MISSIONANDCOREVALUES
SacramentoCountryDayinspiresintellectualdiscoveryandengagesinadiverse communitytoThinkCritically,LiveCreatively,andActCompassionately
IntellectualDiscovery
Wechallengestudentstopursueacademicandpersonalexcellenceastheydevelopand embracetheirpassionforlearning.Ourstudentsthriveinadynamiccollegepreparatory programthatfuelscuriosity,instillsconfidence,andbuildsresilience.
Diversity
Ourinclusivecommunitypromotesequityandunderstandingthroughmeaningful conversationthatwelcomesavarietyofvoicesandcelebratesindividuality
CriticalThinking
Ourstudentsgrapplewithcomplexissues,engagewithconflictingpointsofview,make connections,andcollaborate.Weempowerstudentswiththeskillstothriveinanevolving world.
Creativity
Ourstudentsexplore,improvise,andtakerisksastheydiscoverandfullyexpress themselvesasindividuals
Compassion
Wenurtureempathy,integrity,andresponsibilityinasafeandsupportivecommunitythat valueskindness,respect,andcivicengagement.
SacramentoCountryDaySchooladmitsstudentswithoutregardtorace,color,gender, sexualorientation,religion,nationalorethnicorigin,andaffordsthemalltherights, privileges,programs,andactivitiesgenerallymadeavailabletostudentsattheschool Theschooldoesnotdiscriminateagainstanystudentinanywayaslegallydefinedin stateandfederallawsforco-educationalschoolsintheadministrationofitseducational policies,admissionpolicies,financialaidprograms,orathleticandother school-administeredprograms.
SACRAMENTO
PHILOSOPHY
ThecurriculumoftheLowerSchoolisdesignedtodevelopthewholechild–thescholar, theathlete,theartist,andthecompassionatecitizeninsideeachofourstudents Our highly-skilled,collaborativeteamofeducatorsdiscernandcultivatethepotentialofeach youngpersonwithafoundationofexploration,discovery,andhands-onexperiences alongwitheffectiveteachingofstrategies,processes,goal-setting,studyskills,concepts, andscientificandproblem-solvingmethodsthroughoutthelowergrades.Basedonthe beliefthatadiversityofabsorbingexperiencesandactivitiesstimulatescuriosity,ajoyfor learning,andintrinsicmotivation,theschoolaffirmsandappreciateseachchild’s uniquenessandhelpseachchilddevelophisorherownvoicethroughavarietyofwritten, oral,andartisticexpressions.TheLowerSchoolapproachencouragesboththe self-confidencethatfreesachildtobeinquisitiveandthedisciplineessentialforlearning Throughdailyimmersioninrichintellectualandexperientialpursuits,andthrough participationinarangeofactivitiesthatprovidetheopportunitytocelebratetheir accomplishmentsandpromoteself-esteem,LowerSchoolstudentsbuild,yearbyyear,a strongfoundationofacademic,athletic,andartisticcompetence.Wevaluekindness, honesty,academicgrowth,empathy,safety,andstewardshipandpracticeskillstohelpus solveproblemstogether.Westrivetobeourbestselvesineachofourendeavors.
SOCIAL-EMOTIONALLEARNING
Socialemotionallearningistheprocesschildrengothroughinlearninghowtonavigate theiremotions,relationships,andinteractions.Theseskillsareimperativetoachild’s developmentandlong-termmentalhealth,becomingtheircompassforbuildingstrong relationshipswiththemselvesandothers.Weattendtoourstudents’needsforbelonging andsignificanceintheircommunitythroughResponsiveClassroompractices These techniquescreateacohesivecommunityofempatheticfriendswhoworktogetherto achievecommongoals
Inthelowergrades,ourstudentswilllearntoidentifytheirownemotionsandusethe ZonesofRegulationandaccompanyingstrategiestohelpthembuildagencyin controllingtheirzonesandcontinuetheirworkplayingandlearning.Additionally,weuse theKimochisCurriculumtohelpthestudentsK-5identifytheirfeelingsinthemomentand provideconcretesolutionstocopeandcreategoalsforthefuture OurCounselor, CourtneyDoyle,workswithstudentsindividually,insmallgroupsandwholeclassgroups toguidethemindevelopingsocial,emotionalaswellasexecutivefunctioningskills By doingso,ourstudentsbecomemoreconfidentandactivelearnersandcommunity members.Mrs.Doyleiswellconnectedwithotherprofessionalsintheregion,andcan recommendoutsidesupportifneeded.
INTEGRATEDLANGUAGEARTS
Literacyisattheheartofourschool.Ateverygradelevel,theoverarchinggoalsofthe literacycurriculumare:tohelpstudentsappreciatethepowerofwords,expression,and thinking;tostudyandenjoyfineliterature;totestandrefinetheirpersonalvaluesthrough variousinteractionswithliterature;toexpandtheirvisiontoencompasstherichnessof varietyinthehumanexperience;toexpressthemselvesconfidentlyandcogently;andto acquirealifelongloveofreading,writing,andthinking
ReadingandLiterature
OurteachersweavereadingintothefabricoftheLowerSchoolclassroomswherechildren fashionidentities,formhabits,andassumerolesasreaders Ateachgradelevel,weselect “core”literaturepieces Intheearlygrades,theselectionssupportthemes,and, inthe uppergrades,theselectionscenteraroundscienceandsocialstudiestopics.Teachers differentiatereadinginstructiontomeettheneedsofstudentsatdifferentstagesinthe processoflearningtoreadandstrivetothoughtfullyworkallthestrandsofScarborough's ReadingRopeintotheirliteracyinstruction.
Childreninthe“learningtoread”stageofthefirstfewgradesdevelopasolidfoundation ofphonologicalawarenessandphonicsskillsthroughtheHeggertyPhonemicAwareness ProgramandtheWilsonFundations program BeginninginPre-K,studentsbeginto practicedistinguishingbetweenthesoundsinspokenlanguageduringshortinteractive Heggertyactivitiesandareintroducedtothe26lettersofthealphabetandtheir Fundationskeywords.Studentscontinuetoimprovetheirabilitytolistentoandorally manipulatethesoundsinourlanguagethroughHeggertyinkindergartenandfirstgrade whilereceivingmorephonicsinstructionduringFundationslessons.Fundationsprovidesa systematicapproachtoteachingthesoundsofall44phonemesintheEnglishlanguage sostudentscaneffectivelytakewordsapartfordecodingwhenreadingandencoding (spelling)whenwriting
Asstudentsarelearninghowtoread,ourK-2teachersuseGeodesforguidedreading,as wellasotherphonicsbooksandphoneticallycontrolledpassagesfromFundations. Geodesarecolorfulandappealingearlyreadersthatbuildknowledgeandvocabulary whilealigningtoourFundationscurriculum.Webelieveinusingphoneticallycontrolled textsthatcorrespondwithwhatstudentsarelearningintheirphonicsinstructionsothat studentssoundwordsoutinsteadofguessingatthewordsbasedonthepicturesand overallmeaningofthetext Asstudents'decodingskillsstrengthen,theyareableto chooselessphoneticallycontrolledleveledtextsfromtheirextensiveclassroomlibraries
Webalancephonicsinstructionwiththedevelopmentofcomprehensionandvocabulary: werelatephonicsandwordstudybackintothereadingofstoriesandinteresting
literature.Proficientreadingisacomplicatedprocessthattiestogethermanyintegral skills.Theultimategoalofreadingismakingmeaningsowhiletheyarelearningtodecode throughphonics,studentsaretaughttolistentothemselvesastheyreadandself-correct whensomethingdoesn'tmakesenseorsoundright Teachersmodelcomprehension strategies,likeclarifying,predicting,questioning,summarizing,andmakingconnections, andstudentslearntorespondtoliteraturethroughclassandsmallgroupdiscussionsand throughartworkandwriting.
Intheupperelementarygrades,comprehensionstrategylessonsarefeaturedasapartof wholeclassnovelstudies.Teachersreadbooksaloudsothewholeclasscandiscussthe texts,learntoanalyzecharactersandthemes,andmakeconnectionstothesocialstudies andscienceunitstheyarestudying Asstudentsanswercomprehensionquestionsand respondtotheliteraturethroughwriting,teachersconferwithstudentsindividuallyorin smallgroupstoassesstheircomprehensionandhelpthembuildmoresophisticated comprehensionskillsthatincludemakingpredictionsandinferences,sequencing, summarizing,creatinganddiscussing“bigquestions,”definingvocabulary,making connections,andvisualizingelementsoftheliterature.Studentsalsoreadbooksoftheir choiceindependentlyandareaskedtobranchoutintodifferentgenresatdifferenttimes oftheyear.Studentsoftenworkonmultimediabookreportsandpresentationsto demonstratetheirunderstandingoftheirindependentreading.
Researchersagreethatoneofthemostessentialelementsinacomprehensivereading programisreadingaloudtochildren Itisimportantforchildrentolistentoawidevariety oftextsreadaloudandtoabsorbbothfictionandnon-fictionbecausedifferentcognitive strategiesareneededforeach.Discussionsandopen-endedquestionsareintegrated into“readaloudtime”andhelpstudentsactivelygeneratemeaningandunderstanding astheymovethroughatextorconcept.CountryDaystudentshave,asnotedchildren’s authorMemFoxsays,“theconstantgoodfortuneofhearinggreatliteraturebeautifully deliveredintotheearandfromthereintotheheartandfromtheheartintothebones.”
LanguageArtsandWriting
Immersingchildreninthepowerandexcitementofwordandthoughtateachgradelevel isthegoaloftheLowerSchoolLanguageArtsandwritingprogram.Thereisanatural connectionbetweenreadingandwriting:avidreadersareexposedtorichvocabularyand variedwritingtechniquesthathelpthemimprovetheirownwriting However,many aspectsofwriting,likereading,mustbeexplicitlytaught Writingisaverycomplextask becauseitrequiresstudentstomanagemultipleskillsatonce,likecomingupwithand holdingontoideaswhilesimultaneouslysoundingoutwordsorrecallingorthographic patternsandalsorememberinghowtoformletters.Writingputsalotofdemandon workingmemoryandexecutivefunction.Aswritingbecomesmoreadvanced,itrequires challenginghigher-levelskills,likeresearch,readingcomprehension,planning,outlining,
organization,revision,andediting.Highqualitywritingdependsontheknowledgeof variedvocabulary,propersentencestructure,andthoughtfulorganizationofparagraphs andmulti-paragraphcompositions Additionally,itisimportanttonotethatthereisa differencebetweenspokenlanguageandwrittenlanguagesowemustteachstudents properwrittenlanguageconventions
CountryDayteachersarelifelonglearnerswhoarealwaysstrivingtoimprovetheir teaching:manyLowerSchoolfacultymembersarelearningmoreaboutthoughtful, systematicwritinginstructionbytakingTheWritingRevolutiontrainingandwillbe adjustingtheirwritinginstructionandgrade-levelcurriculummapsaccordingly. Constructingeffectivesentencesisthefoundationofgoodwritingsostudentsbeginto identifywhatmakesagoodsentenceorallyinPre-KandKindergartenandthencontinue toworkondevelopingmorecomplicatedsentenceswithvariedstructuresthroughout theirelementaryyears Theylearntoconstructparagraphsin2ndthrough4thgradesand begintoplanandwritemulti-paragraphcompositionsin5thgradeinpreparationfor MiddleSchool.TheWritingRevolutionexercisesareembeddedinthecontentofthe curriculumsostudentsarepracticingtheirwritingskillsacrossallsubjects,andstudents learnaboutallthestagesofthewritingprocessbytheendoftheirLowerSchoolcareer. Themainpurposeofwritingistoshareinformationsoweplanauthenticwritingprojects thatculminateinopportunitiesforstudentstosharetheirworkwiththeirclassmates, families,andothercommunitymembers
Becauselanguageisaboutcommunicatingmeaning,theLanguageArtsprogram stressesastudent-centered,dialogueapproach.Theclassroomisacommunications centerwhereteachersactasfacilitators,listeners,responders,andparticipantsin learning.Theemphasisisonactive,creativeresponse,andontheaffectiveaswellas cognitivedomain.Apositiveattitudetowardselfandreading,writing,orspeakingisof greaterlong-termimportancethanoveremphasisonasingleskill.
MATHEMATICS
EverydayMathematics,usedingradesK-4,isaresearch-basedcurriculumdevelopedby theUniversityofChicagoSchoolMathematicsProject(UCSMP)in1983,designedtomeet theneedsofstudentsinthe21stcentury Thebasicprincipleis,“Studentsacquire knowledgeandskills,anddevelopanunderstandingofmathematicsfromtheirown experience Mathematicsismoremeaningfulwhenrootedinreal-lifecontextand situations,andwhenchildrenbecomeactivelyinvolvedinlearning”Becauseyoung peoplehaveatremendouscapacitytolearn,UCSMPdevelopedaprogramthatlaysthe foundationformathematicalliteracyintheearliestyears.Fifthgraderssolidifytheir masteryofconceptswithMathinFocus,whichprovidesanexcellentbridgetoMiddle School.Everygradeparticipatesactivelyindevelopmentallypacedreal-lifemathematical
problem-solving.Thismappedandsequencedinstructioninterweavesconceptsfrom eachcontentstrandthroughoutthecurriculumtostrengthenandexpandthe understandingasthechildmatures Lessonsincludewholegroupinstruction,aswellas, smallgroup,partner,andindividualactivities
Studentsrevisit,develop,andextendconceptsandskillsinavarietyofcontexts throughouttheyearsuntiltheyachievemastery.Theactivitiesbalanceteacher-directed instructionwithopportunitiesforopen-ended,hands-onexplorations,long-termprojects, andongoingpractice.Opportunitiestoverbalizetheirthoughtsandstrategiesenable childrentoclarifytheirthinkingandtogaininsightsfromothers,andstudentsexplainand discusstheirmathematicalthinkingintheirownwords.Thecurriculumemphasizes conceptualunderstandingwhilecontinuouslybuildingastrongmasteryofbasicskills At everygradelevel,weteachthefollowingstrands:algebraandusesofvariables;dataand change;geometryandspatialsense;measuresandmeasurement;numerationand order;patterns;functions;sequences;operations;andreferenceframes.
HUMANITIES
Thesocialscienceprogramexplorestherichculturaldiversityoftimeperiodsinthehistory ofAmericaandhowpeopleaddressedthesimilarneedsweallshareasinhabitantsofthis region,andthevarietyofwayshumansmettheseneedsthroughouthistory.Theprogram beginsintheearliestyearswithunderstandingtheindividualselfinthebroader relationshipsoffamilyandcommunity,expandingtothelargerconceptsofpeoplesand culturesinthehistoryanddevelopmentofourcountrypostreconstruction.
Tounderstandtherichtapestryofcurrentandpasthistories,studentspracticeskillsthat allowthemtocompile,use,andinterpretinformationfromavarietyofsources The foundationforthestudyofhistorydevelopsthroughthebasicconceptsofsequence, causeandeffect,andtherolesofallpeopleinacommunity.Sincelocationand interactionbetweenpeopleandenvironmentinevitablyaffectproblem-solving, geographyisastrongcomponentofthecurriculum.Guestspeakers,primaryand secondarysourcematerial,computerprograms,theInternet,videos,music,art,and literatureadddepthandvarietytothestudents’knowledgebase.Animportantstrengthof theprogramistheintegrationofthesubjectwithactivitiesinallareasofthecurriculum ConnectionswithLanguageArtsliteratureselectionsprovideastartingpointtodiveinto firstpersonnarratives,historicalfiction,andprovidecontextualunderstandingintimeand place Usinga“writetolearn”strategy,studentschronicleeventsindiaries,newspaper articles,journals,shortstories,poems,reports,oralpresentations,andessays.Research skillsbegintodevelopinthethirdthroughfifthgrades,asstudentswriteessays,historical fictionnarrativesandconnectivestoriesthatintersectwithpasteventsandexperiences.
Studentsinallgradelevelsgainandapplycritical-thinkingskillswhiletheysolvereal-life problemsorinteractthroughrole-playingandsimulations. Tobroadentheiroutlooks,we askstudentstovieweventsthroughmultipleperspectives Byreadingavarietyof expositoryandnarrativetextmaterials,studentsstrengthentheircomprehensionabilities Ourspecialistteachersoftenincorporateappropriatesubjectsandtechniqueswiththe socialscienceconcepts Throughcooperativelearning,teachersencouragestudentsto celebratedifferences,appreciatetheprincipleofindividualrightsandresponsibilities,and understandthevalueofdemocraticdecision-making.
SCIENCEandENGINEERING
ThroughtheleadershipoftheLowerSchoolScienceCoordinator,CountryDaystudents developastrongfoundationintheScienceandEngineeringPracticesthroughawide varietyofinvestigationsfromteacher-developedunitsthatincorporateresearch-based programs.Thesecurriculumunitsprovidelearningexperiencesthatstimulatescientific inquiryanddevelopconceptualunderstandingthroughtangibleexperiences.Students improvetheircraftinfindingincreasinglythoroughanswerstoquestionsandsolutionsto problemsthroughconnectingandextendingtheirownpriorknowledge
Someofthepracticesstudentsdevelopincludedesigningandconductinginvestigations, observingandinterpretingdata,andformingsoundarguments.STEAMsmall-group experiencesleadtothoughtful,relevant,andauthenticscientificwholegroupdiscussions intheclassroom.Manycurriculumunitshaveextensionsthroughgarden,librarymaterials, orfieldtrips.
WORLDLANGUAGE
TheLowerSchoolWorldLanguageprogramisasequentialSpanishandFrenchcurriculum fromgradesK-5. StudentsareexposedtobothlanguagesandculturesingradesK-2with anemphasisonlisteningandspeakingskillsthroughvariousformsofactivitiessuchas stories,songs,gamesandexercises Studentscontinuetheirlanguagejourneyin3rd gradebyfocusingonthelanguageoftheirchoicewhereemphasisisplacedonlistening, speaking,readingandwriting.Studentsareencouragedtoonlyspeakinthetarget language.Eachthematicunitincorporatesvocabularyandlanguagepatternsthrough variouslessonsandactivitiesaswellasculturalknowledgeandunderstanding.
ThroughouttheLowerSchool,thegoaloftheworldlanguageprogramisenrichmentand exposure.Wearenotattemptingtocreatefluencyatthislevel,ratherweareteaching studentstheprocessoflearninganotherlanguage Thetrainingourprogramprovidesis valuablepreparationforthemoreacademiclanguagelearninginMiddleSchool
WINTERSLIBRARY
Inpartnershipwiththeschool,thelibrary’sgoalistodevelopacommunityofpassionate readers Thelibraryprogramsupportstheteachingofreadingbyprovidingahugevariety of“justright”booksforindividualstudentstouseastheypractice Wehopethatstudents willbecomerealreaders–peoplewhonotonlyknowhowtoreadbutchoosetoreadfor pleasureandinformation Towardthatend,librarytimealwaysincludesanopportunityfor studentstohearqualityliteraturereadoutloud.Ourcollectionofengaging,varied, excellentbooksencourageschildrentohaveahealthyreadinglifethatwilllastinto adulthood.Childrenaredrawnintotheroomandprogrambythearrayofshiny-jacketed books;thevisitsofguestauthors,storytellers,parents,andpets;icicle-lighteddisplays,the transformationofthevenueintoanexhibitionhall;costumesandprops;andmost especially,bythemagictobefoundinthepagesofabook!Additionally,thelibraryadds totheschool’scultureofliteracybysponsoringguestauthors,illustrators,Librarianforthe Day,storytellers,bookfairs,specialgatherings,andliteraryevents
Thelibraryprogram,collection,andserviceshelpteacherstoteach.Thelibraryprovides materials,equipment,collaboration,andsometimesthespacethatcangreatlyenhance theteachingofclassroomunits.Becauseourcredentialedlibrarymediateacherservesall ofthePreK-5classrooms,shecanbehelpfulwhencoordinatingcurriculum(forexample, developingsummerreadinglistsorcreatingathird-fourth-fifthlistofliterarygenresthat worksforeveryone) And,inthelibrary,studentscanhonetheinformationliteracyskills theyneedtosuccessfullycompleteclassroomobjectives
TheWintersLibrarycollectionandenvironmentaredeeplydiverseandrepresentthe richnessofeachindividualandtheworldatlarge.LowerSchoolstudentsareencouraged toreadbroadly–andwithanopenmind–aboutpeopleofallages,genders,abilities, religions,andcultures.Thebestinchildren’sliteratureteachesthevaluesofrespect, responsibility,andcommunitybuilding.Thelibraryspace“shouts”diversityandour celebrationofit.Thestudentartonthewallsinterpretsartistsandculturesfromaround theworld Thelibrarydisplaysandcollectionsencouragestudentstofindbothmirrorsand windowsintotheirownandotherpeople’sperspectives
LowerSchoolchildrenhaveweekly,scheduledvisitstothelibrarywheretheylistentothe librarianreadapicturestorybookorpartofanovel,practicealibraryorresearchskill,take a“poetrybreak,”hearaboutgreatbooks,andbrowsefornewleisurereadingtitles.The librarianandtheteachersblockoutmutuallyconvenientdaysandtimeswhenclasses cancomeinto“wrestle”withspecialresearchprojects.Thelibraryisopenbeforeand afterschool,duringrecessandlunch,andanytimestudentshavefinishedtheirclassroom workearly Kidsareencouragedtousethesetimestoexchangealibrarybook,ziptoa websiteorjustcurlupinacozybeanbagchairforafewminutesofdelicioussustained silentreading
ART
EverychildisanartistatSacramentoCountryDaySchool.Thesequentialandintegrated LowerSchoolprogramderivesfromtheCaliforniaVisualandPerformingArtsFramework, incorporatingfiveessentialcomponentstaughtineachgrade:artisticperception; creativeexpression;historicalandculturalcontext;artisticvaluing;andconnections, relations,andapplications Wedevelopandencourageeachofthesedisciplinesthrough activeparticipationinthecreationofart,instructionintechniquesandprocesses,and discussionofartistsandtheircontributionstoculture.Thistrainingteacheschildrento thinkaboutanideafrommorethanonepointofview,andthisimportantskilltransfersto otherareasofstudy.Inaddition,studentsgainarichrepertoireoftechniquesthataid themincreativeexpression,problem-solving,andcriticalthinking.
Specific,yetflexible,artlessonswithourartspecialistateachgradelevelmaintainthe sequentialflowoftheartcurriculumandallowfortheintegrationofartintoallcurriculum areas.Artlessonstakeplaceintheartstudio,andcoordinatewiththegradelevel curriculum.Studentsreceivepositive,specificreinforcement.Afterhands-onexperience, follow-updiscussionsenablestudentstoanalyzetheirownindividualworkingprocesses andproducts.Weencouragestudentstoassesstheirimplementationofnewskillsand previouslylearnedskills,thedegreeofsuccess,andoverallachievementofthegoals.
MUSICandMOVEMENT
Taughtbyateamofinstrumentalanddancespecialists,musicandmovementgarner highvalueatCountryDay.Musicanddanceexaltthehumanspiritandbuildcommunity. Bothprovideareadilyaccessibleavenuetothestudyofotherculturesandapowerful meansforcommunicatingculturalheritage Musicalanddancepotentialaresomeofthe basicabilitiesthatexistineveryhumanbeing,andthedisciplineanddevelopmentthatis aresultofmusicanddancetraininghelpsstudentstomature Theprogramprovidesan environmentforbeginningandexperiencedstudentsinmusicanddance.Musicusesone ofthemostpowerfulandcomplexsymbolsystemsinexistence,whichservesinthe developmentofcriticalthinkingskills.Increatingtheirownmusicanddances,students learnthatthereareseveralacceptableinterpretationsforanygivenproblem,andthey engageincreativeproblem-solvingthroughcomposition,performance,observationand reflection
Studentsreceivemusicinstructiontwotothreetimesaweek IngradesPreK-3the curriculumisfocusedinLabanMovementAnalysisandOrff-Schulwerk Bothapproaches integratemusicanddancethroughthewaythatchildrenlearnbest-play!Activemusic anddancemakingisthecoreofthisphilosophy,supportingboththeconceptualand affectivedevelopmentofchildren.Infourthgrade,thelanguageofmusicistaught
throughlisteningtovariousgenresofmusicaswellasreadingandwritingmusical notation.Singingunisonsongs,partnersongsandcanonsasachoirteachesstudentsto matchpitchesandcreateharmonywiththeirvoices Musicalinstrumentsfromaroundthe worldareintroducedandplayedaseachstudentsharesthemusicoftheirownculture In fifthgrade,eachstudentisamemberofthebandororchestra,selectinganinstrument andreceivingbothsmallgroupandensembleinstruction Studentsateachgradelevel participateinseveralperformanceseachyearastheygainconfidencebeforean audience.
BeginningBandisoneoftwoinstrumentalmusicclassesatSacramentoCountryDay Schoolopentofifthgraders.Afterattendingafewinstrumentalmusicclasseswherethe instrumentsaredemonstrated,studentsaresurveyedastotheirchoicesandultimately theyareplacedineitherbeginningstringsorbeginningbandclass Afullyearof instrumentalmusicstudyisrequiredinfifthgradeandallfifth-gradersparticipateinone ofthesetwoclasses.
Infifthgradeband,weintroducestudentstothefundamentalskillsinvolvedinplayinga musicalinstrument,heightentheiraestheticawareness,reinforceanddevelop fundamentalsofmusictheoryandlisteningskills,introduceimprovisation,andprovide studentswithaninstrumentalensembleperformanceexperience
Studentsarethenabletoproduceacharacteristictoneonindividualinstruments,identify anddemonstrateaknowledgeofmusicnotation,demonstratefingeringsandpositions forthepracticalrangeofindividualinstruments,demonstrateproperphysicalpostureand handpositionswhileplayingindividualinstruments,developgoodindividualpractice habits,demonstrateabasicunderstandingofandabilitytoperformensembleplaying skillsandtechnique,developproblem-solvingandevaluationskillsapplicabletomusic anddemonstrateabasicunderstandingoftheelementsofmusic. Theseincludetimbre, articulation, dynamics,rhythm,dynamics,melody/pitch,harmony,expression,styleand form
Inordertoachievetheseobjectives,weusemanyinstructionalmaterialsthatinclude EssentialElements2000ForBandmethodbookbyTimLautaenheiser.Concert performancepiecesareselectedbytheinstructorfromtheSacramentoCountryDay musiclibrary,whichcontainsover300piecesofconcertbandarrangementsofvarying levelsofability.Musicisselectedbytheinstructortofitthespecificneedsoftheensemble. Bytheendofthecourse,studentswillhaveperformedavarietyofmusicstylesinseveral concertsthroughouttheyear.
5thGradeBeginningOrchestraisafullyearprogramdesignedtodevelopastudent's musicalabilitiesthroughastudyofinstrumentalmusic Theorchestraprogramintroduces
theviolin,violaandcelloinstruments.Studentslearncorrectpostureforplaying.Theyalso learnthebasicpositionsfortheirinstrumentsandrightandlefthands.Bowingand musicaltechniquesareintroduced Instrumentcareandproperrehearsaletiquetteare addressed Studentsshouldtaketheirinstrumentshometopractice Studentsparticipate inschoolconcerts (Fullyearcourse)
Ourgoalistoprovidethefinestpossiblemusicalexperiencewhilepromotingkindness, compassion,teamworkandleadership.OurscopeandsequenceincludesMusicReading Skills,MusicTechniqueSkills,Posture, Tone, Articulation,Fingering/NoteAccuracy,Music PerformanceSkills,EnsemblePerformance
Thestudentwillengageinavarietyofactivitiesthatwillteachthemtoperformutilizing appropriatemusicliteracyskills Thestudentwilltransferthisunderstandingtotheir performancesthroughcorrectnotationandrhythmicaccuracy Orchestraclasshelps fosterteamwork,discipline,andperseverancewhiledevelopingadeepappreciationfor musicandmuchmore.
PHYSICALEDUCATION
Eachstudentreceivesinstructioninthebenefitsofahealthy,active,fitlifestyle.This developmentalprogramenablesstudentstopracticeskillsanddevelophabitsthat enhancetheirwell-beingandgivethemphysicalandsocialconfidence.ActivitiesinP.E. encouragethedevelopmentofmindandmusclethroughtrainingincorrectbody movement,directionality,awarenessofoneselfinspaceandinrelationtoothers,safety, sportsmanship,cooperation,followingmulti-stepdirections,healthyeatingandhydration, andspecificgame-andsports-relatedskills Studentshaveamplechancestopractice newskillsinisolationandincombinationwithothermovements Gamesituationsallow studentspracticeinreal-timeproblem-solvingandconflictresolutionastheylearnto encourageandsupportothers.
PRE-KINDERGARTEN
Pre-KindergartensetsthestageforlearningatSacramentoCountryDaySchool.Children participateincreativeandinvestigativework,capturingtheirexcitementfortheworld aroundthemandtappingintotheirnaturalcuriosity Play–active,hands-on,authentic interactionwithpeople,materials,andideas–formsthecoreofthePre-Kindergartenday Habitsofthemind–aflexiblemindsetandtheabilitytorecognizeandco-regulate emotionsandfeelingswiththosearoundus–areimportantforsuccessinschool.The Pre-Kcurriculumaddressesimportantskillsofparticipationintheacademicandsocial communityoftheclassroom. Webalancelearningopportunitiesthroughinteractiveplay, thefreeexplorationofintereststhroughdiscoverycenters,andparticipationinlarge-and small-groupexperiencesthatsharpencuriosity.ChildreninPre-Kbuildastrong foundationuponwhichtobuildtheabstractlearningofreadingandmathematics All learningisinterconnected,multi-sensory,andexperiential Studentsexploreconcepts andinvestigatehands-onactivitiesthatarereinforcedthroughstories,music,movement, creation,anddramaticplay.Thisenvelopsyoungstudentsinanactive,enriched environment,andinvitesthemintolearningrelationshipsanddevelopingabeliefin themselvesasthinkersandconfidentproblemsolvers.
UnitsofExploration
ThePre-Kindergartencurriculumismadeupoffivecarefullycuratedunitsthatare interdisciplinary,interconnectedandreflectrealworldlearningwiththemesthatare relevant,engaginganddevelopmentallyappropriate.InourPre-Kprogram,learningisnot confinedwithinatraditionalsubject.Instead,ourfiveoverarchingunitsareenrichedand supportedbyreading,writing,math,science,humanities,arts,musicandmovement milestonesandlearningoutcomes
LanguageArts
Givingmeaningtowords–buildingstrengthintheuseoflanguagetocommunicate ideasandtoexpressfeelings–isthemostimportantfunctionofthelanguagearts programinPre-Kindergarten.Wovenintotheday’sdailyactivitiesarefocusareas designedtoteachlisteningandspeakingskills Thewritingandartcentersholdthetools andmaterialstocreatepropsforimaginativeplay Lettersandsoundsareintroduced throughexposuretoWilsonLanguage’sFundationsandreinforcedthroughsoundsheard inrhyme,storyandexplicitHeggertyphonemicawarenesslessonsandactivities.Words areusedtoexpandthought,solveproblems,anddiscussconceptsinscience,social scienceandmathematics.Smallgroupsofstudentsgatheraboutateacherandbooks,as theyshareastoryandreadtogetherduringexplorationintheday’scenters.Guided
drawingduringourjournaltimeallowsthestudentstopracticemakingshapesfoundin lettersandobjectsthroughouttheirenvironmentastheybegintoseethemselvesas writersandstorytellersusingtheiremergingphonemicawareness Sharing,speakingand listeningtoothersinthecommunityarepracticedandcelebratedeachdaystartingwith MorningMeetingandendingwithourclosingreflections
Mathematics
OurPre-Kstudentsdiscoverandbuildontheirunderstandingofmathematicalconcepts throughmultiplelearningopportunitiesinlargegrouplessons,smallgroupactivitiesand theirownindividualinquiriesinplay.Numbersense,classificationandpatterning, measurement,geometry,andbeginningmathematicalreasoningareincorporateddaily asPre-Kstudentsbegintheirstudyofmathematicsthroughfullyintegratedplay provocations,investigationsandexperience.Studentswillbecomedatahandlersfromthe minutetheycheck-intotheroombyansweringourquestionofthedayaddingtheirname tothegraph Theywillsee,understand,andbuildpatternsthroughmusicandmovement, theirart,andinplayaswesimultaneouslylearnnewpatternsingroupcalendartime They willgainadeepunderstandingofsizeandmeasurementastheypracticesizewordswhile arrangingmaterialsincenterslikedishesintheimaginationstationorusenonstandard unitsofmeasurementlikeunifixcubestomeasurepumpkinsinthebuildingcorner.Our loosepartsandsmallmanipulativeswillbeusedallyearforcounting,sortingand classifyingwhilechildrenareengagedinbuildingandcreating.Mathematicsisa languagethechildrenlearntounderstandthroughitsintegrationintothefullcurriculum, includingart,finemotorskills,interpersonalskills,science,organizationandsystems
SocialEmotionalLearning
InPre-Kindergarten,socialemotionalskillsandstrategiesaretaughtexplicitlyanddirectly inweeklylessonswhiletheireverydayopenexplorationisthelivelylandscapeinwhich theyareactivelypracticingthoseskills.Webegintheyearwithadeepdiveintotheirown selvesandthehardworkofco-regulation Ourstudentswilllearntoidentifytheirown emotionsandusetheZonesofRegulationandaccompanyingstrategiestohelpthem buildagencyincontrollingtheirzonesandcontinuetheirworkplayingandlearning Our studentswilllearnhowtomakemistakeswhiletheyarelearningandhavemany opportunitiesfor‘do-overs’.Aftertheyhavelearnedandpracticedtoolstoregulatetheir ownselves,theycanmovetowardslearningabouthowtoworkwithothersintheir community.Theywilllearnproblemsolvingandconflictresolutionstrategies,howto includeandwelcomeothersinplay,usetheirvoicesasafriendshiptoolandfillthebucket oftheneighborsandworld.Studentsareledtoseetheirconnectiontoothersinthewider communityandtheirresponsibilitytotreatotherswithcompassion Teachersarethere everystepofthewayastheirco-regulators,facilitators,advocatesandcheerleaders
SocialStudiesandScience
Discoveryandinquiryinscienceandsocialsciencedrivethedirectionofourfive interdisciplinaryunits.Asweintroduceeachoverarchingthemetoourstudents,we engagetheminaSEE,THINK,WONDERroutinetohelpusunderstandtheirpriorknowledge, whatexcitesthem,andwhattheymightwanttoknowmoreabout.Fromourclass discussions,wecuratethedirectionofourstudyandsetsailwiththemontheirlearning journey.Tobeginouryear,wediscoverWHOWEAREandwhatmakeseachpersonthe SAMEandDIFFERENTwhilelearningaboutthescienceofskin. Fromthere,weinvestigate whydifferentHOMESaremadeoutofdifferentmaterialswhilemakingourownplay homesfromthematerialsaroundus WelearnthataCOMMUNITYismadeofpeoplewho worktogetherandhelpeachotherwhilehelpingtheirownschoolcommunityplanting andcollectingvegetablesintheschoolgarden.Welearnhowweareconnectedtoa BIGGERCOMMUNITYintheneighborhoodsandcityarounduswhilebuildingtheirown playscapecommunitiesexperimentingwithramps,roads, strongshapesandstructures.. Andinourfinalunit,wewilldiscoverhowtoSHARETHEPLANETwithcreaturesgreatand smallaswesortandclassifythembyfeaturesandfindwaystodoourpartinprotecting theanimalsthatliveinourcommunityandbeyond.Whileouroverarchingunitsmay guidethebiggerconceptsandquestions,weknowandcherishthatourstudentsare conductingtheirownspontaneousexperimentsatthearttableandsandboxdailywhich oftenbecomefuelforentireclassroomimpromptuinvestigations
KINDERGARTEN
Kindergartenistheimportantstartingpointtoastudent’sformaleducation,designedto developtheircomfortandself-confidenceaslearners Happyenergyisinabundanceas childrenengageinarangeofactivitiesbuildingupontheirindividualreadiness The programintroducesanddevelopsfundamentalskillsinLanguageArts,Mathematics, ScienceandHumanitieswithexperientialhands-onlearning,akeycomponentoftheir development.Childrenworkandgrowattheirownpacethroughteacher-directed activities,insmallgroups,andbyworkingindependently.Self-confidencegrowsas childrenexplorethericharrayoflearningopportunities,designedtostimulatecuriosity andcapturetheenthusiasmoffive-andsix-year-olds.Centraltotheprogramisthegoal ofemotionalwell-being tofeelgoodaboutoneselfandtoenjoynewfriendshipswhile learningtoresolveconflictsandfindcooperativesolutionsinthecommunityofthe classroom
LanguageArts,WritingandLiteracy
Wecelebratethevalueofreadingwithastrongbaseinorallanguage Listeningtoand becomingfamiliarwithrichliterature,poetry,rhymeandsongisafundamentalstepas childrenbecomeawareofthebuildingblocksofwordsandphonemes Fundationsisour research-basedphonicsprogram,whichprovidesdailylessonsthataretaughtand practicedinmultiplewaystotargetmanylearningmodalities.ThepurposeofFundations isforstudentstoreadandwriteformeaning,understandingandjoy!ReadingWorkshop furtherdevelopsreadingskillsatthechildren’sindependentreadinglevelanditbuilds confidenceforyoungreaders.
Writingisusedasawaytolaunchchildrenintoasuccessfulreadingexperienceandto expresstheirthoughtsandimagination ChildrengatherdailyaroundtheMorning Message,amodelofwritingandreadingthatcapturestheexcitementoftheday’s activities.Thisincludesmini-lessonsandteachingtheconceptsofprintandletter identificationandformation.Childrenareinvitedtoentertheabstractworldofreading andwritingthroughtherealworldoftheirdailylives,oftenbrainstormingandsharing ideastousewithawritingexercise.Kindergartenstudentsareencouragedtousewhat theyarelearningaboutlettersandsoundsastheywritewordsandphrases,oftenwith inventedspelling.Atthisage,thedraftingstageofthewritingprocessisthefinalstageof writing
Mathematics
ThegoalinKindergartenistodevelopunderstandingandinsightintothepatternsof mathematicsthroughtheuseofconcretematerials.ThroughEverydayMathematics, childrendevelopthevocabularyofmathematicsthroughactivitiesdesignedtohelpthem seerelationshipsandinterconnections,enablethemtodealflexiblywithmathematical ideasandconcepts,andbuildmeaningforthemselves.Theybegintheyearbyfreely exploringwithawidevarietyofmathmaterialstheywillbeusinginstructuredacademic activitiesthroughouttheyear.Afterbecomingcomfortableworkingwiththeconcrete materials,theybegintomoveintotheconnectingstagewheretheyidentifyandattach symbolstorepresenttheconcreteelementsofaproblem Thisisfollowedbythesymbolic stagewhentheyaddthewrittennumeral Strands,skillsandconceptscoveredinclude: patterns;counting;comparing;sequencing;sortingandclassifying;measurement;data analysis;problem-solving;geometry;andlogicalthinking.
Humanities
TheKindergartenprogramfocusesonthestudyofself,family,friendships,and community Childrengatherintheirmorningmeetingtostarttheirdaywithopportunities tobuildcommunitythroughsharingandlisteningtoeachother.Theyexplorefeelingsand learnnewwordstoidentifyanddiscussemotionsthatpeopleexperienceandwelearn strategiesforcontrollingouremotions.Welearnandpracticeagrowthmindsetfromday oneandcelebrateourmistakesasanopportunitytolearnandgrow. Fromselfand family,studentsthenbegintostudytheimportanceoffriendshipsandthequalitiesofa goodfriendthroughcooperativelearninggroups,role-playing,andbyreceivingfeedback andguidance,studentsstrengthentheirfriend-makingskills Throughouttheyear,we expandourexplorationofourowncommunityandlearnaboutourstate,countryandthe world,comparingandcontrastingourownculturestothelifestylesandtraditionsofother culturesaroundtheworld.Welearnaboutrealworldheroeswhohavemadeanimpactin variousfieldsandcomparehowthingshavechangedfromlongagototoday.Our humanitiescurriculumcrossesoverintoallsubjectareasoverthecourseoftheyear.
Science
Thesciencecurriculumisdesignedtosupportchildren’snaturalcuriosityandinterestin thelivingworldaroundthem.Manyopportunitiesareprovidedtohelpthemexploreand investigatetheworld.Unitsofstudyhaveincludedthefollowing:theseasonsandweather; theinsidesandoutsidesofthehumanbodyandhowtoproperlytakecareofit;how animalsprepareforwinter;thestudyofEarth’sgeographicalformationsoflandand water;pushesandpulls;andanimalgroupsandtheirhabitats.Studentsexplorebi-weekly STEAMtubs,practicingthescientificprocessastheyformconcreteconnectionstoour amazingworldandallthatwearelearningaboutinschool Likeourhumanities curriculum,ourthemesinsciencecrossoverintobothlanguageartsandmathematicsall throughouttheyear.
FIRSTGRADE
TheoverridingconceptgoverningtheFirstGradeprogramistheimportanceofintegrated, experientiallearning Childrenareinspiredtolearnabouttopicsandskillsthatare meaningfultotheirownlivesandtheworlddirectlyaroundthem Webaseunitsofstudy andspecificlearningopportunitiesontheeverydayworldsoffirstgraders.Through literature,discussion,writing,mathstories,scientificfacts,andhands-onexperiences,they learnmoreabouttheircommunityandtheirgreaterworld,makingnewandlasting connections.Wehonortheirconcernsaboutselfandfamilywhiletheylearntoviewothers withcompassionandrespect.Westrivetoconnectvariousaspectsofthecurriculum, providingmanyopportunitiesforchildrentoparticipateinmeaningfulexperiencesandto communicatetheseexperiencesthroughoralandwrittenlanguageandcreative expression Throughexposuretomeaningfulwrittenandorallanguage,qualityliterature, communicationwithothers,andrespectfortheindividuallearner,ourgoalistoinspire childrentovaluetheirownuniqueperspectives,aswellastheuniqueperspectivesof others.Astheirunderstandingofthevalueandpoweroftheirvoicegrows,theyshineby sharingtheirideaswithothersaswritersandproblem-solvers.Theythenembracethe storiesofothersthroughlisteningandreadingwithpurposeandempathy.
LanguageArts,Reading,andLiterature
Thecornerstoneforalllearning,theFirstGradereadingprogram,steepstheyoungchildin awealthoflanguage.Therichorallanguageprocesscontinuesasteachersreadaloud dailytochildrentoenrichtheirimaginationswiththebeautyofwordsandideas,tomodel fluencyandexpression,tobuildcriticalthinkingandempathy,andtocontinuetodevelop thestrongauditorybasefromwhichstrongreadersemerge Ourdevelopingreadersbuild asolidfoundationofphonologicalawarenessandphonicsskillsthroughtheHeggerty PhonemicAwarenessprogramandtheWilsonFundationsprogram.Weteachphonics anddecodingskillssystematicallyandexplicitlythroughFundations,whileengaging younglearnersinthemagicaladventureofbooks.InFirstGrade,studentsreadina workshopstructure.Withteacherguidance,studentsaresupportedinchoosing“justright” booksforthemandreadthemindependently.Thesebooksareselectedbasedon knowledgeofphoneticprinciples,comprehensionskills,andstudentexcitement!Students aretaughtspecificdecodingandlanguagestrategiesthathelpthemmasterthecomplex taskofmakingmeaningfromthesymbolsonthepage Thesetwostrandsofourprogram worktogetherinconcerttoensurethatchildrenhavealloftheskillsnecessarytogrow intoconfidentreadersandthinkers.
FirstGradersalsoreadbookstoexplorenon-fictiontopicsinScienceandHumanities. Non-fictioncontentbooksteachchildrenthebeginningstepstolookforinformationto answertheirownquestions Wedifferentiatelearningbyregularlyassessingstudents throughouttheyear,bothformallyandinformally,sothatweknowhowtochallenge studentsintheirareasofstrengthandsupportthemwhereneeded
WordStudy,Writing,andtheWritingProcess
Sharingqualityliteraturetrainsstudentstolistenformeaningandtoabsorbhowgreat authorscomposeandusestructureandimagerytocreatecaptivatingstories By teachingphonics,reading,writing,andspellinginanintegratedprogram,childrencome tounderstandhowweputtogetherthelettersofouralphabettoformwords,howto connectwordstoformthoughtsandsentences,andhowtojoinsentencestocreate variousgenresoftext.FirstGradersuse“invented”or“temporary”spelling,inorderto strengthentheirgrowingassociationsbetweenlettersandtheirsounds,andtodevelop theirindependenceasauthors.
Meanwhile,asystematicstudyofwords,spellingpatterns,vowels,phonemes(wordparts), andsyllabletypesallowthemtobuildtheskillsforconventionalspelling Weexplicitly teachandpracticeformingletterswithefficiencysothatFirstGradershavethefreedom torecordtheiruniqueideas
FirstGradersbegintolearnthatthemainpurposeofwritingistoshareinformation,sowe planauthenticwritingprojectsthatculminateinopportunitiesforstudentstosharetheir workwiththeirclassmates,families,andothercommunitymembers.Childrenare encouragedtothink,toexpress,andvalueideasandthewrittenword.Studentsshareand writeaboutspecialmomentsthatreallyhappenedtothem.Theylearnthevalueoftheir ownvoiceandtheirownperspective Eachyoungauthorisabletowriteattheir independentlevelandworktowardspersonalizedgoals Bytheendoftheschoolyear, everystudenthascomposedpersonalnarratives,poetrycollections,non-fictiontexts, imaginativestories,andscientificrecordingsthatmakeevidentthedevelopingpowerof wordsandthought.Aboveall,weendeavortohelpouryoungwriterstolearnthatwriting isameansofconnectingwiththeworldandeachother.
Mathematics
WeusetheEverydayMathematicsprogramasourfoundationfordevelopingstrong mathematicalminds.EverydayMathematicsisbasedonthepremisethatmathis meaningfultochildrenwhenitisvaried,rich,andbasedonreal-worldproblemsand applications.InFirstGrade,webelieveandteachthatallchildrencanbesuccessful mathematicalthinkers.
Manymathematicalconceptsandskillsdevelopovertime,inawidevarietyofcontexts, andthisphilosophyisbuiltintothecurriculum.FirstGrademathstandardsaretaught throughtheintroductionofconceptsandvocabularyinthevariousmathstrands Conceptsarepairedwithdailypractice,games,andproblem-solvingactivities We exploretheworldofmathematicsthroughdailystep-by-stepinstruction,practice,and review Thisisdoneinwhole-group,small-group,andindependentsettings Tosupportthebuildingofconceptknowledge,webeginwithhands-onmodelsand exploration.FirstGradersaretaughtavarietyofgamesthatareusedasthecatalystfora highvolumeofmathematicalpractice.Aspartofgameplay,studentspracticecritical socialskillsofself-advocacy,sportsmanship,andempathy.Atthisdevelopmentalstage, learninginrelationshipwithothersdeepenstheexperienceandtheconnectionsstudents makeasmathematicians
Asstudents’foundationalunderstandingsolidifies,wethenmovetothemoreabstract Manymethodsandstrategiesaretaughtandexploredforuseinproblem-solving.In addition,thecurriculumisdesignedtoincludepartnerandsmallgroupactivitiesthat encouragecollaborativelearning.Ourareasofstudyarefocusedonfourprimary mathematicalstrands:Operations&AlgebraicThinking,Number&OperationsinBase-10, Measurement&Data,andGeometry.
Humanities
TheFirstGradecurriculumseekstodevelopfurthermaturationofcognitiveabilities introducedintheKindergartenyear.Additionalstrategiesaretaughtforbetterrelations withpeersandfamilyandexperiencesthatcreatedeeperconnectionstoself-identityin thespaceofourgreaterSacramentocommunity.Relyingonthedevelopmentalstagesof typicalFirstGradestudentsandthehierarchyofself,thisenvironmentprovides opportunitiesforstudentstoengageinpersonalreflection,familylearningpartnerships, andchild-centeredlearning Themes,projects,andexperiencesinthecurriculumfocuson thevariouscontributionsofpeopleandsystemsofbiologyandecologyinthelocal Sacramentoarea.
TheHumanitiescurriculumworkstointertwinewithallcontentareas.Throughthe overarchingthemeunitsofStorytellingandTheThingsWeShare,Birds,RiversandRocks, andtheGarden,FirstGradeHumanitiesisacross-curricularexperiencethatfocuseson learningdeeplyandmeaningfully WiththeLanguageArtsprogram,studentsread,write, discuss,andparticipateinworkshopsessionsprovidingsystemicstorytellingbuilding blocks Diversestoriesarereadwithacarefulanddeliberatecurationoffirst-person narratives Inaddition,scienceprinciplesandsocialandemotionallearningare connectedthroughtheFundations,GeodesUnits,wherefictionandnon-fictiontextsare alignedtotheFirstGradecurriculuminfourthemeunits.AWorldofBooksexamines storytellinginvariousculturalcontexts.CreatureFeaturesprofilesanimals,habitats,and
thehumanswhocareforboth.PowerfulForcesfocusesontheenvironmentalimpactsof water,wind,andhumanintervention.Finally,CinderellaStoriesexhibittheenduringlegacy ofwrittenandoraltraditionthroughafamiliarsharednarrative
Science
ScienceisapartofeverydaylivingandFirstGradersstudytheobjectsandphenomenaof thephysicaluniversethatmostcapturetheircuriosity.Throughimmersivestudies,First Gradersengagewithscientifictopicsthroughexperiments,reading,writing,math,and observation FirstGradescientistsinvestigatethethreeprimarybranchesofsciencein connectionwiththeirlocalenvironment:physical,earth,andlifesciences Drawingfrom theTWIGSciencecurriculumasafoundation,topicsofstudyinclude:ShadowsandLight (ShadowTown),Birds,RiversandRocks,andTheGarden(Leafology).BoththeTWIG programandourteacher-created,community-focusedsciencecurriculaarealignedwith theNextGenerationScienceStandards,whichallowyoungscientiststofollowaclearand connectedpaththroughthegrades.Trainedtoobserve,experiment,askquestions,andto discoverthroughtrialanderror,noticingcauseandeffect,studentsrelatetheir investigationsandgrowingknowledgewiththeirworldoutsideoftheclassroom.We integratesciencewiththeothersubjectstosupportchildreninmakingtheintellectual connectionsthatcreatedeeplearning
ResponsiveClassroom
TheResponsiveClassroomapproachguidesoursociallearningaswell.Studentsare explicitlytaughtskillslikemakingeyecontact,welcomingotherswithawarmgreeting, andsolvinginterpersonalconflictsandotherproblemswithafocusonrepairingmistakes. Throughthesepractices,FirstGradersarelearningabouthowtobeapositiveand contributingcommunitymember.ThelanguageofResponsiveClassroompermeates everythingwedo.Everyday,studentspracticethelanguagesofpartnership, collaboration,andempathy
SECONDGRADE
Secondgradeisaprimefoundationalyear.Studentssolidifyskillsintroducedand practicedinearliergrades,andteacherscontinuallyconnectnewlearningtothisbase. Learningtoreadfluentlyandindependentlyforinformationandpleasureisakeyfocus, andproblem-solvingskillsbegintotakeonamoreabstractform Secondgradersare interestedintheworldaroundthemanddevelopasenseofempathyandcompassionfor others.Classroomactivitiesincreaseconfidenceandcompetenceinbasicskillsanduse languagetoincreaseknowledgeandunderstanding.Studentsdeveloptheirabilitytowork cooperativelyandtolookatanother’spointofview.Integratedliterature,art,and humanitiesunitssupportstudentsinlearningaboutthemselvesandothers,givingthema viewofhistoryandhowitshapescurrentevents.Theybegintoseethecontributionsof otherculturestotheAmericanexperience
LanguageArts,ReadingandLiterature
Secondgradestudentswillcontinuetodeveloptheirunderstandingofphonicsandword patternsthroughWilsonLanguage’sFundationsprogram.Children’sliteratureisthe centerpieceoftheLanguageArtscurriculum Secondgraderslearntopick“justright” books,andapplyskillstodecidehowabook“wants”toberead Studentsdevelop independentreadingthroughbooksattheirownlevel;theyworkfromtheirbeginning strength,practiceandpractice,andgrowfromleveltolevel.Wesystematicallyteach readingstrategiestohelpstudents’problem-solvedifficultwordsandconstructmeaning fromtexts.
Studentslearnthatthegoalinreadingistoconstructmeaning.Webuildcomprehension throughvocabularyandorallanguageexperiences,discussionsofmeaning,and constructingwordsandsentences,tounderstandtheauthor’smeaning Astheyear continues,welearnhowtoreadandanalyzenon-fictiontext,deciphernewchallenging words,andextractimportantfactsfromthetext Weroundoutouryearbuildingreading staminaandfluency.Thedevelopmentoffluencyiskeytocomprehension,soweexpect studentstoreadathomeeachday.
WordKnowledgeandTheWritingProcess
Secondgradestudentscontinuewiththeimportantworkoftraininginphonics,phonemic awareness,andwordstudywithdailyinstructionintheFundationsprogramandThe WritingRevolution.Theybuildconfidenceintheirunderstandingofletter-sound relationshipsandlearntorelatespellingpatternsofEnglishtoitssoundpatterns.Building wordpowerthroughworkwithletter-soundrelationships,phonemes,andspellingpatterns stemsfromworkinfirstgrade.Newstudiesincludeworkwithwordpatterns,spelling
patterns,strategiestodecodewordswhenencounteringdifficultyinreadingandwriting, andthedevelopmentofsightwordvocabulary.Theritualsandroutinesofwordstudyare simpleandpredictable,sothatthethinkingandinsightsofstudentscanbechangingand complex Secondgradersstudy,sort,andevaluatewordsaccordingtosimilarpatterns, sounds,bases,androots Bycategorizingandsortingin“braincompatible”ways,students broadentheirvocabularyandbecomebetter“decoders”andspellers
Insecondgrade,thewritingprocessemergesfromthedailypracticewithwords,and flowsoutofstudiesinliterature,humanities,andscience.Studentsreviewandpractice penmanshiptoensurethattheirhandwritingbecomesautomatic.Thisiscriticaltothe writingprocess,becausehandwritingthatisfluentandlegibleallowsstudentstodevote theirenergiestocommittingthoughts,ideas,andopinionstopaper Studentscontinuethe writingprocessastheydevelopthesequenceofbrainstormingandrehearsingthestory, gatheringideas,andwritingthefirstdraft Theycontinuetoexaminetheirworkby revising askingthequestion,“whatcanIaddordeletefrommystorytomakeitmore cleartomyreader?”Editingproceedsasstudentstakethetimetoshapesentencesand thecolorofthestory,andtocopyandillustratethefinaldraft.Weroundouttheyearwith anallencompassingpoetryunit.Studentswillcraft,edit,andwriteahandfuloftheirown originalpoems.
Mathematics
Spiralingonskillsbeguninearliergrades,EverydayMathematicsfocusesonnumeration; operationsandcomputation;dataandchance;geometry;measurementandreference frames;andpatterns,functions,andalgebrainthesecondgrade.Usingthree-and four-digitnumbers,studentscomparevalues,securetheirunderstandingofplacevalue andbegintolookatdecimalsandtheuseoffractions.Studentsexplorethepropertiesof additionandsubtractionastheydevelopadeepunderstandingoftherelationship betweentheseoperations Theyusediagramstohelporganizetheinformationfrom numberstories,identifythemissinginformation,anddecidewhethertoaddorsubtractto solvetheproblem.Theysortshapesanddiscoverandidentifytheirpropertiesand patternsintheworldaroundus.Extensiveuseofnumbergridsallowsforinvestigationsof thenumbersystembestmatchestheway.Asmathematiciansweroundouttheyear withgeometry,arrays,andfractions.Wealsoapplytheimportanceofbeingableto verbalizeandusesentencesorpicturestoexplainhowtheirworkissolved.Weintroduce morecomplexmentalmathandlogicstrategiesandstudentsengageinproblem-solving opportunitiesbasedonrealworldexamples
Humanities
Secondgradestudentsbegintolookbeyondtheirneighborhoodandcommunityto identifyregionsotherthantheirown.Welearnmapandglobeskills.Studentsbeginto understandthosebeyondtheirowncircleofassociations tolearnmultipleperspectives
Teachersencouragethisresponsebyaskingstudents,“whatwoulditbelike?”and“how wouldyoufeel?”astheystudyotherculturesandhistoricalperiods.Lessonsfocusonthe beliefsandvaluesunderlyingapeople’shistoryandculture Whatstartswithquestioning quicklybecomestheappreciationandconnectiontoothersdifferentfromourselves We presentlessonswithamulticulturalcastofcharacters,whichhelpsstudentsappreciate whypeoplearedifferentandhowthesedifferencesenrichoursociety Bystressingour commoninterestsaspeopleandourindividualuniqueness,weprovidestudentswitha balancedunderstandingofhumanexperience.
Science
Studentsmonitorairandweatherwhiletheyexperimentandstudythepropertiesofair andwind.Wewillstudymapsandlandformsasweexplorehowwateraffectsusandthe land.Weintroducestudentstothelifecyclesofanumberofinsectsthatweobserveover time.Theyobserveandcompareinsectstructuresandbehaviorsindifferentstagesoflife, discussandrecordfindings,andposequestionstheyresolve.Studentsexperience completeandsimpleinsectmetamorphosisandlearnaboutthediversityoftheanimal kingdom.Theyhoneresearchskillsandenhancetheirwritingastheycollectdataand reporttheirfindings Youngengineerslearnaboutdifferentmaterialsandtheirproperties Studentsworkingroupstoconstructtowerswithvariousmaterialsasweevaluatewhich materialsarebestforwhichpurposes Finally,weworkcloselywithourschoolgardento explorehowlivingthingsdependononeanotherandtheenvironmenttogrowand change.
Social-EmotionalLearning
Social-emotionallearningistheprocessstudentsgothroughinlearninghowtonavigate theiremotions,relationships,andinteractions.Theseskillsareimperativetoachild’s developmentandlong-termmentalhealth,becomingtheircompassforbuildingstrong relationshipswiththemselvesandothers.Itisaveryimportantandvaluedpartofour secondgradecurriculum.Wewillstarttheyearoffbyrevisitingfeelingsasawhole.We thendiveintoour“bigfeelings”whereweteachstudentshowtohandlethosefeelings whentheycomeup.Secondgraderswillbetaughttoolsforcopingwithfeelingsaswellas settinggoalsforthemselves Wealsofocuson being members of a classroom community throughout the year Students learn about leadership, meeting goals and building good learning habits Astheyearcontinues,studentswilltackleconceptssuchasgratitude,friendships, stereotypes,equality,andkindnessvs respect Oursocialemotionalprogramisalways evolvingaswecontinuetomeettheneedsofourstudents.
THIRDGRADE
Thirdgradeisthebridgefromtheprimarygradestotheintermediategradesasstudents utilizepreviouslymasteredskillswithautomaticity.Asenergeticeight-andnine-year-olds journeyfromSeptembertoJune,theyassumetheresponsibilityofnightlyhomeworkand theimpactoftheirownchoicesandbehavioronthemselvesandothers Weencourage themtostrengthentheirsocialskillsbyworkingincooperativegroupsthatarenot necessarilyoftheirownchoosing.Completingtasksinagivenamountoftimeispartof theprocess.Weaskthirdgraderstothinkbeyond“self”andtoseeandimaginethings fromanother’spointofview.Studentshavemanyopportunitiesto“walkinsomeoneelse’s shoes”andtoexperienceglimpsesintocolonialAmericanlife.Readingtolearnbecomes thenewfocus,andchildrenpracticehowtogleandeepcomprehensionfromtheirfiction andnon-fictionreading
ReadingandLiterature
Studentsstretchtheirreadingskillsastheyplungeintothecomplexitiesofchapterbooks inthirdgrade.TitlesincludeClassicStartsSeries;TreasureIslandbyRobertLouis Stevenson,HowIBecameAGhostbyTimTingle,andTheYearoftheDogbyGraceLin The worldofbooksandtheircharactersbecomefamiliarfriends,makingcomprehensionskills easiertopractice Bookselectionsarespecificallychosentohelpstudentsunderstandthe worldaroundthemandprovide“windows”todifferentwaysoflifeand“mirrors”totheir ownlives.Specificinvestmentismadetoexposethestudentsinthirdgradetomany differenttypesofbooks,authors,andexperiences.BIPOC(Black,Indigenous,peopleof color)authorsproviderichexamplesofeverydayexperiences,historicalfiction,and researchmaterialthathelptocementcomprehensionskillsandcriticalthinking.Quarterly bookreportprojectsprovidemoreindependentworkopportunitiesforstudentstoshow progressionintheskilldevelopmentofunderstandingstoryarc,characterdevelopment, researchandnotetaking,setting,andwrittenresponse Decodingskillscontinuetoevolve asstudentssolidifytheirknowledgeofmultisyllabiclanguagerulesandmorecomplex spellingpatterns.
WritingRevolution
Studentswillembarkonajourneythroughthewritingprocess,honingtheirskillsincrafting well-structuredparagraphs Thisprocessinvolvesseveralkeystepsthatguidestudents towardscreatingcoherentandeffectivewrittenpieces.Tobegin,studentswilllearnthe importanceofplanningandoutliningtheirthoughts.Thisstepincludesgatheringrelevant information,discerningessentialmaterial,andorganizingideasintocategories.Through carefulconsideration,studentswillarrangetheirideasinalogicalorder,ensuringa smoothflowofthoughts.Moreover,theywilldevelopastrongtopicsentencethatactsas
thefoundationoftheparagraph.Withtheplanandoutlineinplace,studentswillmoveon tocreatingadraft.Thisiswheretheyputtheirideasintowords,allowingtheircreativityto flowontothepage Afterdrafting,thenextstepinvolvesrevisingthecontent Thisincludes refiningsentencestructure,enhancingvocabulary,andensuringcoherence Thefinal step,editing,focusesoncorrectinggrammar,punctuation,andspellingerrorstoproduce apolishedanderror-freeparagraph Throughthesesteps,studentswillgaina comprehensiveunderstandingofthewritingprocess,enablingthemtoeffectivelyconvey theirthoughtsandideasinawell-organizedmanner.
Cursive
CursivehandwritingisintroducedatCountryDayinthethirdgrade Studiesprovethat utilizingcursivehandwritingcontributestosuccessinmanyacademicareas.Cursive handwritinghasbeenproventohelpstudentscreateneuralpathwaysofunderstanding withakinestheticlearningprocess.Cursivehandwritingisalsoanexcellentwaytohelp dyslexicreadersformletterswithoutreversalsandconnectwordchunksmoreeasilywhen soundingoutwords.
Duringthefirstsemester,thefocusisonmasteringtheindividuallettersandhowto connecttheselettersintowords Bythesecondsemester,studentswillbeaskedtoapply theirnewlyacquiredskillsandcompleteallassignmentsincursive Third,throughfifth grade,studentswillbeaskedtousestandardFundationcursiveletterformations.Legibility andneatnessarethemostimportantfactorsinevaluatinghandwriting.
Fundations
Fundationsisanevidence-based,structuredliteracyprogramdesignedtocultivateand enhancetheaccuracyofdecoding,spelling,andhandwritingskillsinlearners.The programadoptsameticulouslyintegratedandscaffoldedsequence,ensuringthat studentsprogressgraduallyandmastereachskillbeforeadvancingtothenext.Rootedin scientificreadingresearch,Fundationsrecognizesreadingasamultifacetedprocessthat convergesuponfivecrucialcomponents:phonemicawarenessandphonics(commonly knownasalphabeticskills),fluency,vocabulary,andcomprehension Byincorporating thesefundamentalaspectsintoitscurriculum,Fundationsprovidesstudentswithasolid foundationforeffectivereadingandlanguageacquisition Thissystematicapproachnot onlyfostersadeeperunderstandingofthewrittenlanguagebutalsoempowerslearners tobecomeconfidentandproficientreaders,settingthemonatrajectoryofacademic success.
Mathematics
EverydayMathematicscontinuestoenvelopthird-gradestudentsinreal-worldproblems andapplications;students“do”mathematicsbothintheclassroomandathome,andthe
problemstheysolvecomefromeverydayusesandexperiences.Teachersintroduce, practice,andrevisitconceptsregularlytodevelopmasteryoftheconceptstaught. Childrencontinuetolearninavarietyofmodes,teacher-directed,individually,andin smallgroups Wedevelopconceptsandskillsthroughthefollowingtopics:numeration; operationsandcomputations;dataandchance;geometry,measurement;reference framesandpatterns;functions;andalgebra
Humanities
Thefirstformalintroductiontothestudyofhistorybeginsinthethirdgrade Throughthe eyesofbothrealandfictionalcharacters,ourstudentsstepbackintohistoryandrelive lessonsofthepast.Withtheintegrationofbothourliteraturechoicesandoursocial studiestexts,weintegrateayear-longstudyofexperiencesoftheindigenous, enslavement,andimmigrantexperienceinAmerica.Anemphasisisplacedon first-personnarrativewhenpossible,andtheinclusionofBIPOC(Black,Indigenous,Person ofColor)authorsisessentialtothiscurriculum. Weusestorytelling,artifacts,literature, andourrichimaginationstovisitothertimesandplacesinAmericanhistory Emphasisis placedonunderstandingtheperspectivesofhistoricalcontext,biasinhistory,and learningtohavekeenobservationsinfact-checkingandresearch Identityisalso examinedtobetterenhancetheknowledgebaseofeachstudenttobetterunderstand theirownplaceinsocietybothinthepresentandastheyimagineandcontextualizetheir placeinthepast.
Science
EarthMaterialsandthestudyofbats,thedigestivesystem,andlightandsoundarethe focusofthethirdgrade.EarthMaterialsactivitiesincludethestudyofcavesandcaverns. Weusethepropertiesofrocksandminerals,thechemistryoflimestonedepositsandcave formations,andthevarioushabitatsthatexistindifferenttypesofcaves.Sciencegets yuckyandgreatwhenwefollowourfoodinthe“DigestiveSystem”unit.Understanding nutritionandourbody’swithfoodisalwaysanenlighteningexperience Lastly,students delveintolight Alongwiththecontinuedbuildingofscientificthinkingskills,studentsgain aformalintroductiontothescientificmethod,conductin-classexperiments,dissections, exploreonscientificfieldtrips,andengagewithguestspeakerswhoalsohelpusto culminateourlearning.Wealsoconnectsciencelearningtomathematics,writing, problem-solving,andart.
FOURTHGRADE
RichintheexperientiallearningthatisahallmarkoftheLowerSchool,thefourthgradeis filledwithopportunitiesforstudentstodelvedeeplyintounitsofstudy,creativelyexpress theirlearning,andmakelife-longmemories Manyfieldtripsandexceptionalguest speakersenrichthestudents’firsthandknowledge Thefourthgradecurriculumfostersthe developmentofindependenceinasafeenvironmentwhileresponsibilitycontinuestobe afocusaschildrenlearntomanagetheorganization,studyskills,andindividualandteam projects.
ReadingandLiterature
Readingexcellentliteraturetopromotelifelongreadingisagoalofthefourthgrade program.Wecontinuallyexposestudentstoarangeofmaterialstoincreasecompetency, levelofcomprehension,andinterest.Theyreadnovels,poetry,nonfiction,legends,charts, andmythsindividually,withpartners,orinsmallgroups.Wedeveloptheirskillsin analyzingplot,character,andsetting,anddiscusstheauthor’sstyle,voice,andmeaning witheachnovel.Weencouragestudentsthroughindependentreadingtofocusonmany differentgenres.Variousliteratureselectionsenhancethesocialsciencecurriculuminthe year-longstudyofCaliforniaHistory,allowingthetextureofthepasttobewovenintoa richlanguageartstapestry WeincludeIslandoftheBlueDolphins,PioneersGoWest, SarahJourneysWest,BytheGreatHornSpoon,TheJournalofWongMing-Chung:A ChineseMiner,California,MysteryatManzanar,andRidingFreedom.
WordKnowledgeandtheWritingProcess
Fourthgradersbecomeprolificwritersastheylearntocommunicatetheirmessagestoan audience FundationsandtheWritingRevolutionprogramsguidewordstudy,including knowingandusingwordsforthefoundationofclearwritingandspeaking.Italsoallows buildingskillswhiletheyexploresentencesandunderstandtheirstructure;they experimentwithwordstogenerateinterest;andlearnhowtosupportideasinessays. Theykeepjournalsinscienceandmathanddoquickwritesforvocabularywordsoras practiceindevelopingathoughtorsolvingaproblem.Theywritein-depthstudiesfrom theirextensiveresearchofvaryingvoicesofpeopleandplacesalongthetrailwest. Throughthewritingprocess–pre-writingandbrainstorming,drafting,revising,and editing,studentsgainconfidenceintheirpowertowriteandbecomeprolificasthey move,paragraph-by-paragraph,page-to-page,throughtothecompletionoftheir stories.
Mathematics
EverydayMathematicsexpandsandbuildsonthefoundationofconcreterepresentation laidintheprimarygrades,toexpandtheuseofsymbolicaspectsofmath.Fourthgraders beginmoreformalalgebraicstudiestolearntocommunicateinasymboliclanguage. Studentslearntoreadandwritemathematically,growinginindependence.Theyexpand theirwayoflookingatproblemsbyreadingmathtextandbeginthegrowthfromliteralto inferentialandanalyticalcomprehension.Topicsofstudyincludegeometry;using numbersandorganizingdata;multiplicationanddivision,decimals,estimationand computationofbignumbers;fractions;probability,perimeter/area;percent;reflections andsymmetry;weight;volume;capacity;andrates
Humanities
ThefourthgradehumanitiescurriculumfocusesonthestudyofCaliforniageographyand history.Learningtocomprehendandgatherinformationfromnon-fictionsourcesisan importantpartofthisendeavor Tobroadenunderstanding,studentslearntoreadand createcharts,graphs,maps,andtext TheWestwardMigration,growth,andchangesin Californiafromdifferentpointsofview,inparticularSacramento Historybecomes hands-onasstudentsparticipateinanEnvironmentalLearningStudyanduse independentresearchstrategiestostudyprimaryandsecondarysourcedocumentsin ordertoarticulatethelivedexperiencesof1846historicalfigures.Weschedulefieldtripsto selecthistoricalsitestobringthestudyofCaliforniahistorytolife.ThestudyofCalifornia historyparallelsthevariousnovelsstudentsreadintheirliteratureprogram.
Science
Unitsonelectricity,thedesert,sealife,andnaturaldisastersarethemajortopicsinfourth gradescience. Theunitsincludethestudyofthetransferofenergythroughproducers, consumers,anddecomposers;plantandanimaladaptations;theecosystemofthekelp forestandthedesert,Californiageography-SanAndreasfault,earthquakes,plate tectonics,andenergy Studentscontinuetopracticethescientificmethodthrough hands-oninvestigationsandscientificexperiments,andthebasisformoresophisticated investigations,observation,andproblem-solvingskills Classroomexperiences,fieldtrips, andlabswithMontereyBayAquariumallowthecelebrationofthejoyoflife-long observingandlearning.
FIFTHGRADE
Amajorfocusofthefifthgradeprogramistostrengthentheabilitiesofstudentsto becomeindependentlearnersinpreparationforMiddleSchool.Theprogramoffers comprehensive,richexperiencesinmath,science&engineering,literature,writing,and socialscience Collaborativeandinterdisciplinary,thefalljourneybegins,stepbystep, withpracticingspecificstrategiesonhowtostudyfromatext,howtobuildvocabulary, andhowtothinkandresearchscientifically.Studentslearntomanagetheirownbooks, supplies,andmusicalinstruments,practicecommunicationskills,workinteams,usetime effectively,anddevelopself-discipline.Asanintroductiontodepartmentalization, studentsreceivetheircorecurriculumfromtwoteachers–onefocusingonLanguageArts andhumanitiesandtheotheronmathandscience.Centraltotheprogramareformal studyofaworldlanguage,learningtoplayinabandororchestra,visualarts,andphysical education
Literature
TheLanguageArtsprograminfifthgradeseekstoprovideopportunitiesforstudentsto readawidevarietyofgenreswithablendofmodernandclassictexts Eachyear,text selectionisbasedonstudentinterestandreadinglevel,whichallowsforimmeasurable diversityinlearning Teachersfocusonindividuallearningstylesandneedsinorderto createaclimateofliteracyintheclassroom.High-interestleveledbooksareusedto challengestudentstoutilizeandpracticegoodreadingstrategies,whilebuilding analyticalskillswhiletheyread.Studentswillfindthemselvesengagedinwhole-class literaturestudies,aswellassmallgroupliteraturecirclestoexplorethemes,character motive,andstoryelements.Studentswillgainpersonalresponsibilityandorganization skillsastheycompleteindependentreadingassignments,projects,andvarious assessments
WordKnowledgeandWriting
Grammar,spelling,wordstudy,andvocabularyinstructionarewoventhroughoutthe literacyunits.Thematicinstructionallowsforstudentstoconnecttheirlearningof vocabulary,spellingandgrammarintoacontextforrememberingitforfutureuse Sentenceanalysis,reviewofbasicspellingrules,compositionintechliteracy,andtyping helpstudentsexpressthemselvesclearly,bothorallyandinwriting Writingistaughtasa lensthroughwhichtothink,processlifeevents,andrespondtotheworldaroundthem. Studentswillleavefifthgradewithanappreciationforwritingasaprocess,ratherthana product.Brainstorming,drafting,editingandrevisingwillallbeemphasized,withmostof thewritingbeingdoneintheclassroomforteacherandpeerreview.Studentswillbe
expectedtoworkthroughouttheyearonimprovingtheirwriting.Bothnarrativeand expositorywritingprojectsflowfromthethemesintheliterature.
Humanities
StudentsinfifthgradewillgainabetterunderstandingoftheoriginsoftheUnitedStates government,withanAnti-racistlensinunderstandingthepointofviewofindigenousand enslavedpeoples.Anexplorationofculturalgroupsandpatternsofaffinitywillbetaught asstudentswitnessspecificgroupsandtheircommunitiesacrosstimeandgeographic areas Throughouteachunitofstudy,studentswillgainperspectiveoftheculture, geography,motivationsanddailylivesofbothnativepeopleandimmigrantsduringthe timeperiodsofpostreconstructiontothepresentday Throughtheuseofprimary sources,technology,expositorywriting,simulations,guestspeakers,narrativestories,oral historysources,andtraditionaltextbooks,studentswillgainanunderstandingofthe conflicts,resolutions,andcommunitiesthatwereformedinourcountry’sdevelopment.
Acurrenteventscomponentwillhelpdevelopglobalviewsandperspectives,while practicingclassroomdebateandfactbaseddiscussiontechniques.
SpeakingandListening
Acorecomponentofthe5thgradehumanitiescurriculumisthesystemicinstruction ofstrategiesforspeakingandlistening Studentswillengageeffectivelyinarangeof collaborativediscussions(one-on-one,ingroups,andteacher-led)withdiverse partnersongrade5topicsandtexts,buildingonothers’ideasandexpressingtheir ownclearly.Throughoutthecourseoftheyearstudentswillpracticethesestrategies inavarietyofwaysincluding,
● Poseandrespondtospecificquestionsbymakingcommentsthatcontributeto thediscussionandelaborateontheremarksofothers
● Reviewthekeyideasexpressedanddrawconclusionsinlightofinformation andknowledgegainedfromthediscussions.
● Summarizeawrittentextreadaloudorinformationpresentedindiversemedia andformats,includingvisually,quantitatively,andorally.
Mathematics
UsingMathinFocusastheprimarysequencingstructure,studentsinfifthgradecontinue todevelopadeepconceptualunderstandingofmathematicalcomputationsand numericalfluencysincetheseareasprovideafoundationforproblem-solving.Students buildfromlearningcomputationalconceptstoapplyingthoseskillsinreal-worldcontexts. Practicingactingastruemathematicianswithsupportallowsstudentstodeveloplifelong processesnecessaryformathematicallearning,suchasperseveranceandcritical thinking.Webeginbytacklingtheessenceofmathematics-howtoworkwithsymbols-
andapplyourunderstandingthroughtopicsincludingwholenumbersandoperations, fractionsandmixednumbers,multiplyinganddividingfractionsandmixednumbers,and decimals Mathpracticesarewoventhroughoutlearningexperiences
Science
Infifthgrade,studentsdeveloptheknowledgeandskillsessentialtoscientificthinking. Studentslearntoaskquestionstoplanandconductinvestigations,developanduse models,andobtain,evaluate,andcommunicateinformation.Scienceandengineering naturallyintegratewithmathandliteracyastherichtopicsofearth,life,andphysical scienceareinherentlywoventogetherasstudentslearnhowourworldworksandthen usecomputations,graphicaldisplays,andlanguagetocommunicatewhattheyare learning.Notebooking,continuousrevisionstoideas,andcollaborationarefundamental routinesinthefifthgradeclassroomasstudentsconnecttotheirpriorknowledge,reflect ontheirlearning,andfindwhatworkswellforthemintheirlearningprocess.Students investigatephenomenathroughdrivingquestionsthatbuildincomplexitythrougheach unit:'Ofwhatismattermade?','Howdomatterandenergymovethroughanecosystem?', 'WhatcanwedotoprotectEarth'ssystems?',and'Whatpatternsdowenoticewhenwe observethestars?'Studentssolvemysteries,diveintolearningaboutCalifornia ecosystems,considerwaterdistributioninCalifornia,andponderthestarspracticing actingasscientistsandengineers Studentswillbringtheirownexperiencesandideas intotheclassroomandthriveindiscoverytogether.Scienceandengineeringpracticesare woventhroughoutlearningexperiencesconsistentwithTheNextGenerationScience Standards.Thisparentguidegivesanoverviewofthesestandards.
StudentswillexploreenvironmentaloutdoorscienceconceptsatcampwithNatureBridge andalsobiologyandastronomywithUniversityofCalifornia,Sacramentothroughfield tripsthisyear
Thislinkprovidesacompleteoverviewofmathandsciencetopicsforthisyearwhichwill beadjustedbasedonthespecificstudentsofthisyear.