trips and with classroom visitors; explores ritual and cultural identity.

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom norms and procedures.

variation within a group and among groups grows.

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling.

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); explores ritual and cultural identity.

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom norms and procedures.

stereotyping through multiple classification and conservation of traits.

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling.

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); explores ritual and cultural identity.

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom norms and procedures.

Social Justice Learning Strands

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

demonstration of an art form reflecting the culture of the previously assigned country

skill

• Online listening and comprehension activities

• Group skit writing and performance

• Vocabulary games

• Partner dialogue activities

• Song performance

Spanish Seventh Grade

The focus for seventh grade is to deepen the understanding of the Spanish-speaking community at local and international levels, gain an appreciation for the traditions of students’ own families and cultures as well as those of Spanish-speaking countries, and strengthen conversation by increasing vocabulary and grammatical skills.

!

Throughout the year students will...

- master more sophisticated grammatical concepts such as the stem-changing and irregular verbs, direct object pronouns, and possessive adjectives

- expand their vocabulary to help them share and discuss family, traditions, clothing, transportation, and places in a town

- complete a variety of writing projects related to food, family, and traditions

- learn songs, work on group presentations and performances, play games, and read a novel

- maintain discussion surrounding bilingualism, Latino culture and global citizenship in today’s world

- learn about Spanish culture and practice reading and speaking skills independently and through collaboration across grade levels.

!

In order to check for and assess content mastery, the seventh grade will continue to be asked to complete regular homework assignments and take weekly quizzes and chapter tests. Students continue to use the textbook Avancemos I by Holt McDougal, in hardcover and online.

!

Fall

Winter

Spring

Essential Questions

• How can learning a foreign language benefit

• How can I share about my family with

• How do people in modern day Spanish-

individuals?

• What is the significance of bilingualism?

What role does bilingualism play in global citizenship?

• What role does food play in the Latino culture? How is the food different or similar to mine?

• How can I express my feelings in Spanish?

others in Spanish?

• Do the traditions and roles differ in traditionally Latino and Spanish-speaking families compared to mine? If so, how?

speaking countries spend their leisure time?

Does it differ from the way I do?

• How can I describe my attire as well as someone else’s?

Content

• Spanish as an advantage and benefit in daily

• Family vocabulary

• Birthdays and ages

• Making comparisons

• Possessive adjectives

• Giving dates

• Numbers over 200

• Articles of clothing

• Colors

• Seasons

• Daily activities of people living in Spanish-

• Identify and understand benefits of speaking

• Describe family members and their ages

• Discuss leisure activities and hobbies in Spanish-

Spanish in the future

• Conjugate and use the verbs ser, tener, estar and ir as well as -ar, -er, and -ir verbs

• Use interrogative words to formulate questions

• Name different meals in Spanish and acquire additional food vocabulary

• Express preferences using the verb gustar + nouns

• Learn songs in Spanish

and relationship to one another using family vocabulary in Spanish

• Recite months of the year and dates in Spanish

• Use possessive adjectives as well as de to show possession in Spanish

• Describe an individual’s attire and physical appearance and compare him/her to another individual in Spanish

• Recite numbers from 200 – 1,000,000 and months of the year

• Understand and appropriately use comparatives and discuss how they differ from one another

life, careers and education

• Agriculture and food of Spanish-speaking countries

• Review of the verbs ser, tener, estar, ir, and regular present tense verbs

• Asking questions

• Food vocabulary

• Verb gustar + nouns and verb hacer

• Spanish songs Skills

speaking countries

• Stem changing verbs e-ie, o-ue, and e-i

• Direct object pronouns

• Describing places

• Modes of transportation

• Ordering from a menu

• Verb ver

• Giving directions to a location

speaking countries

• Understand stem-changing verbs e-ie, o-ue and e-i and apply them appropriately in dialogue

• Order from a menu and understand its content

• Understand and appropriately use direct object pronouns

• Give directions to a location

Assessment

• Daily Entrada (entrance) activity

• Nightly homework

• Quizzes and tests

• Class participation

• Projects

• Daily Entrada (entrance) activity

• Nightly homework

• Quizzes and tests

• Classroom participation

• Oral and written project presentations

• Daily Entrada (entrance) activity

• Nightly homework

• Quizzes and tests

• Classroom participation

• Presentation of cultural research project

• Scavenger Hunt

Activities

• Textbook activities reinforcing target

• Textbook activities reinforcing target

• Textbook activities reinforcing target grammar

grammar skill

• Group skit writing and performance

• Vocabulary games

• Partner dialogue activities

• Diet project

• Song performance

• Postcard project

• Verb pictures

grammar skill

• Online listening and comprehension activities

• Group skit writing and performance

• Vocabulary games

• Partner dialogue activities

• Song performance

• Family Tree project

• Calendar project

• Canción de Si Misma poem and project

• Attribute Awareness: Can describe

• Attribute Awareness: Reinforces comfort

• Attribute Awareness: Uses increasingly precise

attributes of own learning style.

• Emotional Intelligence: Describes own emotional and physical states with accuracy; demonstrates consistent “manners” in discourse and behavior, meeting school expectations.

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling.

• Self and Community Membership: Explores ritual and cultural identity.

with differences; can describe attributes of own learning style.

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates consistent “manners” in discourse and behavior, meeting school expectations.

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Develops deeper understanding of participation in systems (family, classroom, community, ecological); largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling.

• Self and Community Membership: Explores ritual and cultural identity.

language to describe self and others; can describe attributes of own learning style.

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates consistent “manners” in discourse and behavior, meeting school expectations; sees self as able to complete projects and can describe the stage of project.

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling.

• Self and Community Membership: Explores ritual and cultural identity.

Social Justice Learning Strands

! !

! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

skill

• Online listening and comprehension activities

• Writing and performing skits with a group

• Vocabulary games

• Partner dialogue activities

• Memorizing and performing songs

• Scavenger hunt activity

Spanish Eighth Grade

In eighth grade Spanish class focuses on developing the Spanish-speaking proficiency of students. This is accomplished by moving towards an immersion-style of classroom. The majority of class is taught in Spanish and students are expected to use Spanish when communicating with the teacher and each other.

!

Throughout the year students...

-work independently, as well as, in groups

- master more challenging grammatical concepts such as: additional irregular and stem-changing verbs, saber vs. conocer, affirmative commands, -ar, -er, -ir verbs in the preterite tense, irregular verbs in the preterite tense, reflexive verbs, present progressive tense

- expand their vocabulary to include, the home, sports, technology, health, and the human body (external parts and internal organs)

- write and produce an original script or movie in Spanish

- write poetry and design and describe a room in a home

- write, illustrate, and construct an original book in Spanish

- comprehend instructions given in Spanish, ask questions in Spanish, and contribute to class activities and discussions in Spanish

- learn about Spanish culture and practice reading and speaking skills independently and through collaboration across grade levels.

!

Students use the textbook Avancemos 1 by Holt McDougal, in hardcover as well as, online. Students will once again be able to access their online book by going to classzone.com and inputting a username and password given to them. Accessing @HOMETUTOR, through classzone.com continues to be an excellent way to practice and reinforce what has been covered in class.

!

Fall Essential Questions

• What Spanish skills can I employ where I

Content

• Review

• Talking about activities

• Describing yourself and others

• School related vocabulary and

to find myself in a Spanish-speaking country right now?

information

• Food and drink related dialogues and vocabulary

• Family related information

• Making comparisons

• Expressing possession

• Describing a house and household items

• Indicating the order of things

• Locating items or people

Winter

Spring

• How do parties and celebrations differ in

• How do people in modern day, Spanish-

Spanish-speaking countries?

• How can I express what I need done and what I have accomplished in Spanish?

• What are the different sports played in the Spanish-speaking world? How are they similar or different from those in the US?

speaking countries take care of their health?

Does it differ from the way I do?

• Technology is international. How can I share information about it in Spanish?

• Planning a party

• Vocabulary related to chores and

• The human body in Spanish

• Sharing information about things you have done

responsibilities

• Telling someone to do something and relating what you have just done

• Talking about sports

• Talking about whom you know and what you know

in the past

• Talking about technology

• Talking about a sequence of events over time

• Expressing negative or indefinite situations

• Conjugate and use the verbs ser, tener,

• Master irregular verbs: dar, decir, poner, salir,

estar, and ir, as well as -ar,-er, and -ir verbs

• Use interrogative words to formulate questions

• Name the different meals in Spanish and acquisition of additional food vocabulary

• Tell time and date

• Describe and compare family member’s, physical attributes, attire, relationships to one another.

• Understand direct object pronouns, and how and when to use them

• Master stem changing verbs e-ie, o-ue and e-i and apply them appropriately in dialogue

traer, and venir

• Use affirmative tú commands.

• Memorize and use sports related vocabulary

• Conjugate and use the verb jugar

• Understand of saber and conocer, how to use them, and how they differ from one another

• Memorize and apply household vocabulary

• Know ordinal numbers

Assessment

• Daily QSR (Quick Start Review) activity

• Nightly homework

• Quizzes and tests

• Classroom participation

• Project

• Daily QSR (Quick Start Review) activity

• Nightly homework

• Quizzes and tests

• Classroom participation

• Oral and written project presentations

• Daily QSR (Quick Start Review) activity

• Nightly homework

• Quizzes and tests

• Classroom participation

• Presentation of cultural research project

Activities

• Textbook activities reinforcing target

• Textbook activities reinforcing target grammar

• Textbook activities reinforcing target grammar

grammar skill

• Writing and performing skits with a group

• Vocabulary games

• Partner dialogue activities

• Spanish Telenovela Project

• Scrapbook project

• Memorizing and performing songs

skill

• Online listening and comprehension activities

• Writing and performing skits with a group

• Vocabulary and grammar Games

• Cuarto Project

• Scavenger Hunt Project

• Memorizing and performing songs

• Saber, conocer poem

• Online listening and comprehension activities

• Writing and performing skits with a group

• Vocabulary games

• Partner dialogue activities

• Memorizing and performing songs

• Book project

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates

• Attribute Awareness: Reinforces comfort with

• Attribute Awareness: Reinforces comfort with

comfortable, empathetic interaction with people of diverse learning styles, abilities and intelligence, cultures and appearances; writes dialog expressing empathy and/or writes from a perspective not her own.

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling.

• Self and Community Membership: Values self in role of mentor to younger children; explores ritual and cultural identity.

differences.

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates comfortable, empathetic interaction with people of diverse learning styles, abilities and intelligence, cultures and appearances.

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling.

• Self and Community Membership: Values self in role of mentor to younger children; explores ritual and cultural identity.

Skills

Social Justice Learning Strands

• Memorize the parts of the human body in Spanish

• Talk about healthy habits in Spanish

• Conjugate regular ar, er, and ir verbs in the preterite tense

• Conjugate –car, -gar and –zar verbs in the preterite tense

• Memorize and apply vocabulary pertaining to technology

• Use affirmative words and negative words in a dialogue

• Conjugate ir, ser + hacer in the preterite tense

• Understand reflexive verbs and how to use them

• Constructs and applies the present progressive

skill

differences.

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates comfortable, empathetic interaction with people of diverse learning styles, abilities and intelligence, cultures and appearances.

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling.

• Self and Community Membership: Values self in role of mentor to younger children; explores ritual and cultural identity.

Humanities Humanities Sixth Grade

This course integrates Language Arts and Social Studies and offers students a chance to see the connections among history, literature, art, and culture. Additionally, the course covers skills in writing, oral presentations, study techniques, and research assignments. Sixth grade Humanities principally focuses on how individuals and groups affect the greater community and the world. Topics covered include families, communities, Latin America, the Holocaust, The Civil Rights Movement, and American cultural diversity.

!

Vocabulary instruction focuses on Latin and Greek roots and parsing words for comprehension. Students self-generate weekly spelling lists based on commonly misspelled words they need to master. Students read a selection of novels, short stories, and poetry.

Literature will, whenever possible, connect to concepts that students are concurrently exploring in Humanities, Spanish, and Science. Academic writing skills are emphasized through expository essays in each major unit. Grammatical and mechanical skills are reinforced through all academic writing assignments. Students deliver many oral presentations, both formal and informal. Finally, geography skills such as map reading are covered with each unit.

!

Fall Essential Questions

• What comprises our community?

• What’s in a name?

• What is our relationship with Latin American countries?

• How does the US citizenship process affect immigrants?

Content

• Latin and Greek Vocabulary

• Multicultural poetry

• Amigas Project

• U.N. “Rights of a Child”

• Viva La Causa film

• Democratic process

• Narrative arc (setting, plot, conflict, rising and falling action, resolution)

Winter

• How do Utopian ideals create environments where genocide can be carried out?

• How can we prevent another genocide?

• What contemporary human rights issues are informed by our understanding of historical violations such as the Holocaust?

• Latin and Greek Vocabulary

• Utopia and Genocide

• Political factors in Europe preceding the Holocaust

• Role of resistors and rescue during the

Spring

• Why were “unsung” US heroes prevented from obtaining social status?

• How does the historic struggle for equality in the U.S. inform our modern world?

• What is Shakespeare's influence on modern English and the literary canon?

• Latin and Greek Vocabulary

• U.S. Civil Rights movement – introduction

• U.S. unsung heroes

• U.S. states and capitals

• Novels: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Holocaust

• WA Holocaust Education Resource Center “teaching trunk”

• Novels: The Circuit, Voices From the Fields • Novels: The Lottery and Animal Farm

• Book Groups: Night, The Devil's Arithmetic, Diary of Anne Frank, All But My Life Skills

• Map reading

• Organization

• Memorization – vocabulary

• Reading comprehension

• Literary analysis

• Note taking

• Writing a five paragraph essay

• Revising and editing

• Persuasive writing

• Group negotiation

• Idea-generating strategies and free-writing

• Map reading

• Making inferences

• Organization

• Memorization – vocabulary

• Reading comprehension

• Literary analysis

• Note taking

• Writing a five paragraph essay

• Revising and editing

• Group negotiation

• Creative writing

• Map reading

• Organization

• Reading comprehension

• Literary analysis

• Memorization – vocabulary

• Note taking

• Writing a five paragraph essay

• Revising and editing

• Research paper

• Writing a bibliography

Assessment

• Weekly vocabulary quizzes

• Unit exams

• Class participation

• Persuasive essay

• Oral presentation

• Group presentation

• Debates

• Weekly vocabulary quizzes

• Unit exams

• Class participation

• Five paragraph literary analysis essay

• Oral presentation

• Group presentation

• Power point presentation

• Debates

• Weekly vocabulary quizzes

• Unit exams

• Speech

• Class participation

• Research term paper

• Five paragraph literary analysis essay

• Oral presentation

• Group presentation

• Debates

• Power point presentation

Activities

• Poetry writing

• My Name vignette

• I am From

• I Was Raised By poem

• The Circuit narrative arc map

• United Farmworkers Movement project

• Human Rights posters

• Amigas group projects

• The Lottery literary analysis expository

• Civil Rights "unsung hero" biography and art

essay

• Animal Farm project

• Holocaust essay / art contest

• Holocaust rescuer presentation

• Contemporary human rights issue project and presentation

component

• Roll of Thunder expository essay

• Shakespeare research term paper and presentation

Social Justice Learning Strands

! !

• Point of View: Developing ability to

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Suggests

describe and attribute different opinions/ perspectives

• Attribute Awareness: Reads charts and graphs with growing fluency, discerning information about opinion, income, and more abstract social attributes

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); explores ritual and cultural identity

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures; shows growing vocabulary of justice

or “invents” devices/strategies that would make the world better and solve problems; largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); extends study of history, looking at effect of pivotal event on different groups

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures; introduced to the concept of oppression (as distinct from exclusion); demonstrates “moral compass” and sense of right and wrong

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with

increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); understanding of status as a societal element; analyzes relationships among groups of people recognizing power dynamics, goals and outcomes pertaining to economic, racial and gender issues among others

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures; reads a variety of genres concerning discrimination, civics, history, and legislation; makes informed, considerate evaluations about race, class, religion, gender, sexuality, ability, and culture

Writing Workshop Sixth Grade

This is a writing skills class that teaches the conventions of written language and writing craft within a meaningful context: students’ own writing. Through a combination of inquiry and direct instruction, students learn grammatical and mechanical rules and apply them to the writing they do in a writer’s notebook. Students generate their own meaningful topics, craft short pieces of writing, then take them through the writing process and publish for an audience.

!

Fall Essential Questions

• Where do writers get ideas?

• What are writing conventions and why do they matter?

• How do writers convey meaning?

Winter

• How do writers engage their readers?

• How do writers take ownership of the writing process?

Spring

• How does one read like a writer?

• How do writers use narrative to support an idea?

• Using a Writer's Notebook

• Conventions of writing: grammar and mechanics

• Writer’s craft

• Writing process

• Using a Writer's Notebook

• Conventions of writing: grammar and • Writing process

• Writer’s craft

• Grammar text: Woe is I Jr.

• Writing process

• Writer’s craft

• Grammar text: Woe is I Jr.

• Idea-generating strategies and free-writing

• Applying lessons of grammar and mechanics

• Applying lessons of grammar and mechanics

• Applying lessons of grammar and mechanics

(including but not limited to sentence fragments, subjects and predicates, commas in a series, rules of capitalization, etc.)

• Applying craft lessons: So What factor (personal meaning), narrative focus

• Writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, publishing

• Collaboration: writing partnerships

(including but not limited to punctuation and formatting of dialogue, crafting compound sentences with commas and coordinating conjunctions, paragraphing, key homophones, etc.)

• Applying craft lessons: elaboration strategies (IADD), show-not-tell

• Writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, publishing

• Collaboration: writing partnerships

(including but not limited to using apostrophes to show contraction and possession, crafting complex sentences with commas and subordinating conjunctions, etc.)

• Applying craft lessons: blending narrative and expository techniques in idea-based writing

• Writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, publishing

• Collaboration: writing partnerships

Assessment

• Writer's notebook

• GEMs (short published pieces)

• Weekly quizzes

• Writer's notebook

• GEMs (short published pieces)

• Weekly quizzes

• Writer's notebook

• GEMs (short published pieces)

• Weekly quizzes

Activities

• Portrait of a writer: embellishing the writer's

• Publishing celebrations

• Grammar Day!

• Publishing celebrations

• Point of View: Developing ability to describe and

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Suggests or

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely

attribute different opinions/perspectives

• Attribute Awareness: Reads charts and graphs with growing fluency, discerning information about opinion, income, and more abstract social attributes

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); explores ritual and cultural identity

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures; shows growing vocabulary of justice

“invents” devices/strategies that would make the world better and solve problems; largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); extends study of history, looking at effect of pivotal event on different groups

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures; introduced to the concept of oppression (as distinct from exclusion); demonstrates “moral compass” and sense of right and wrong

responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); understanding of status as a societal element; analyzes relationships among groups of people recognizing power dynamics, goals and outcomes pertaining to economic, racial and gender issues among others

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures; reads a variety of genres concerning discrimination, civics, history, and legislation; makes informed, considerate evaluations about race, class, religion, gender, sexuality, ability, and culture

Content

Skills

notebook

• Publishing celebrations Social Justice Learning Strands

! ! ! ! ! !

mechanics

• Using a Writer's Notebook

• Conventions of writing: grammar and mechanics

Humanities Seventh Grade

This course integrates Language Arts with Social Studies and offers students a chance to see the connections among history, literature, art, and culture. Additionally, the course covers skills in writing, oral presentations, study techniques, and research assignments. The subject matter of this course is World History and Literature. Additionally, this course looks closely at different cultures’ rites of passage as the LWGMS seventh graders develop, design, and implement their own ritual, a culminating event in the Spring term.

!

Throughout the year, students will have weekly vocabulary based on the literature assignments, Latin and Greek roots, and high school preparation lists. Additionally, academic writing skills are emphasized, and grammatical and mechanical skills are reinforced in all units. Oral presentations skills are highlighted on a daily basis in informal class participation as well as in formal presentations throughout the year. Finally, geography skills such as map reading are covered with each unit and include historical and current maps.

!

Fall

Winter

• How does a writer use language to

• How do religious beliefs influence cultures

convey meaning?

• How does democracy influence culture and civilization?

• Why does the study of history inform our modern world?

and civilizations?

• How does a rite of passage reflect cultural values?

• How do the world’s cultures differ in beliefs and values?

Content

The Ancient World:

• Mesopotamia

• Ancient Greece

• Ancient Rome

• Greek & Roman Mythology

• The Epic of Gilgamesh

• Antigone

Belief Systems & Values:

• World religions

• Rites of Passage

• Book groups: Persepolis, The Chosen, Whale Rider, Gilead

• Coming of age poetry

• Personal Essays (Writing Workshop)

Skills

• Map reading

• Map reading

• Analyzing drama, poetry, literature, and • Analyzing drama, poetry, literature, and non-

Essential Questions

non-fiction

• Writing persuasive essay

• Outlining

• Memorization – vocabulary

• Revising and editing

• Presentation: oral skills

• Applying lessons of grammar & mechanics

• 3D design

fiction

• Writing persuasive essay

• Writing Personal Essay

• Outlining

• Memorization – vocabulary

• Revising and editing

• Presentation: oral skills

• Research

• Bibliography

• Web-page assessment

• Applying lessons of grammar & mechanics

Spring

• How do politics and power affect the environment?

• How can individuals affect change in the world?

• How do modern nations deal with cultural differences?

Colliding Values & Change:

• Africa: Colonization

• China: Tradition & Change

• Snow Falling in Spring

• Things Fall Apart

• Term Paper: World Cultures

• Map reading

• Analyzing drama, poetry, literature, and non-fiction

• Writing persuasive essay

• Research for term paper

• Memorization – vocabulary

• Revising and editing

• Presentation: oral skills

• Research

• Bibliography

• Group work

• Self-assessment

• Applying lessons of grammar & mechanics

Assessment

• PowerPoint presentation

• Oral presentation

• Persuasive essays

• Weekly Vocabulary quiz

• Reading quiz

• Unit exam

• Artist statement

• Group project

• Group presentation

• Research paper

• Weekly vocabulary quiz

• Reading quiz

• Unit exam

Activities

• Art project: Greek pottery

• Presentations

• Writing: essay, poetry

• Debate

• Art project: God/Goddess poster, architecture • Art project: propaganda poster, proverb of worship

• Presentations

• Writing: research paper, poetry, essay, creative

! ! ! ! ! !

illustration

• Debate

• Create personal rite of passage

• Writing

• Debate

• Begin planning group rites of passage

• Research world culture topic

• PowerPoint presentation on term paper

• Point of View: Developing ability to

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Suggests or

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible

describe and attribute different opinions/perspectives

• Attribute Awareness: Reads charts and graphs with growing fluency, discerning information about opinion, income, and more abstract social attributes

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); explores ritual and cultural identity.

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures; shows growing vocabulary of justice

“invents” devices/strategies that would make the world better and solve problems; largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); extends study of history, looking at effect of pivotal event on different groups

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures; introduced to the concept of oppression (as distinct from exclusion); demonstrates “moral compass” and sense of right and wrong

for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); understanding of status as a societal element; analyzes relationships among groups of people recognizing power dynamics, goals and outcomes pertaining to economic, racial and gender issues among others

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures; reads a variety of genres concerning discrimination, civics, history, and legislation; makes informed, considerate evaluations about race, class, religion, gender, sexuality, ability, and culture

writing

Social Justice Learning Strands

• Visual presentation

• Oral presentation

• Group presentation

• Persuasive essays

• Weekly vocabulary quiz

• Reading quiz

• Unit exam

• Artist statement

Writing Workshop Seventh Grade

This is a writing skills class that teaches the conventions of written language and writing techniques within a meaningful context: students’ own writing. Through a combination of inquiry and direct instruction, students learn grammatical and mechanical rules and apply them to the writing they do in a writer’s notebook. Students generate their own meaningful topics to write about; then they take them through the writing process and publish for an audience. In addition, students develop their voices as essayists and practice blending narrative and expository technique in a personal essay genre study. The writing they do in this unit helps them prepare for their rites of passage experience in the spring by exploring issues of personal identity.

Fall

Spring

• How can the writing process foster a

• How do writers explore personal identity

sense of community?

• What are writing conventions, and why do they matter?

through the writing process?

• How is writing an empowering act?

• Using a writer’s notebook

• Writing process

• Writer’s craft

• Conventions of writing: grammar and

• Using a writer’s notebook

• Writing process

• Writer’s craft

• Conventions of writing: grammar and mechanics

• Genre study: personal essay

• Using a writer’s notebook

• Writing process

• Writer’s craft

• Conventions of writing: grammar and

• Writing process skills and strategies:

• Writing process skills and strategies: generating,

• Writing process skills and strategies:

generating, drafting, revising, editing, proofreading, publishing

• Applying lessons of grammar and mechanics (including but not limited to appositives, comma splices, parts of speech, verb tense consistency, review of 6th grade content, etc.)

• Writing GEMs

• Collaboration: writing partnerships

drafting, revising, editing, proofreading, publishing

• Applying lessons of grammar and mechanics (including but not limited to pronouns and antecedents, commonly confused words, subjectverb agreement, concision, apostrophes to show possession, etc.)

• Writing personal essays

• Collaboration: writing partnerships

generating, drafting, revising, editing, proofreading, publishing

• Applying lessons of grammar and mechanics (including but not limited to commas in direct address, commas after introductory phrases and clauses, using quotation marks, etc.)

• Writing editorials

• Collaboration: writing partnerships

Assessment

• Writer’s notebook

• Grammar and usage presentations

• GEMs

• Grammar and mechanics quizzes

• Writer’s notebook

• GEMs

• Published personal essay

• Grammar and mechanics quizzes

• Writer’s notebook

• GEMs

• Published editorial

• Grammar and mechanics quizzes

Activities

• Portrait of a Writer: embellishing the

• Writer’s notebook

• Publishing (GEMs, personal essay)

• Grammar Day!

• Topical prompts

• Walk of Convictions

• Invisible Backpacks

• Writer’s notebook

• Publishing (GEMs, editorials)

• Contest entries (Sun Magazine, National

Essential Questions

Content

mechanics Skills

writer’s notebook

• Publishing (GEMs)

• Parts of speech flip-books

• Word Crimes

Winter

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

• How can writing effect change?

• How and why do writers adapt

their writing

to different audiences?

mechanics

• Genre study: editorials

Punctuation Day, YES! Magazine)

• Topical prompts

•

Social Studies Eighth Grade

The eighth grade Social Studies class is a combination of Washington State History and American Studies. Throughout the year, students write persuasive essays, make presentations, read primary and secondary sources, and take a variety of tests and quizzes. The first half of the year is spent on Washington State History: students will study the geography of Washington, the history of Native Americans, explorers, traders, settlers, and the formation of the state government. Further, the course covers the diverse people of Washington by looking at the various immigration movements. Finally, students conduct an in-depth look at Washington's Civil Rights Movement. Mid-year, eighth graders turn their attention to the United States, with a strong focus on the US Constitution and Civics.

Additionally, the course focuses on American culture by exploring some of the elements of United States history that traditionally receive less attention; specifically, we look at the role of women, African-Americans, and labor unions in the formation of American society. As part of the Social Studies class, all 8th graders participate in the LWGMS Film Festival with the development and completion of a documentary film about Washington State or the United States. Finally, all eighth graders will participate in a Constitutional Mock Trial project in the spring term.

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Fall Essential Questions

Content

• What perspectives are important in understanding society and culture?

• How does Washington State fit into American history and culture?

• Why is local history significant to the study of history?

• How does change occur in in Washington State?

• Geography of Washington State

• Early people in Washington

• Diversity within Washington State

• Economy of Washington

• Politics in Washington

• Washington State’s Civil Rights

Winter

• How does a culture or civilization change?

• What is the relationship between political

Spring

• How does the culture in 20th Century in America differ from its earlier society?

philosophies and the United States Constitution?

• How does the United States government respond to crises in its Constitution?

• How did the end of slavery affect change in America?

• How did African Americans react to the end of slavery?

• How do economics reflect American values?

• What are major themes in 20th Century

• Abolition and the fight against slavery

• Legislative and legal response to slavery issue

• The Civil War

• Glory: Mass 54th and other all-black regiments

• The Great Migration

• The Harlem Renaissance

• World War I

• The Jazz Age & the Roaring 20s

• American culture: Mass markets and

Movement

• MLK Essay Contest

American history?

• How did the two World Wars play a role in shaping the values and politics in American culture?

• What is the role of the courts in American government?

consumerism

• Economics before and after the stock market crash of 1929

• The Great Depression & World War II

• Civics: Mock Trial

Skills

• Map reading

• Analyze documents

• Write persuasive essay

• Outlining/note taking

• Memorization – vocabulary

• Revising and editing

• Presentation: oral skills

• Using digital media technology

• Group work

• Filmmaking

• Analyze legal documents

• Analyze primary and secondary sources

• Write persuasive essay

• Outlining

• Memorization – vocabulary

• Revising and editing

• Presentation: oral skills

• Research

• Write a bibliography

• Film analysis

• Group work

• Filmmaking

• Map reading

• Analyze primary and secondary sources

• Writing persuasive essay

• Outlining

• Memorization – vocabulary

• Revising and editing

• Presentation: oral skills

• Group work

Assessment

• PowerPoint/Prezi presentation

• Oral presentation

• Persuasive essays

• Weekly vocabulary quiz

• Reading quiz

• Unit exam

• Washington State documentary film

• Group project

• Group presentation

• Research paper

• Weekly vocabulary quiz

• In-class essay/timed writing

• Reading quiz

• Unit exam

• Harlem Renaissance Documentary

• Visual presentation

• Oral presentation

• Group presentation

• Persuasive essays

• Weekly vocabulary quiz

• Reading quiz

• Unit exam

• Mock Trial

Activities

• Washington State History Film

• Document-Based Question Essay

• Presentations

• Writing: short research paper, essay, creative

• Document-Based Question Essay

• Writing: legal research paper and essay

• Mock Trial

• Debate and persuasive speaking

• Graduation speech

projects

• Presentations

• Writing: essay, poetry, short story

• Debate

• Research assignment on Washington State Social Justice Learning Strands

writing

• Debate

• History Film Festival documentary projects

• Point of View: Developing ability to

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Suggests or

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely

describe and attribute different opinions/perspectives

• Attribute Awareness: Reads charts and graphs with growing fluency, discerning information about opinion, income, and more abstract social attributes

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); explores ritual and cultural identity

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures; shows growing vocabulary of justice

“invents” devices/strategies that would make the world better and solve problems; largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); extends study of history, looking at effect of pivotal event on different groups

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures; introduced to the concept of oppression (as distinct from exclusion); demonstrates “moral compass” and sense of right and wrong

responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); understanding of status as a societal element; analyzes relationships among groups of people recognizing power dynamics, goals and outcomes pertaining to economic, racial and gender issues among others

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures; reads a variety of genres concerning discrimination, civics, history, and legislation; makes informed, considerate evaluations about race, class, religion, gender, sexuality, ability, and culture

Language Arts Eighth Grade

This course functions as the literary component of the 8th grade Humanities curriculum. As students gain practice in the mechanics and process of writing in Writing Workshop, eighth grade Language Arts reinforces and applies those skills in a primarily literary context. Students will learn and practice different writing modes as ways of expressing their analytic skills.

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Students will engage in traditional novel study and literary analysis while also actively connecting their reading to the narrative of their own lives and the world around them. Socratic seminars and oral performances will allow students to explore the themes and issues raised in the text while continuing to build essential communication skills.

Fall Essential Questions

Content

• How does narrative perspective shape

• How does American literature reflect social

the way we read and understand a text?

• How does modern literature reflect diverse cultures of Washington State?

• How do readers interpret poetry?

progress?

• How are history and literature related?

• How is the concept of “passing” relevant in contemporary society? Who passes? How and why?

• What techniques and devices do writers use to create stories and convey themes?

• Reading of Sherman Alexi’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian

• Reading of Julie Otsuka’s When the Emperor Was Divine

• Literary devices

• Reading and analyzing poetry: free verse and forms

Skills

Winter

• Literary analysis and personal response

• Active reading strategies

• Presentation: oral communication

• Memorization – vocabulary

• Collaboration: reading and writing

Spring

• How does audience and purpose inform different kinds of writing?

• What makes a book “the great American novel”?

• How does literature reflect a society?

• How is the reading of memoir a transformative act?

• Reading of Nella Larsen’s Passing

• Reading short stories

• Reading memoir

• Reading Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

• Writing literary essays

• Analyzing short stories

• Presentation: oral communication

• Memorization – vocabulary

• Collaboration: reading and writing partnerships

• Analyzing memoir

• Memorization – vocabulary

• Presentation: oral communication

• Collaboration: reading and writing partnerships

partnerships

• Analyzing poetry Assessment

• Projects and presentations

• Literary essay

• Reading responses

• Tests and quizzes

• Projects and presentations

• Literary essay

• Reading responses

• Tests and quizzes

• Projects and presentations

• Literary essay

• Reading responses

• Tests and quizzes s

Activities

• Field trip to International District

• Art Project

• Presentations

• Writing: essays and responses

• Presentations

• Writing: essays and responses

• Harlem Renaissance film (in connection with

• Socratic Seminars

• Writing: essays and responses

• Drama: The Great Gatsby

• Point of View: Developing ability to

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Suggests or

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely

describe and attribute different opinions/perspectives

• Attribute Awareness: Reads charts and graphs with growing fluency, discerning information about opinion, income, and more abstract social attributes

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); explores ritual and cultural identity

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures; shows growing vocabulary of justice

“invents” devices/strategies that would make the world better and solve problems; largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); extends study of history, looking at effect of pivotal event on different groups

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures; introduced to the concept of oppression (as distinct from exclusion); demonstrates “moral compass” and sense of right and wrong

responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); understanding of status as a societal element; analyzes relationships among groups of people recognizing power dynamics, goals and outcomes pertaining to economic, racial and gender issues among others

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures; reads a variety of genres concerning discrimination, civics, history, and legislation; makes informed, considerate evaluations about race, class, religion, gender, sexuality, ability, and culture

Social Justice Learning Strands

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Social Studies)

• Socratic Seminar

Writing Workshop Eighth Grade

The focus of instruction in this course is the development of students’ writing voices and skills in multiple genres. Students make extensive use of the writing process, building on the revision and editing strategies they’ve acquired in previous grades, and learn to become their own editors. Grammar and mechanics instruction is contextualized in a way that allows students to apply it to their own writing. In addition to generating their own writing topics, they respond to prompts about topical issues, particularly ones with social justice themes.

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Genre studies include free verse poetry, short realistic fiction, and memoir. These units employ mentor texts that students read as writers, learning how to see authors as mentors for their own writing. These genre studies are also aligned with the reading students do in Language Arts.

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Fall

Winter

Spring

Essential Questions

• How do writers develop their own

• How can we use our personal and collective

writing process?

• How do writers expand their toolbox for generating ideas?

• What are conventions, and why do they matter?

experience to enhance our understanding of texts we read and write?

• What techniques and devices to writers use to create stories and convey themes?

• How does one read as a writer?

Content

• Using a writer’s notebook

• Writing process

• Conventions of writing: grammar and

• Writing process

• Writing process

• Conventions of writing: grammar and mechanics • Conventions of writing: grammar and mechanics

• Genre study: short realistic fiction • Genre study: narrative memoir

• Graduation speeches

mechanics

• Punctuation study

• Genre study: free-verse poetry

• How is the writing of memoir a transformative, even political, act?

• How do writers use authors as mentors?

• Writing process skills and strategies:

• Writing process skills and strategies: generating,

• Writing process skills and strategies:

generating, drafting, revising, editing, proofreading, publishing

• Applying lessons of grammar and mechanics (including but not limited to the use of commas, colons, semicolons; pronoun case, order, and antecedents; key homophones and commonly confused words; review of 6th and 7th grade skills)

• Writing free verse poetry

• Collaboration: writing partnerships

drafting, revising, editing, proofreading, publishing

• Applying lessons of grammar and mechanics (including but not limited to the use of commas, colons, semicolons; pronoun case, order, and antecedents; key homophones and commonly confused words; review of 6th and 7th grade skills)

• Writing short realistic fiction( with an emphasis on character development)

• Collaboration: writing partnerships

generating, drafting, revising, editing, proofreading, publishing

• Applying lessons of grammar and mechanics (including but not limited to the use of commas, colons, semicolons; pronoun case, order, and antecedents; key homophones and commonly confused words; review of 6th and 7th grade skills)

• Writing narrative memoir

• Writing a graduation speech

• Collaboration: writing partnerships

Assessment

• Writer’s notebook

• Punctuation presentations

• 50-word assignments

• GEMs

• Published poems

• Poetry Night

• Grammar and mechanics quizzes

• Writer’s Notebook

• 50-word assignments

• GEMs

• Published short story

• Grammar and mechanics quizzes

• Writer’s Notebook

• 50-word assignments

• GEMs

• Published memoir

• Grammar and mechanics quizzes

• Graduation speech

Activities

• Portrait of a Writer: embellishing the

• Writer’s notebook

• Character development interviews

• Scene dramatizations

• Grammar Day!

• Publishing (GEMs, fiction)

• Contest entries (Sun Magazine, National

• Writer’s notebook

• Six-word memoirs

• Publishing (GEMs, memoir)

• Contest entries (Sun Magazine, National

Skills

writer’s notebook

• Punctuation project

• Publishing (GEMs, Poetry Night)

• Contest entries (Sun Magazine, National Punctuation Day, YES! Magazine)

• Topical prompts

• Word Crimes Social Justice Learning Strands

Punctuation Day, YES! Magazine)

• Topical prompts

Punctuation Day, YES! Magazine)

• Topical prompts

• Point of View: Developing ability to

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Suggests or

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely

describe and attribute different opinions/perspectives

• Attribute Awareness: Reads charts and graphs with growing fluency, discerning information about opinion, income, and more abstract social attributes

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); explores ritual and cultural identity

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures; shows growing vocabulary of justice

“invents” devices/strategies that would make the world better and solve problems; largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); extends study of history, looking at effect of pivotal event on different groups

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures; introduced to the concept of oppression (as distinct from exclusion); demonstrates “moral compass” and sense of right and wrong

responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); understanding of status as a societal element; analyzes relationships among groups of people recognizing power dynamics, goals and outcomes pertaining to economic, racial and gender issues among others

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support of classroom rules and procedures; reads a variety of genres concerning discrimination, civics, history, and legislation; makes informed, considerate evaluations about race, class, religion, gender, sexuality, ability, and culture

Visual Art Recognizing that art cannot be separated from the study of history, language, culture, and other academic disciplines, a DBAE (Discipline-Based Art Education) approach will be used throughout all of art classes. This is a conceptual framework that encompasses the following:

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Production: creating or performing

History: encountering the historical and cultural background of works of art

Aesthetics: discovering the nature and philosophy of the arts

Criticism: making informed judgments about the arts

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Students will be exposed to a diverse selection of artists and develop a vocabulary to discuss and critically examine works of art. Furthermore, students will use the Elements of Art (line, shape, color, texture, form, space, value) and Principles of Design (pattern, variety, harmony, contrast, unity, balance, emphasis) to create works of art that emphasize process and not product.

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Art Sixth Grade

Fall Essential Questions

Winter

• What makes a work of art visually appealing?

• How can you communicate a message, or feeling, through art?

• How does simplifying an image into its basic form create a sense of balance?

• How do we use measuring and proportion to create representations • How does art communicate ideas? of human face/form?

Spring

• How do artists use color to convey mood?

• How do artists use symbols to communicate larger themes?

• How do artists use different media to support their content?

Content

• Watercolor

• Scratchboard

• Dia de los Muertos

• Contour drawing

• Abstract self-portraiture

• Latin American art

• Proportion

• Portraiture

• Figure drawing

• Stamping

• 3D Mixed media sculpture

• Kara Walker

• Printmaking

• Oil pastels

• Acrylic paint

Skills

• Elements of art

• Principles of design

• Production

• Aesthetics

• Criticism

• Elements of art

• Principles of design

• Production

• Aesthetics

• Criticism

• Elements of art

• Principles of design

• Production

• Aesthetics

• Criticism

Assessment

• Class participation

• Motivation

• Effort

• Final product

• Artistic curiosity

• Class participation

• Motivation

• Effort

• Final product

• Artistic curiosity

• Class participation

• Motivation

• Effort

• Final product

• Artistic curiosity

Activities

• Shoe contour drawings

• Scratchboard animals

• Dia de los Muertos papel picado

• Silhouette self-portrait collage

• Diego Rivera fresco tiles

• Locker lady portrait

• Jacob Friedman Holocaust Art

• Kara Walker silhouette installation

• Personal/family mandalas

• Master grid replicas

• Introductory printmaking

• Point of View: Developing ability to describe

• Emotional Intelligence: Uses

• Emotional Intelligence: Begins to offer

and attribute different opinions/perspectives.

• Attribute Awareness: Expanding emotional and social vocabulary.

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling.

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects); explores ritual and cultural identity.

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support or classroom rules and procedures.

increasingly precise language to describe feelings and moods; further develops ability to harness constructive criticism.

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling.

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects).

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support or classroom rules and procedures; begins to demonstrate philosophic thought, may talk/learn about creation, religion, death.

constructive criticism in classroom situations when appropriate.

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling.

• Self and Community Membership: Volunteers with increasing frequency, has opportunities to volunteer as a member of a group (class projects).

• Fairness and Justice: Contributes to identification and support or classroom rules and procedures; makes informed, considerate evaluations about race, class, religion, gender, sexuality, ability and culture.

Social Justice Learning Strands

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Contest

• Figure drawing and stamping

• Louise Nevelson Installations

Art Seventh Grade

Fall Essential Questions

• How do artists use line and movement to

Content

• Elements of Art: line, shape, form, space,

create energy?

• How do artists use color to convey mood?

• How is art used to tell a story? What stories are told?

Winter

Spring

• What is your personal “chi”?

• What are advanced ways of using materials?

• What visual elements comprise your “chi”?

• How can we experiment in new ways with familiar art tools?

• How is an object simplified into an abstract form?

• What is a Cubist form?

• Elements of Art: shape, form, color, texture

• Principles of design: emphasis, variety, unity,

• Elements of Art: shape, color, form, value, texture

• Principles of Design: emphasis, unity, balance,

balance, rhythm

Art history:

• Georgia O'Keeffe

• Betye Saar

• Joseph Cornell

Art production:

• abstraction of an object

• found objects sculptures

• drawing and mixed media portraiture

• acrylic painting

rhythm

Art history:

• Franz Marc and Cubism

• Andy Goldsworthy

• Kathe Kollwitz

Art production:

• printmaking

• oil / chalk pastel

• acrylic paint

• Describes and evaluates the media,

• Describes and evaluates the media,

• Describes and evaluates the media, processes, and

processes, and meaning of a work of art, making comparative judgments

• Employs elements of a landscape (foreground, middle-ground, background, linear perspective horizon line, vanishing point)

• Mixes and blends colors

• Adds black and white to create tints and shades

• Uses hatching, cross-hatching and stippling to create value

• Primary, secondary, tertiary colors; warm, and cool colors

processes, and meaning of a work of art, making comparative judgments

• Mixes and blending colors

• Selects and arranges found objects into a balanced, meaningful work of art

• Abstraction of an object into its basic form using simplification

meaning of a work of art, making comparative judgments

• Mixes and blends colors

• Adds white to colors to create tints; adding black to create shades

• Uses relief printmaking techniques

• Uses a variety of line types and thicknesses to create rhythm and movement in a blockprint

Assessment

• Class participation

• Motivation

• Effort

• Final product

• Artist statements

• Class participation

• Motivation

• Effort

• Final product

• Artist statements

• Class participation

• Motivation

• Effort

• Final product

• Artist statements

Activities

• Van Gogh-style landscapes

• Andy Warhol "Pop Art" paintings

• Dia de los Muertos calaveras

• Color wheels

• Art History research presentations and

• Expressionist self-portraits

• Chi Box (with Rites of Passage curriculum)

• Georgia O'Keeffe pastel flowers/fruit

• Reductive linoleum block printing

• Cubist animal paintings

• Natural object sculptures

• Attribute Awareness: Can describe

• Point of View: Identifies personal

• Attribute Awareness: Can describe attributes of

attributes of own learning style; reinforces comfort with differences

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates consistent manners in discourse and behavior, meeting school expectations

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Explores ritual and cultural identity

perspectives that have changed since elementary school

• Attribute Awareness: Can describe attributes of own learning style; can define self using some standard language; demonstrates ability to list ways in which she is “different from” as well as “the same as” peer group, society at large, parent(s)/ guardian(s), etc

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates consistent manners in discourse and behavior, meeting school expectations.

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Fairness and Justice: Can make statements about spiritual beliefs and learns about beliefs of others in class

own learning style; expanding emotional and social vocabulary

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates consistent manners in discourse and behavior, meeting school expectations; sees self as able to complete projects and can describe the stage of a project

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

color, value, texture

• Principles of Design: pattern, proportion

Art history:

• Van Gogh and Impressionism

• Dia de los Muertos calaveras

• Andy Warhol and Pop Art

Art production:

• color theory: primary, secondary, and tertiary colors; shade, tint, hue; complementary and monochromatic color schemes

• acrylic painting landscape

• scratchboard: creating value Skills

emulations Social Justice Learning Strands

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Art Eighth Grade

Fall Essential Questions

• How do modern and historical artists shape our visual world?

• How are classifications of art used to understand the time and place in which it was made?

• How can we use the ideas of other artists to inform our own art?

Winter

• How do we communicate ideas through art?

• What are the cultural implications of colors, and how do they differ across the world?

• How do various cultures use art to communicate ideas?

Spring

• How do the arts connect to the humanities?

• How can we express a sense of self through self-portraiture?

• How can we be environmentally conscious artists?

• Elements of art: line, shape, color, form,

• Elements of art: line, shape, color, form, space,

space, texture, value

• Principles of design: pattern, emphasis, variety, unity, balance, rhythm, proportion

Art history:

• Louise Nevelson

• Various art history movements

• Classifications of art

• Dia de los Muertos

Art production:

• sand paintings

• watercolor landscapes

• cardboard sculptures

texture, value

• Principles of design: pattern, emphasis, variety, unity, balance, rhythm, proportion

Art history:

• Harlem Renaissance art

• Portraits of American poets

• Coastal Salish art

Art production:

• advanced still life drawings

• advanced printmaking

• portraiture

• ceramic mask-making

• Describes and evaluates the media,

• Describes and evaluates the media, processes,

• Describes and evaluates the media, processes,

processes, and meaning of a work of art, making comparative judgments

• Employs elements of a landscape (foreground, middle-ground, background, horizon line, vanishing point)

• Mixes watercolors to create light and dark values

• Creates a repeating pattern by using cardboard in a variety of geometric shapes and sizes

and meaning of a work of art, making comparative judgments

• Face proportions

• Mixing and blending colors

• Relief printmaking techniques

• Basic ceramic hand building skills (slab, coil, hatching, joining slabs)

• Advanced linoleum printmaking skills: uses a variety of line types and thicknesses

• Adding value to a drawing

• Blending pencil with a blending stump to create value

and meaning of a work of art, making comparative judgments

• Face proportions

• Mixing and blending colors

• Uses different line types and colors to convey mood or energy in a portrait

• Stages a photograph that inverts perspective in order to create a surrealist scene

Assessment

• Class participation

• Motivation

• Effort

• Final product

• Artist statements

• Class participation

• Motivation

• Effort

• Final product

• Artist statements

• Class participation

• Motivation

• Effort

• Final product

• Artist statements

Activities

• Art History research project

• Watercolor landscapes (with Geology

• Still life drawing

• Langston Hughes poem illustration –

• Self-portrait

• Nicki McClure-style postcards

• Six-Word Memoir illustrations

• "Dreams of Flying" photographs

Content

Skills

field trip)

Social Justice Learning Strands

printmaking

• Elements of Art: line, shape, color, form, space, texture, value

• Principles of design: pattern, emphasis, variety, unity, balance, rhythm, proportion

Art history:

• Jan Von Holleban "Dreams of Flying" photographs

• Nicki McClure

• Various self-portrait artists

Art production:

• self-portrait painting

• showing negative and positive space with black and white paper

• six-word memoir illustrations

• surrealist photography

• Sandpaintings – Dia de los Muertos

• Louise Nevelson cardboard sculptures

• Native American clay masks

• Paintings of American poets

• Attribute Awareness: Reinforces comfort

• Point of View: Expression of point of view is

• Point of View: Discerns humans as a group and

with differences

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates comfortable, empathetic interaction with people of diverse learning styles, abilities and intelligence, cultures and appearances

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Values self in role of mentor to younger children; explores ritual and cultural identity

supported by information and consideration of listener or audience

• Attribute Awareness: Reinforces comfort with differences

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates comfortable, empathetic interaction with people of diverse learning styles, abilities and intelligence, cultures and appearances

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Values self in role of mentor to younger children

self as responsible for the destiny and future health of the earth

• Attribute Awareness: Demonstrates ability to list ways in which she is “different from” and “the same as” peer group, society at large, parent(s)/ guardian(s), etc

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates comfortable, empathetic interaction with people of diverse learning styles, abilities and intelligence, cultures and appearances

• Sustainability and Stewardship: Identifies conservation measures in school and at home; largely responsible for classroom stewardship; participates in class recycling

• Self and Community Membership: Values self in role of mentor to younger children

Performing Arts Through the Performing Arts program at LWGMS, students build strong voices, strong minds, and strong bodies. Through literary and historical analysis and interpretation and memorization of the script and songs, students develop strong minds; by learning to perform with strong voices, students develop confidence; and finally, through learning to use physical movements and dance to express emotion and meaning, students develop strong bodies.

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The Performing Arts program also provides opportunities for students to practice teamwork and leadership skills. As members of a cast and crew, the students must learn to work together and be responsible on both an individual level as well as for the entire group. In addition to performing as actors and musicians, students take on leadership roles in stage management, lighting, sound, set design, assisting the director, and choreographing musical numbers. Each year’s production is an event that relies on teamwork and peer support for success; consequently, with every show the girls learn to work cohesively and collaboratively. The process of creating a show is filled with opportunities for social and emotional learning and the personal growth that results from meeting challenges and taking appropriate risks. It is an all-school, cross-curricular lesson that involves every member of the student body.

The progression of the program from sixth grade to eighth grade reflects the idea that as girls become more confident in their performance skills, the role size and responsibility increases. In the Fall and Winter all school musical productions, sixth graders generally have smaller roles and seventh graders have larger roles and leads; every sixth and seventh grader has a speaking role.

Eighth graders work as the crew and perform as musicians and as members of the ensemble. During the Spring term, seventh graders may apply to work as the stage crew for the eighth grade play. The eighth grade play reflects a culminating event for the drama program in that every girl has a larger role, takes more creative control, and has more responsibility in this production.

Enrichment The Enrichment program’s goal and objectives are to provide students with skills and opportunities beyond the regular academic program, in keeping with the school’s philosophy of teaching the “whole girl.” The design of the Enrichment program reflects the belief that students should be well-rounded and have opportunities to engage in activities that address multiple learning styles.

Additionally, the Enrichment program is designed to give students opportunities to explore their individual interests and cultivate appropriate risk-taking. The Enrichment classes are generally project-based, and they therefore allow students to create a product to publish, perform, or display at the end of the term. LWGMS values the arts, and many of the Enrichment classes incorporate the arts, both visual and performing.

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The Enrichment program gives students opportunities to work in groups, to work on project or performance based assignments, and to work on subject matter that relates to real-world experiences. As with any class at LWGMS, diversity of perspectives and materials is incorporated into the design of the class. The content design of each course takes into consideration multiple and diverse perspectives on its subject.

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STEAM/Technology

Computer Guts; Tinkering With Digitized Microinstruments; Plug in Your Fashion Students in the technology enrichment classes learn the basics of computer science from the hardware involved in circuitry to the application and creation of computer coding. After gaining some basic knowledge of computer science, students engage in a variety of projects including making electronic musical instruments and creating lighting, sound, and movement elements in fashion design. These technology classes are hands-on experiences for the students and offer immediate application of computer science for the girls to really see the possibilities of technology.

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Music

Ukulele, Keyboarding, and Voice Students will gain skill in music through learning basic keyboard skills, voice lessons, and ukulele lessons. Each student in this enrichment class will be assigned her own ukulele to use for the term. This class is taught off campus at Meter Music, just a few blocks from LWGMS on Union Street. In addition to learning basic music theory, students will learn to read music and find notes on string instruments, keyboards, and their voice.

Each term of music class will culminate in a performance.

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Creative Writing

Poetry as Performance; Literary Blog; Elle-Dub Blog Creative writing provides opportunities for students to express themselves through written means as they play with the art and craft of writing. They explore their lives and their imaginations through different genres: Students may write poetry, short stories, editorials; they may publish personal zines or student magazines or enter their work in literary contests. They read and become familiar with a diverse selection of writers, using those authors as mentors to their own writing process. Students develop writing communities among their peers and practice giving and receiving feedback, effectively strengthening their writing and also enriching their relationships. The publication of their work is always an integral part of the work they do, whether it takes the form of a stage performance in front of a large audience at Festival of Lights, a published blog, or an intimate reading to peers.

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Drama

Into the Woods; Shrek; Eighth Grade One-Act Festival In Drama classes at LWGMS, students collaborate with others while they learn the vocabulary of theater and the process involved in what it takes to put on a complete show in a working theater. The Drama Program at LWGMS is a three year curriculum that focuses on theatrical skills, ensemble building, script analysis, and artistic discipline.

In the Fall and Winter Terms, sixth and seventh graders perform in a large musical, while eighth graders serve as crew members and production team, who are responsible for set design and building, costume design and construction, stage management, lighting and sound design and tech. Sixth graders participate as part of a large ensemble, singing and dancing in groups and performing a few lines, and seventh graders participate in larger roles and take on leadership in the production process. In the Spring Term, eighth graders perform in their own theatrical production, with a few seventh graders serving as the crew and production team. The eighth grade class collaborates to design the concept and performs in the show, which serves as a culmination of their three year drama curriculum.

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Art & Design

Drawing; Grrls and Graphic Novels; Innovation and Design: Be an Entrepreneur!

In these enrichment classes, students will have the opportunity to hone their visual arts and Design Thinking skills. Both the art and design classes offer students the opportunity to learn new skills in conjunction with exploring creativity in a variety of mediums.

In the design classes, students apply the fundamentals of Design Thinking to meet a need or solve a problem, as they become entrepreneurs in their own “startups.� They create a logo, website, and app and make a plan to market the idea to a larger audience.

In art classes, students explore a variety of mediums, including pencil, pen, charcoal, colored pencils, and pastels. The final products in these classes may be a finished portrait, a complete landscape, or a graphic novel.

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Physical Education The goals and objectives of the LWGMS Physical Education program are to help develop strong, self-confident, well-balanced young women. Students participate in a variety of physical education activities in order to provide them with a well-rounded experience.

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Each student takes three terms of Physical Education each year; their classes may include martial arts, fitness, dance, and/or yoga.

Martial Arts

The Martial Arts program is taught by experienced instructors from Quantum Martial Arts. Throughout their martial arts training, girls are required to express their strength through a “kihap” or “spirit yell” when they perform their forms and techniques – a literal exercise in strengthening their voices. Students perform techniques alone, in partner drills, and with targets. Students are encouraged to explore and discuss body mechanics as they learn. The girls regularly engage in discussions regarding the tenets of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit. Each term culminates in a “test” where students perform what they have learned and advance to the next rank. These tests are not linked to technical proficiency, but rather are a celebration of the strengths gained by each individual.

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Health and Fitness

The LWGMS Health and Fitness class, taught by experience fitness instructors Mary Elder P’13 and Reggie Baker, focuses on the four components of fitness: cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility. Discussion around each component of fitness and instruction on specific exercises are incorporated throughout each class. Fitness assessments are conducted for each student at the beginning of the term and individual fitness goals are established.

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Dance Movement

Dance Movement, taught by Heather Harris P’12, ’15, will give the girls an opportunity to explore various dance styles, learn and participate in choreography, learn holistic stretches and warm-ups, all the while enjoying movement and music. Dance class will consist of Holistic Stretches, improv, and group choreography. We will use a variety of world music as well as explore many different styles of dance. During each session the girls will have two guest artists teach class. Brazilian Samba, Break dance, Afro Cuban, and Contemporary Jazz will be some of the guest classes offered. Each term the girls will write a short summary of their experience with our guest artist as well as having performed choreography at a school event.

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Yoga and Body Image

Yoga and Body Image, taught by Mary McGough, is a gentle class to develop a connection to the physical and energetic body while cultivating strength, balance, and relaxation. By focusing on yoga fundamentals the girls will work to develop body awareness, learn basic postures, focus on proper alignment, and practice coordinating the breath and movements gracefully together.

Service Learning

Service Learning is an integral and rewarding part of the LWGMS experience. The goal of the Service Learning program is for students to recognize their own abilities to improve their communities and nurture a sense of responsibility and pride as students take action to improve their local and global communities.

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Each student takes part in a grade-level service project, every year. These projects focus on our local community. The sixth grade class is linked to our neighbor, Centerstone. At Centerstone, students volunteer in the food bank to sort food and work on the food line, as well as participating in ground maintenance. As part of the Rites of Passage curriculum, seventh graders take part in a wide variety of service projects including a two day city exploration focused on the needs of Seattle residents and our annual St. Clouds Cooking Project. The eighth grade project is connected to our neighborhood and larger Central District community. Additionally, all students participate in an off campus experience during their "FLEx Week," as a means of extending the academic curriculum and as a way to facilitate connections for the students. In addition to these grade level service projects, we encourage our students to participate in two all school service opportunities.

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For the 2014/2015 school year, LWGMS continues to foster relationships with the St. Cloud’s Cooking for the Homeless program, Centerstone (formerly the Central Area Motivation Project), Angeline's Center for Homeless Women, and Bailey Gatzert Elementary.

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Past service learning projects include: reading with students from Bailey Gatzert Elementary, Water 1st International’s Carry 5 Walk for Water, Washington Low Income Housing Alliance’s Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day, YWCA’s Thanksgiving Basket Drive, United Nations Foundation’s GirlUp Rally, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Beat the Bridge, American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Country Doctor Community Health Center’s Spa Day Drive for domestic violence shelters, and fundraising for the Maasai Girls Education Fund.