Wilmington Friends Lower School Program of Studies 10-11

LOWER SCHOOL :: PROGRAM OF STUDIES 2010 • 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Wilmington Friends lower School Division Objectives

Division Objectives....................................this page

A child’s intellectual, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual development are important in all aspects of the lower school program, with the development of the child’s self-confidence as a central theme. In nurturing diverse talents and strengths, we strive to help children to feel secure and confident in their work and play, in peer and adult relationships, and to develop respect for themselves and members of the community. Our program is purposefully designed to provide sufficient scope, encouragement, and flexibility to meet the individual needs and talents of all lower school students, maintaining high standards for intellectual endeavor and personal responsibility.

Early Learning Center (ELC) ...................................1 Pre-Kindergarten-Fifth Grade Logistics ………....……3 Pre-K through 5th Curriculum: Overview…….....….…4 Language Arts.........……………………….............…4 Mathematics......………………………………....…..…6 Science.……………………………………………..…8 Social Science………………………………......…....9 Spanish...........................................……......…10 Computer Technology...................................…11 Performing Arts.................................................14 Physical Education.............................................15 Visual Arts........................................................16 Library Media Center…....................................…17 Human Dynamics and Development……………...…19

Front cover: In a pre-kindergarten classroom, 2010

Intellectual and Academic Growth A lower school child...

• is curious and eager to learn about the world in which we live.

• participates actively in the learning process.

• considers and questions different opinions.

• finds answers and solves problems by making observations, collecting data, hypothesizing, testing, and drawing conclusions.

• demonstrates knowledge and application of academic skills.

• demonstrates critical thinking through spoken and written work.

• expresses ideas creatively through various means.

• initiates the exploration of ideas independently.

• expresses his/her own opinion and is able to support it with relevant information.

• is comfortable in many roles: scientist, author, mathematician, poet, historian, leader, follower, collaborative committee member.

• initiates and accepts opportunities to stretch intellectually.

early learning center (ELC) PROGRAM OF STUDIES Development of a Child’s Relationships with Others A lower school child...

• recognizes that there is unique and infinite worth to each person.

• recognizes, respects, and supports diversity among people—races, cultures, family traditions, lifestyles, opinions, religions, languages, abilities, appearance.

• treats others with respect and dignity.

• demonstrates responsibility to others and to the community.

• develops positive relationships with peers and adults.

• works to solve conflicts in non-violent ways.

Development of a Child’s Self-Concept A lower school child...

• recognizes his/her own unique and infinite worth.

• freely expresses feelings in constructive ways.

• strives for personal excellence.

• demonstrates an awareness and appreciation of his/ her strengths and weaknesses.

• demonstrates increasing independence and selfreliance.

• demonstrates a sense of right and wrong.

• understands the value of making mistakes and taking risks.

• asks for help when needed.

• seeks a physically active and healthy life style.

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Overview As part of the Wilmington Friends lower school, the Early Learning Center (ELC) supports the development of the whole child, engaging children in experiences which stimulate intellectual, emotional, and social development. The program is guided, in the Quaker tradition by values of respect for each individual, responsibility as members of a community, commitment to personal best, and the peaceful resolution of conflict.

The ELC program reflects best practices based on current research in early childhood education. Implementation of developmentally appropriate practice provides a framework in which to promote young children’s optimal learning and development. Teachers seek opportunities for authentic experiences that allow young children to see, negotiate, and participate in the real world, leading to meaningful cognitive connections. The preschool teachers recognize the importance of play, which allows children to experience social interactions, develop language, and tap into their creative thinking.

As stated in a recent Position Statement on Developmentally Appropriate Practice (3rd edition, 2009) by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), “Play is an important vehicle for developing self-regulation as well as for promoting language, cognition, and social competence.” In recognition of this and other guidelines developed by NAEYC, as well as the Delaware Early Learning Foundations for School Success, the ELC uses play to incorporate skills such as self help, decision making, problem solving, and observation of cause and effect.

The ELC serves children who start the school year at age two or three, and is located, with our pre-kindergarten program, in the early years classrooms on the lower level of the lower school building. Other facilities utilized by the ELC include the early years playground, the gym designed and equipped for our youngest students, the lower school library, and the music classrooms and Meeting Room/auditorium.

ELC Logistical Overview

ELC Curriculum

The School Day School begins at 8:15 a.m., with dismissal options at noon and at 2:50 p.m. Early morning care is available at no extra charge, beginning at 7:30 a.m. Families may enroll in the After-School Program, with a choice of 4:45 or 6:00 p.m. pick-up, either by contract (for the same days each week) or as needed on a drop-in basis.

Child care is available during designated school vacations and on designated noon dismissal days. Lower School Summer Camp operates for 10 weeks each summer, serving children age three through fifth grade.

Language Arts ELC children are rapidly acquiring language, experimenting with verbal sounds and beginning to use language to solve problems and to learn concepts. The program seeks to make the most of the opportunity presented by this developmental stage. ELC students are immersed in literacy experiences in and outside of the classrooms, through formal instruction and woven through daily interactions, developing skills for both expressive and receptive language. A key focus in the classroom is daily exposure to children’s literature, reciting poems and rhymes, singing songs, and finger plays. Objectives for receptive language development include the skills to follow one-step directions and to engage in auditory and visual discrimination when recalling stories and songs. Reading readiness activities include recognition of upper case letters and their sounds, and telling stories by acting them out and through drawing and dictation in journals. Children work with various manipulatives to develop fine motor skills; they utilize drawing and writing materials, learn to cut with scissors, and move on to practice writing their names. Children are encouraged and actively supported in the use of language skills to articulate their wants, needs, and thoughts throughout the day, in their communications with both teachers and classmates.

Expression of Quakerism ELC students participate in weekly or daily Quaker Meeting for Worship, when children and teachers gather and sit in silence for a very brief period of time. Although it is a form of religious worship, Meeting in a school setting is not intended as an assertion of religious ideology, but rather serves as a time of quiet reflection, with the experience largely defined by each individual. A conflict resolution program and service learning projects further reflect the school’s Quaker philosophy, and help support classroom work to encourage each student’s sense of belonging and responsibility to their communities.

Two Teachers in Each Classroom In each ELC classroom, there are two teachers (a lead and an associate), adhering to state guidelines for early childhood ratios. An assistant to the teachers works during the morning hours, providing additional support and greater flexibility for small group work and to ensure individual attention for each child.

Progress Reports and Conferences ELC parent-teacher conferences are scheduled three times a year: in September, November, and February/March. Written reports are provided to parents in November, February/March, and June. Communication between teachers and parents is always encouraged through personal meetings at drop off or pick up, by email or phone.

Mathematics ELC students explore mathematical concepts each day.

They are exposed to numbers, counting, shapes, and colors through activities related to calendar work and thematic studies. Counting, sorting, and patterning are incorporated into daily transitions, small group activities, and large motor activities. Additional mathematical activities include comparing objects by size, shape, and color. Math in literature is also a key element in exposing children to new concepts and language to help to support mathematical understanding.

Social Science Appropriate to the age of our ELC students, social science topics are examined through the children’s personal experience and the experiences of people around them.

Students are encouraged to share their family traditions and celebrations with classmates, and teachers seek to provide additional resources, from within and outside of school, to help students to develop an appreciation of different cultures. Students are active members of their ELC community, taking on “jobs” that demonstrate a shared responsibility for classroom management, and they engage in service learning that contributes to the broader community as well.

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PRE-KINDERGARTEN THROUGH FIFTH GRADE LOGISTICAL OVERVIEW Science ELC students are engaged in hands-on science experiences throughout the year. Examining fruits and vegetables with all five senses provides an opportunity to compare, contrast, and make lists or graphs of the properties of materials. Other themes throughout the year involve spiders, farm animals, the life cycle of a butterfly, and chick hatching. These activities encourage children to observe, predict, estimate, count, measure, record, discuss, and develop an appreciation for living things. A trip to the Brandywine Zoo, as the school year winds down in May, is an enjoyable culmination of our science adventures. Involving children in these hands-on activities also encourages language development and provides opportunities to share personal experiences.

Performing Arts ELC students have many opportunities to sing, move, and listen to music. They participate in regular structured music classes with the lower school music teacher, in support of daily exposure to music in the classroom. Students explore tone and rhythm, and elements of sound, silences, space, and time in children’s songs, traditional folk songs, seasonal music and with instruments.

The School Day Lower school begins at 8:15 each morning, with dismissal beginning at 2:50 p.m. (and some noon dismissals in PK and K); early morning care is available, at no extra charge, beginning at 7:15 a.m. Families may enroll in the After-School Program, with a choice of 4:45 or 6:00 p.m. pick-up, either by contract (for the same days each week) or as needed on a drop-in basis. Child care is also available during designated school vacations and on designated noon dismissal days. Lower School Summer Camp operates for 10 weeks each summer, serving children age three through fifth grade.

Two Teachers in Every Classroom From pre-kindergarten through fourth grade, every homebase classroom has two teachers (a lead and an associate who works either a full or half day depending on the grade level), allowing for greater flexibility in small group work as well as for simultaneous individual and group instruction. The two-teacher approach gives Friends an exceptionally low student-teacher ratio, ensuring attention to each child. This approach also gives the students two adults, with different personalities and interacting with children with different though compatible styles, with whom to build relationships.

Pre-First A pre-first grade program is offered for students who would benefit, for a variety of reasons, from an additional year of education before moving on to first grade.

Core Subjects, Grades PK-4 Through fourth grade, “core” subjects—language arts, math, science, and social science—are centered, but not isolated, in the homebase classroom. The lower school curriculum is integrated around themes, and teachers work in teams to coordinate projects across disciplines.

For example, a first grader studying ants as part of an insect unit in the homebase classroom might also make a papier maché ant in art class and do Internet research on ants, learning to paste a photo from a web page, in the computer lab.

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Fifth Grade Fifth graders rotate classrooms and teachers for social science, science, and writing (although the curriculum remains integrated across disciplines), giving students in this last year of lower school additional responsibility for managing a departmentalized program and for working with a greater variety of teachers. Reading and math classes are taught by the homebase teacher. Letter grades to assess student work are also introduced in fifth grade.

In the fifth grade year, students take a two-day class trip to the Chesapeake Bay, which combines studies in science, mathematics, social science, and language arts, with community building for the class and an experience away from home and campus.

“Specials” Classes beyond the core subjects are known at lower school as “specials.” Beginning in pre-k, every student has classes each week in physical education, Spanish, art, and music. Library Media Center classes meet in coordination with homebase classroom activities. Beginning in kindergarten, students also have science lab and computer lab.

remains quite stable in learning objectives and philosophical foundation, curriculum is, by nature, evolving (and improving) from year to year, and even within the school year, there may be minor revisions to the program described, as teachers respond to the dynamics of individual classes and to events in and beyond school.

Expressions of Quakerism All lower school students participate in weekly Quaker Meeting for Worship, in which students and teachers gather and sit in silence. Anyone who feels moved to do so may stand and speak briefly. Young students who speak in Meeting tend to relate feelings about personal experiences, such as, “I’m happy because we got a new pet.” Although it is a form of religious worship, Meeting in the school setting is not intended as an assertion of religious ideology, but rather serves as a time of quiet reflection, with the experience largely defined by each individual (and informed by each person’s own religious tradition and identity). A conflict resolution program and service projects further reflect the school’s Quaker philosophy, and help support classroom work to encourage each student’s sense of belonging and responsibility to their communities.

Lower school students progress from learning to read to reading to learn, with building skills in receptive and expressive language, from the mechanics of grammar and handwriting to the conceptual understanding that allows for inference, prediction, and abstraction.

Throughout the program, students are immersed in a literature- and language-rich environment, exploring different genres, and learning to appreciate a variety of cultures and traditions through reading and research.

Challenging students to meet high standards, while developing an enthusiasm for learning and lifelong love of reading, is a key objective of the program.

Related to that objective is the development of “student voice,” a unifying theme of the lower school curriculum.

We seek to provide students with a variety of skills and opportunities for self-expression that will allow for their fullest possible participation in the learning process and in the school and broader communities. In the language arts program, students are supported in expressing their ideas, feelings, and observations openly, effectively, and appropriately. Again, expectations rise steadily throughout the program, with high standards in such skill areas as handwriting, spelling, grammar, and vocabulary, but with a continuing emphasis on encouraging students to feel confident in expressing themselves and presenting their work.

As part of the presentation of student work, many lower school teachers are coordinating across grade levels to develop student writing portfolios. Each year, selected “final” work for each student will be placed in his or her portfolio, so that students build a record of their written work from first through fifth grade. We acquire core materials that support the philosophy and objectives of our program, but the curriculum and classroom tools are not limited to such materials. In language arts, core materials include Handwriting Without Tears, the Wilson Language Program, Open Court basal readers, and the Wordly Wise Vocabulary Program.

Optional Activities Fourth and fifth graders may choose to participate (no audition required) in Kids Choir and/or band, which rehearse both during the school day and one day each week after school. Other after-school activities are also available, through the After-School Program or independently.

Progress Reports and Conferences For pre-kindergarten and kindergarten/pre-first students, parent-teacher conferences, with a review of brief written reports, are scheduled three times each year. An extensive written report is sent home at the end of the pre-k and K/P1 years. For grades 1-5, conferences are scheduled, again with brief written reports, twice each year. Lengthy narrative reports are sent home at the end of the year. Only fifth graders receive letter grades.

Parent-teacher communication is always encouraged via phone or email.

PRE-KINDERGARTEN THROUGH FIFTH GRADE CURRICULUM The planned program of studies for each subject area and for each grade at lower school is summarized below. The curriculum is defined with established objectives for student progress at each level, and with respect to proven teaching methods as well as an openness to innovations in materials and methods based on sound research and trials. Although the program

LANGUAGE ARTS: OVERVIEW

Pre-Kindergarten Language Arts Through immersion in a literature- and language-rich environment, pre-kindergarten students begin their journey to literacy. Our focus is on developing reading and writing readiness through multi-sensory experiences and direct and explicit phonemic awareness and phonics instruction, with an emphasis on auditory and visual discrimination, listening skills, and spoken language development. Sample objectives for pre-k students in receptive language include learning to recognize rhyming patterns, following multi-step directions, and engaging 4

in auditory discrimination with phoneme units. In expressive language, objectives include students’ expressing feelings in an appropriate manner and recalling and restating facts and sequence from stories read aloud.

Students also begin to create and share their own stories through storytelling and illustration. Toward goals specific to reading readiness, students learn to identify letter sounds and to discriminate letters and words; they are introduced to beginning consonant sounds, and learn to recognize upper and lower case letters. They experience the functionality of written words in a variety of contexts, and are asked to demonstrate left to right directionality. Fine motor activities are also emphasized as children learn to write their upper case letters, refine their pencil grip, and explore small manipulatives.

Kindergarten/Pre-First Language Arts In k/pre-first, students work on the specific reading and writing skills they need to become literate learners. Through a variety of approaches, students further develop their phonological awareness; they learn the sound-symbol relationship and increase their inventory of sight words. In reading readiness, skills include blending syllables and two of three sounds orally into words.

Students identify and separate words into beginning, medial, and ending sounds. Read-alouds from a broad selection of genres and authors heighten students’ pleasure in books and provide enhanced vocabulary as well as exposure to literature and information. K/pre-first students develop their ability to listen for content and to predict possible story outcomes. Students become more involved in the process of writing and develop a conceptual understanding of print as “talk written down.”

Expressive language is emphasized, as students convey feelings, ideas, fantasies, and observations verbally and in drawing and writing. There is an increasing emphasis throughout the year on expressing ideas with text, which includes phonetic spellings and learned words.

Handwriting strokes and conventions are taught concurrently throughout the year.

First Grade Language Arts First grade students build on their decoding ability, developing fluency and adding sight words to their phonics skills. Comprehension of written text develops through direct reading strategies of story elements, surveying, predicting, and setting a purpose for reading.

Students are exposed to various genres, both through reading and in directed writing assignments. They also undertake their first research study, using library resources and preparing a final project. First grade is a year of tremendous progress in work on punctuation, grammar, and editing skills, as well as phonetic spelling and handwriting. Specific objectives include decoding using sound-syllable relationships (initial, medial, and ending consonant sounds, digraphs and blends, and long and short vowels); an understanding of word patterns and families; and a beginning structural analysis of words. The basics of process writing are also strengthened.

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Second Grade Language Arts Second grade students develop reading comprehension skills through a variety of experiences, including reading independently, in pairs, and in larger groups. They increase their vocabulary through the study of themerelated words; and they develop their ability to analyze the structure of words, sentences, and stories, including an awareness of parts of speech and how to express ideas in a thoughtfully organized way. They advance their comprehension skills to make more sophisticated inferences and predictions, to draw conclusions, and to differentiate between fiction and non-fiction and between fact and opinion. There is a greater emphasis beginning in second grade on following written (as well as oral) directions, and on moving beyond phonetic spelling, as students proofread their work using tools such as dictionaries and editing checklists. The basics of process writing are developed further, including writing for a variety of audiences.

Third Grade Language Arts Third graders learn to comprehend both literal and implied meanings, and skills of decoding and defining unfamiliar words, through context clues and with the dictionary as an everyday tool. They learn to analyze plot, character, theme, and setting from works in a variety of genres, with an emphasis on connecting what they read to what they are learning and “real world” experiences. In their written work, third graders advance in organizing ideas, in clarity of expression, and in the process of editing and revising. They are introduced to parts of speech and paragraphing. Third grade students write for different purposes and audiences—to inform, persuade, entertain, and reflect. They also learn to write upper and lower case cursive letters with connections.

Fourth Grade Language Arts Fourth grade students read from a number of genres, including a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts.

They read both assigned materials and books that they choose, and are expected to report on their reading, both in writing and orally. Fourth graders use context clues more in their reading, with greater attention to cause and effect in a story. Within the variety of material, inferential comprehension becomes increasingly important.

In developing their writing skills, students are expected, as they progress through fourth grade, to use correct punctuation and sentence structure, to demonstrate an increasing understanding of formal grammar as it applies to effective writing skills, and to develop ideas effectively into paragraphs. Fourth graders also grow more independent in the process of editing and revising, and continue to work on the mechanics of cursive writing skills. Students take on greater leadership roles in reading and writing groups.

MATHEMATICS: OVERVIEW Fifth Grade Language Arts Fifth grade students are expected to communicate clearly, in writing and orally, and to demonstrate their ability to draw inferences from both concrete and abstract materials.

Fifth graders show growing maturity in their writing, adding depth and breadth to its substance while still applying correct sentence structure and demonstrating an increased understanding of formal grammar as it applies to effective writing. Students use their writing skills to inform, to persuade, and to express personal ideas. They engage in extensive research on a topic of their choice and demonstrate their learning by writing an informative essay. There is a continuing emphasis on peer review and active participation in classroom discussions, and particular emphasis on using newly acquired vocabulary in a variety of contexts and across academic disciplines.

Fifth grade is a culminating step in the transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Specific reading skill objectives include summarizing material, using specific details to support comprehension answers (written and oral), and identifying and discussing literary terms.

The lower school math program is grounded in the standards and principles of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and draws from national and international research, including the work of the National Science Foundation and the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). We seek to apply the proven best practices of mathematics teachings, with a planned structure of scope and sequence and consistency of method, to deepen and reinforce students’ understanding of mathematical concepts, as they expand and secure their mastery of math facts.

Students learn through a deliberate and balanced blend of hands-on inquiry, mathematical and meta-cognitive analysis, and exercises to develop and reinforce computational skills. There is a purposeful connection of mathematical studies to “real-world� situations and to other disciplines. Our goal is to help students achieve 21st century math literacy, with the full range of qualities necessary for them to succeed as mathematical thinkers.

As with language arts, the math program employs core materials that support the philosophy and objectives of our program, with such materials representing one of the strategies and tools used in our classrooms. In math, core materials include the most recent edition, which includes renewed emphasis on computation, of Everyday Math in grades 1-5.

Pre-Kindergarten Mathematics Students in pre-k experience math through a variety of hands-on, everyday activities like taking attendance.

They are exposed to math terminology and incorporate it into their own vocabulary. Students gain a foundation for number sense and mathematical operations by counting with one-to-one correspondence, reading numerals, and developing an understanding of the value of numbers (e.g. by matching a number to a set).

Pre-k students work extensively with patterns, space, shape, and measurement as foundations of algebra and geometry. Our PK mathematicians also learn to classify objects, to record patterns in data, to make graphs, and to estimate and hypothesize.

Kindergarten/Pre-First Mathematics Kindergarten/pre-first students continue to build on their foundation of mathematical knowledge by working with physical objects: sorting and classifying attributes, identifying and extending patterns, and exploring shapes.

Hands-on activities that include estimating, counting, and comparing support their development of number sense. Number relationships are further investigated when students collect and record data in picture and bar graphs and the use of tally marks. Students explore numerical operations by using manipulative materials including coins, and by solving problems that relate to real-life experiences. Engaging in discussions about calendar math provides an opportunity for students to learn about the passage of time by focusing on the cycle of days, months, and seasons. Students participate 6

in meaningful games and activities that are integrated with other areas of the curriculum to build on their understanding of nonstandard units of measurement— including measures of time, temperature, and size.

First Grade Mathematics As first graders begin to incorporate larger numbers into their activities, their work focuses on quick recall of addition and subtraction facts and an understanding of place value. By the end of first grade, students are expected to count by 2s, 5s, and 10s (recognizing patterns), and to begin to add and subtract two-digit numbers. Students also learn to use predictions, estimations, and validations in problem solving, and their data and graph work become more complex. First graders continue to focus on comparing, classifying, and patterning, working with manipulatives, shapes (including pyramid, rectangular prism, sphere, and cone) and measures. They develop skills in telling time and working with currency, “real world” applications of their work on fractions and the concept of a whole divided into parts.

Second Grade Mathematics The second grade math program continues to strengthen mastery of addition and subtraction facts. As students work more with adding and subtracting two-digit numbers, they use a variety of strategies including algorithms. To further develop their understanding of place value and number patterning, students count by 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 10s, and 100s. Students begin to work with multiplication for 0-5; and they begin to write fractions and relate them to partial sets and divided figures.

Second graders also apply addition and subtraction to situational problem solving, and continue to practice estimation to validate answers. Measuring and shapes are emphasized in second grade. Students measure length, area, perimeter, volume, capacity, weight, and temperature. They use rulers to draw figures, and learn to recognize the sides and corners of polygons, find lines of symmetry, draw symmetrical figures, and relate plane figures to space figures.

Third Grade Mathematics Third graders work to gain quick recall of multiplication facts and to apply them to division. Students explore different algorithms for multiplying multiple-digit numbers. They work more extensively with fractions, learning to compare and use symbols such as “<” and “>”. They also add and subtract three-digit numbers with regrouping, and apply different strategies to solving two-step word problems. Students develop their ability to explain their thought processes for problem solving.

Geometry becomes more sophisticated as vocabulary broadens to include types of angles, polygons, and parts of a circle. Third graders are also introduced to parallel, intersecting, and perpendicular lines and congruent figures, and learn to plot coordinates on a grid. They also continue to explore probability.

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Fourth Grade Mathematics Fourth grade students apply skills in multiplication (two and three digit number) and division, as well as addition and subtraction, in problem solving. They also begin to develop their ability to solve multi-step problems and to explain their mathematical reasoning in solving such problems using numbers, pictures, and words. Students’ understanding of mathematical concepts expands as fractions are related to decimals; measurements are converted to smaller and larger units; and angles are measured (using a protractor) and recognized as parts of a circle. Students learn about improper fractions and equate them with mixed numerals, and they learn to work with uncommon denominators. Fourth graders learn to read, interpret, and create bar graphs, tally charts, and tables, and to draw conclusions about the data represented.

Fifth Grade Mathematics In fifth grade, students explore relationships between numbers using concepts such as multiples, factors, prime, and square. The students continue to develop their fact fluency and understanding of the relationship between multiplication and division through the use of number stories and group activities.

Fifth graders also study various ways to represent values less than one: decimals, fractions, and percents.

Through different problem-solving applications using models such as clock faces and grids, they develop strategies to find solutions in all three categories, enabling them to move more freely from one form of notation to another and to better select the method most relevant to a given situation.

Students also develop a variety of computational and estimation strategies for multiplication and division, such as using reasoning based on multiples, approximating and adjusting, or breaking large problems down into smaller, simpler ones. They also use estimation to check the validity of their answers.

In measurement, students focus on length and area.

They use both standard and metric units as they estimate with familiar, non-standard references and then take actual measurements with rulers and other tools.

For data investigation, students organize, display, analyze, and interpret data. They create line plots, bar graphs, and stem-and-leaf plots, and recognize and interpret patterns shown in these displays. They also compute the mode, median, mean, and range of a data set and use these statistics to describe the data and make predictions.

Throughout the year, students explore problems indepth, inventing their own strategies, using a variety of concrete materials, and often searching for multiple solutions. They work individually as well as in a variety of groupings as they express their thinking verbally, in writing, and through visual representation.

SCIENCE: OVERVIEW The science curriculum is coordinated through the homebase classrooms, science classrooms, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) lab, new in 2010-11. The STEM lab will provide our youngest students, guided by both the science specialist teacher and homebase teachers, with opportunities to explore these key disciplines in greater depth and to make connections between them.

In pre-k, science activities are centered in the homebase classroom. In kindergarten through fourth grade, students study science in the homebase classroom and in the science and STEM labs, supplemented by outdoor nature studies, special projects, and field trips.

The fifth grade science course combines direct instruction, lab and project work, experimentation, group and cooperative learning, and field trips. Throughout the program, there is an emphasis on supporting children’s natural curiosity and joy in discovery through handson investigation, connection of classroom activities to “real world” situations (including the use of household objects, as well as lab equipment, in projects), and mastery of investigative skills in the context of the scientific method. Developing an understanding of the human body and healthy lifestyle choices, as part of the school’s overall Human Dynamics and Development curriculum, is also emphasized.

Pre-Kindergarten Science Pre-k science focuses on hands-on, discovery-based experiences related to classroom themes and children’s interests. These activities, as well as field trips that support the lessons, provide students with the opportunity to develop an appreciation for the life cycles of living things and to discuss their observations about the world in which we live. Students learn to recognize similarities and differences, often recording characteristics like size, color, shape, and weight. Through guided instruction, pre-k students make observations using the five senses.

Using appropriate tools, students are encouraged to communicate, classify, predict, and infer about the world around them.

Kindergarten/Pre-First Science Kindergarten/pre-first science includes units of study from the life sciences and the physical sciences, as well as specific instruction about the scientific method.

Through spontaneous play, guided instruction, and hands-on investigation, students are encouraged to build on the body of knowledge that they have acquired through their own experiences and to further develop their sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around them. Discovery-based activities encourage students to develop problem-solving skills by formulating questions and by collaborating in their search for the answers. Recent topics have included living things, wood, water and solids, magnetics, and habitats.

Homebase teachers work with the science specialist to integrate topics studied in the science lab.

First Grade Science The first grade science curriculum includes units from both life and physical sciences. Students begin the year working on the process skills of making observations and predictions, skills honed through discoveries with solids and liquids. The plant unit includes explorations both in the lab and in the homebase classroom. Students identify what a plant needs to grow and observe the life cycle of a “fast plant” from seed to seed. In the insect unit, students study the growth of insects from egg to adult, journaling their observations.

Second Grade Science Second grade science begins with an exploration of changes. Through several hands-on investigations, children observe the effects of matter changing between the states of solid, liquid, and gas. These experiences with states of matter, as well as changes like evaporation and condensation, lead into a study of soil and water. Students examine properties of soil and conduct experiments to determine the parts of soil. They begin to make connections between where these soil parts originated from and the function they play in the earth system (i.e. humus-organic matter that provides nutrients to the soil for growth of plants). As second graders begin examining the flow of water through soil, it leads them to question and examine the effects of pollution in the water and soil through experiments of their own design. Students apply this knowledge to real-world situations and reflect upon how pollution in the water and soil can affect plants and animals, like birds, in their environment. Students in second grade also investigate balance and motion. Students are challenged to balance different shapes and pencils by finding a stable position. They are then given an opportunity to investigate objects that have a rotational motion and investigate variables that affect the motion of a system. Using what they have learned about balance and motion, the class creates a marble roller coaster that allows a marble to run non-stop.

Third Grade Science Third grade science begins with a unit about earth materials. During this unit, students investigate observable characteristics of rocks and minerals, taking the materials apart to find out what they are made of in order to better understand their properties. Third graders also observe, compare, and care for different organisms.

During this unit, students investigate the structures of an organism and learn how the function of structures supports survival and growth. Students are able to use observable properties to sort and group different organisms. In the sound unit, students explore properties of pitch and volume. Through explorations with tuning forks, nails, rulers, and pegboards, students learn how pitch and volume are created and how they can be changed. Students are then challenged to apply what they have learned in creating their own musical instruments.

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SOCIAL SCIENCE: OVERVIEW Fourth Grade Science With a continuing emphasis on hands-on learning, fourth graders acquire greater proficiency in recording findings with scientific language. In a unit about land and water, students create landforms to model the effects of water on various land features. Fourth graders also develop their understanding of electricity, by using materials such as batteries and bulbs in series and parallel circuits.

Applying that knowledge, students are challenged to create their own electric inventions.

Fifth Grade Science Fifth grade students learn how to evaluate data and evidence in order to make and substantiate claims that address scientific questions. These skills support the development of conceptual understanding and foster the ability to use knowledge to make predictions and explain phenomena. Students also engage in problem-solving activities that encourage them to develop new ideas, and even to create new objects, based on previous learning.

The environmental science unit is designed to guide students to a deeper understanding of the complexity of environmental problems, their causes, and potential solutions. The unit stresses data collection and analysis, as well as reading for pertinent information. In the design technology unit, students use their problem-solving skills to design and build projects to exact specifications. This process engages math skills in measurement and spatial relations, and students also learn simple woodworking skills. Fifth grade life science focuses on living systems, which include: cells; the human respiratory, circulatory, digestive, and excretory systems; photosynthesis; and cellular respiration. Form and function are stressed, so students can understand why their body works the way it does. This is followed with a short unit on puberty and the female and male reproductive systems. At the same time that the physical aspects of these topics are addressed in science class, the homebases discuss the emotional and social issues associated with growing up. Finally, the students investigate substances, some of their properties, and the way they interact in a chemistry unit. Physical versus chemical changes are introduced, as well as the difference between mixtures and solutions, and identifying acids and bases. Students spend a large part of their time during this unit making observations, and using their data to develop claims with evidence and reasoning.

For pre-k through fourth grade students, study in social science is centered in the homebase classroom, coordinated with work in the “specials.” Students study physical geography, culture, biographies, and history.

The curriculum expands from the students’ own experience (self, family) to larger communities of which they are members and in which they have responsibilities (school, city, state, country), with global connections throughout the progression. Skills in research and presenting work are emphasized with increasing expectations at each level, with both teacher-directed and student-selected topics.

Pre-Kindergarten Social Science Pre-k students first approach social science by building self-awareness. They learn and communicate about themselves, their feelings and ideas, their responsibility for their actions and toward others (e.g. sharing), their capacity for self-reliance, and their uniqueness in identity and in what they can contribute. Students broaden their study to family, including a sharing of traditions and celebrations, and then to a more global view through an introduction to celebrations from around the world, fostering an early appreciation for a variety of cultures.

Kindergarten/Pre-First Social Science As in pre-k, students in kindergarten/pre-first continue to focus on their sense of identity as it relates to their family and their classroom, expanding to the school community and the idea of community responsibility more generally, with global parallels explored along the way. Through active participation, students are encouraged to develop responsibility and to make independent decisions while gaining an appreciation for the ways in which others contribute to classroom and school life.

Conflict resolutions skills are modeled, and students begin to assume independent responsibility for them.

Students strengthen collaborative skills through work and play as partners, in small groups, and with their entire class. Stewardship and service learning play a formative role in this process. Students also continue to develop an appreciation for diversity among individuals and cultures. By engaging in the study of assigned topics, students develop observational skills and broaden their view of the world around them. The introduction of research skills enables the students to develop an awareness of the range of available resources to find answers to their questions.

First Grade Social Science Students begin the year with a focus on friendship. In addition to developing their understanding of classroom and school communities, first graders begin to learn about the services that enable neighborhoods and cities to function—again, with global connections and parallels. There is specific focus on the City of Wilmington, including field trips, as students learn about emergency services, careers, and basic community needs. First

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graders learn map skills including the four-point compass and other basic concepts, as well as how to identify their own state and country and how to locate other geographic markers. Students also study the contributions of individual Americans to the common good. As students analyze communities and their own responsibility to people with whom they share surroundings, they also develop an awareness of similarities and differences among individuals. They learn the importance of respecting various points of view, as they are supported and become more confident in asserting their own ideas.

Second Grade Social Science Second graders broaden their knowledge of their place in the world by expanding their previous focus on neighborhood and city to include an understanding of state, region, country, continent, and planet. Students also study people who have made contributions to the world as a whole, and how ideas, innovations, and human choices can impact communities, both local and global. Students develop their map skills to use an eight-point compass, a key, and a basic political map.

As their understanding of physical geography expands, students continue to learn more about world cultures and to develop their appreciation for similarities and differences.

Third Grade Social Science Third graders explore North America, with a focus on the United States and the concept of adaptation—how communities and cultures are affected by factors like climate and natural resources; how change forces adaptation; and how choices can lead to change. The third grade physical geography studies involve increasingly sophisticated map skills, such as learning to identify various land formations and bodies of water, and understanding and using geography terms like peninsula, equator, and longitude/latitude. Third graders also learn how to use different types of maps.

Fourth Grade Social Science The culture and physical geography study continues in fourth grade, with a particular emphasis on developing research skills and on the concept of community organization and government. In their physical and political geography work, fourth graders apply their understanding of cardinal directions; and learn about additional topics such as latitude, longitude, tropics, prime meridian, and time zones. In their cultural study, fourth graders learn about the different systems by which people organize communities and societies, and about the role and function of government. Specific research skill objectives include learning how to decide which concepts or characteristics to study, and incorporating library reference material fully into the research process.

Students are also expected to meet higher expectations in their research projects, using the “Big 6” method, and oral presentations.

Fifth Grade Social Science Fifth grade social science is focused on particular aspects of United States history, as well as the history, culture, and geography of some of our neighbors in South and Central America. Students examine how people have handled struggle and conflict, and how people stand up for what they believe and promote change in the face of injustice. Fifth graders study current events and conflicts as well as historical events, often with global comparisons, such as the American Revolution and the independence movement in India.

Topics include the civil rights movement (with some global parallels), immigration, and issues and events affecting indigenous peoples. The learning process emphasizes critical thinking, problem solving, working efficiently and respectfully within a group, role-playing, and informed decision making. There is an emphasis on skill development, including note taking, map skills, research skills, and report writing. Throughout the year, fifth graders produce research projects in a variety of styles, lengths, and manners of presentation.

SPANISH: OVERVIEW The Spanish program is designed to introduce students to the Spanish language and to Hispanic cultures, both for the inherent value and to lay the foundation for future language learning and a lasting appreciation for diversity. Given demographic changes in our country, familiarity with this language and culture are especially valuable to students. Students engage in activities that generate enthusiasm for the study of language and culture while learning basic communication skills in the target language. The program utilizes materials such as books, pictures, photographs, flash cards, DVD’s, CD’s, puppets, computer resources, and the technique called Total Physical Response (TPR), which helps young children learn languages by incorporating gestures.

Pre-Kindergarten Spanish In pre-kindergarten, students explore Spanish through songs, finger plays, stories, and movement, and also by using the language in meaningful and familiar contexts. The Spanish teacher and homebase teachers work together to make Spanish part of daily routines, such as transitioning from one activity to another, putting materials away, or learning the days of the week.

Kindergarten/Pre-First Spanish Kindergarten and pre-first students learn to follow oral directions in Spanish and to ask and answer simple questions. They interact with their teacher and peers using basic greetings, farewells, and expressions of courtesy. Other specific language objectives include learning to count from 1 to 20, and learning the names of colors, days of the week, body parts, and animals.

Students also learn songs (for both language and culture learning), games, Spanish stories and tales, and develop 10

a beginning appreciation for different Hispanic foods, celebrations, and holidays.

First Grade Spanish In first grade, students build upon their Spanish language skills by practicing familiar vocabulary through games involving increased recognition and recall as well as activities that incorporate beginning reading in Spanish. They also learn specific content vocabulary such as shapes and features of the weather. They develop their skills in following oral directions and communicating in basic phrases with their teacher and peers, learning to understand more complex classroom directions. First graders also begin to make comparisons and connections among cultures.

Second Grade Spanish Building Spanish vocabulary, second graders learn the names for family members, clothing, and to say and recognize numbers 1 to 50. As their vocabulary increases, they engage in conversation to express and exchange feelings and personal information with their teacher and peers. They also practice reading familiar phrases through repeated class activities and become more aware of the sounds in the Spanish language through song and cooperative group games. Students learn more about Hispanic holidays and celebrations through books, photographs, and videos.

Third Grade Spanish Third grade Spanish conversational skills focus on interaction using basic words and memorized phrases, including how to ask permission from the teacher and answering simple questions with complete sentences.

Students begin to learn some adjectives and the concept of masculine and feminine words in Spanish. They also practice writing content vocabulary and familiar phrases.

Expanding their cultural study, third graders explore some traditional foods, the basic rhythms of a few types of Latin music, and the history of how the Spanish language spread to different parts of the world.

Fourth Grade Spanish Continuing the focus on classroom and personal interactions, fourth grade students become more fluent in their comprehension and oral expression in Spanish. They begin to use adjectives and verbs in a more focused way in their conversation. They also listen to stories and tales from different Hispanic countries and engage in extended activities to build understanding. As Spanishspeaking countries are discussed through cultural and language activities, students also learn about their geographical locations.

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Fifth Grade Spanish By the end of fifth grade, students are increasingly proficient in their receptive and expressive language skills.

They are able to communicate feelings and personal information in complete sentences, and to describe objects and events using verbs, adjectives, and nouns.

With their exposure to the sounds in the Spanish language, they are more comfortable writing familiar words and phrases as well as phonetically writing and spelling words. They also expand on their cultural studies by learning about art and basic dance steps to Latin rhythms.

COMPUTING: OVERVIEW All students in grades kindergarten/pre-first through fifth meet for formal instruction at least once each week in the computer lab. In addition to their scheduled sessions, classes may sign up for additional computer time in the lab, use classroom computers, or sign-out the lower school “iBook” cart (laptops with wireless network access). This diverse access allows projects to move seamlessly from the lab to the classroom and to the Library Media Center.

The computing curriculum is carefully integrated with the rest of the curriculum to be an “extension of the classroom,” so that technology skills support what students are learning, and specific projects they are undertaking, in core subjects and specials. Students use technology in all core disciplines, so that in a given year they will have had a math, science, social science, and language arts technology experience. Projects are designed to help students learn how to identify and define problems, formulate hypotheses, answer questions, and offer conclusions that can be applied to new situations and applications. Our program guides students in the acquisition of essential skills in keyboarding and word processing, Internet research and communications, and basic programming. Students are also taught to express themselves and to present their work creatively with graphics, databases, spreadsheets, and multimedia.

These skills spiral across the grade levels with varying tools and growing complexity. Our ultimate goal is to provide our students with the skills they need to work successfully in an increasingly international, interdependent, and technologically information-rich society.

Kindergarten/Pre-First Computing Kindergarten/pre-first grade students learn basic terms and functions of the computer, and acquire foundation skills such as how to use the mouse, log on and off a network, open and close folders, and start and quit programs. They learn the basics of keyboarding (left versus right hand keys, space bar, delete key, and shift key) and begin word processing (lists, short passages). They also create artwork in graphics programs, and begin to

transfer skills between programs. Kindergarten/pre-first students are introduced to programming using physical robots (Beebots and Roamer) and transition programming skills using MicroWorlds Jr. With careful teacher guidance, students begin to explore the Internet as a source of information and means of communication, viewing selected web pages. The i-SAFE curriculum is used to teach Internet safety topics.

Applications: Appleworks suite (word processing/drawing), Kidspiration (customized activities), Kid Pix (drawing/multimedia), Type to Learn Jr. (keyboarding), math software, “Bee-bots,” “Roamer” and MicroWorlds Jr. (programming), Safari (Internet).

Examples from Past Projects/Activities: • Explored shape substitutions and patterns using math software • Identified and sorted “living versus non-living” things as an extension of a science lab unit • Created a multimedia alphabet and number book • Typed and wrote sentences about friendship for their friendship unit • Programmed Roamer through a 3-D maze First Grade Computing First grade students expand their understanding of computer terminology and function. They add skills in keyboarding and word processing and learn to highlight, edit, and proofread text. Since they begin to do more story writing in first grade, students use tools to assist them in planning and brainstorming. They also begin to use a greater variety of tools for creating and manipulating graphics, and increase their understanding of the role of multimedia presentations in education and in society. First graders are introduced to spreadsheets and create and evaluate the usefulness of graphs. They also learn some basic programming commands using Logo.

First graders develop their understanding of the Internet, and begin to define its place in information-seeking and problem-solving strategies they learn in the integrated curricula of the homebase classroom and the Library Media Center. The i-SAFE curriculum is used to teach Internet safety topics.

Applications: Appleworks suite (word processing, drawing, spreadsheets), Kidspiration (story planning), Kid Pix (drawing/multimedia), Type to Learn Jr. (keyboarding), math software, MicroWorlds (programming), Safari (Internet).

Examples from Past Projects/Activities: • Graphed monthly weather data using spread-sheet software • Used pre-defined Kidspiration templates to help plan and write a fairy tale • Experienced a cybertrip to several Australian zoos while studying Australian animals • Programmed the turtle using Logo through 2-D mazes and towns

Second Grade Computing In addition to expanding their application of general computer skills, second grade students learn more about the role of servers and networks, and saving, retrieving, and printing documents. They continue to use planning tools for writing and organizing information.

In keyboarding, they begin two-handed typing; and in word processing, they begin more routinely to publish their work applying skills such as centering text. They continue more advanced work in graphics and multimedia and participate in longer-term projects. Spreadsheet and graphing work continue with a focus on learning to collect and enter data. Logo programming skills also continue and are taught as an extension of the geometry study. Students also program their own animation in multimedia projects. Second graders become more sophisticated in their approach to the Internet, as they develop skills to navigate selected web pages.

The i-SAFE curriculum is used to teach Internet safety topics. Students are also introduced to Web 2.0 technologies such as blogging.

Applications: Appleworks suite (word processing, drawing, spreadsheets), Kidspiration (story planning, concept mapping), Type to Learn (keyboarding), math software, MicroWorlds (programming, multimedia), Safari (Internet).

Examples from Past Projects/Activities: • Designed their own bird utilizing information learned from a science unit, and created a multi-media presentation which described its physical characteristics, habitat, a scanned drawing, and a haiku poem • Created study “webs” of a collection of facts learned about the human body from their homebase work • Used Logo to program various geometric shapes Third Grade Computing At the third grade level, there is a significant change in applications, and students are guided to transfer prior knowledge and skills as they undertake new challenges with a greater variety and sophistication of tools.

Third graders begin to maneuver among open documents and learn to work between multiple applications simultaneously. Keyboarding continues as students are expected to use the “home-row” routinely. They create longer and more advanced word processing documents, adjusting page orientation and border widths and using functions such as spell check and the “select all” and “undo” commands. In multimedia, they plan and design presentations using three or more slides, importing graphics, sound, and text and adding transitions between slides; they also evaluate the effectiveness of different presentations. Students begin to define and label spreadsheet columns and rows, and to create, manipulate, and begin to understand the comparative strengths of bar, line, and pie graphs. Databases are also introduced and created at this level, and are compared to the effectiveness of spreadsheets. Basic programming skills continue to be taught using the Scratch programming language. Students also write their own 12

procedures to code animations in multimedia projects.

Working on the Internet, students begin to understand keywords in using search engines effectively, and to compare the usefulness of different search strategies.

They also begin to use on-line electronic databases and to compare using the Internet to using such databases.

The “Big 6” information skills are introduced by the Library Media specialist, and students are expected to use those skills when accessing electronic resources.

The i-SAFE curriculum is used to teach Internet safety topics. Students work with Web 2.0 technologies such as blogging. At this grade level, the iBook cart is often used for research and for word processing.

Applications: Appleworks (databases), Microsoft Office (MS word and MS Excel), Kidspiration and Inspiration (story planning, concept mapping, character analysis), Type to Learn 3 (keyboarding), math software, MicroWorlds (programming, multimedia), Scratch (programming), Safari (Internet), UD/Lib Search and other electronic on-line databases.

Examples from Past Projects/Activities: • Created a database of rainforest plants and animals researched in class • Programmed original multiplication games using Scratch • Created character web using Kidspiration for selected books • Wrote procedures to code animations in their multimedia projects Fourth Grade Computing Fourth grade students continue to develop their skills through assigned projects, experimentation with different software, and a balance of individual and group work. They undertake more challenging projects in multimedia presentations, Internet and on-line database research, spreadsheet and graph work, and word processing and graphics. Students transfer skills from a procedural Logo programming environment to the Scratch graphical programming environment. In this year students have regularly scheduled keyboarding practice, in addition to their computer periods. They also work more independently at this level. Students use a wider range of electronic databases and the Internet more routinely, and their research is guided by the “Big 6” information skills. By this level of the computer program, students are also asked to become more sophisticated in their critical evaluation of different computer tools and resources. The i-SAFE curriculum is used to teach Internet safety topics. Students work with Web 2.0 technologies such as blogging. The iBook cart is used more routinely for the continuation of projects and activities.

Applications: Microsoft Office (MS word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint), Inspiration (story planning, concept mapping, character analysis), Type to Learn (keyboarding), math software, Scratch (programming), Safari (Internet), UD/Lib Search and other electronic on-line databases.

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Examples from Past Projects/Activities: • Using MS Excel spreadsheets and MS PowerPoint, graphed and presented a comparison of fast-food nutritional information; different graph types were created and evaluated for a given data set • Programmed using Scratch and Scratch boards • Used GPS units to find geo-caches at lower school Fifth Grade Computing Fifth grade computer represents the culmination of a six-year, progressive course of study, supported by additional technology experiences in the homebase classroom and Library Media Center. During this year students are being prepared for the transition to middle school. They receive their own computer accounts that they manage and use independently.

Students continue with regularly scheduled keyboarding practice in addition to their scheduled computer period.

Their word processing documents are now multi-page products, created through a variety of tools and commands. Their graphics skills include applying a variety of tools to manipulate inserted and original images. Using a variety of multimedia tools, they design multimedia presentations that include multiple slides, importing graphics and sound. They gain confidence working with a variety of spreadsheets. Their Internet skills include: identifying different components in web sites, citing referenced web sites, and identifying and modifying keywords to use search engines effectively (and an early understanding of how search engines work). The i-SAFE curriculum is used to teach Internet safety topics.

Students use a variety of Web 2.0 tools such as blogs and wikis. Additional on-line electronic databases are introduced, and the “Big 6” information skills continue to play a significant role in research activities. Students continue their study of programming through a study of LEGO robotics. The iBooks are used regularly since technology projects are assigned in all disciplines. Students also refine their skills of critical evaluation of programs, presentations, and Internet resources. Their study of computers goes beyond the acquisition of basic skills, to sophisticated application of technology for a purpose and higher-level thinking toward problem-solving and creative expression.

Applications: Microsoft Office (MS word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint), Inspiration (story planning, concept mapping, character analysis), Type to Learn (keyboarding), math software, Scratch (programming), Robolab (programming), Safari (Internet), UD/Lib Search and other electronic on-line databases, iMovie (multimedia).

Examples from Past Projects/Activities: • Designed programs using Robolab to program LEGO robots • Created a “Chesapeake Bay” fifth grade wiki • Used MS Powerpoint to present their “Simple Machine” science unit challenges • Programmed linear functions using Scratch

PERFORMING ARTS: OVERVIEW Through a sequential program encouraging active participation and self-expression, students develop musical understanding and appreciation. The music curriculum is coordinated with other classroom lessons, such as social science and geography studies, for example, so that students might learn music from cultural traditions they are studying, or so that composer biographies are timed to fit with other biographical studies. Skills in music are also related to other disciplines, such as the science of sound production and the math of musical notation.

All students perform in winter and spring concerts, and individual classes have the opportunity for smaller group performances throughout the year. Every fifth grade student performs in a spring musical production. Students in fourth and fifth grade may choose to participate (no audition required) in band and/or Kids Choir.

Pre-Kindergarten Performing Arts The pre-k program offers a variety of experiences in singing, moving, listening, and playing, with activities that encourage both group cooperation and the expression of individuality and independence. Students explore the elements of sound, silence, space, and time. They echo tonal and rhythmic patterns, master the concept and production of a steady beat, and distinguish between sounds produced in different ways and by different sources. Dance activities emphasize following a rhythm, and interpreting tempo and dynamics through movement. Those and other activities help lay the foundation for more formal study of rhythm, melody, and musical notation and dynamics.

Kindergarten/Pre-First Performing Arts Kindergarten/pre-first students are asked to participate in activities with increasing attention to accuracy; where any response might have been encouraged in pre-k, K/ pre-first students are guided toward an accurate musical response to help them develop a vocabulary of musical sounds and movements. Musical activities integrate with classroom themes throughout the year by focusing on patterns, rhymes, seasonal songs, animals, numbers, letters, and sounds. Students continue to work with percussion instruments (pitched and non-pitched), and begin to distinguish characteristics (e.g. ascending versus descending) of melodic phrases.

First Grade Performing Arts In first grade, students begin to understand the conceptual foundations of music, and they learn to identify symbols and terminology such as repeat sign, dynamics, forte, piano, tempo, meter, accent, bar line, time signature, and introduction. Through a variety of activities, students begin a more formal sequential study of rhythm and melody. For example, first graders listen to recorded music focusing on particular elements, such as distinguishing between duple (simple) and triple (compound) rhythms, and they perform more complex rhythmic and melodic exercises, like singing and playing rounds. First

graders also continue to develop their ability for aural recognition of instruments (like violin and trumpet), and learn to identify the basic orchestral instruments and their families. They also learn basic notation, using quarter notes, quarter rests, eighth notes, and pitches on the staff.

Second Grade Performing Arts Continuing the sequential study of the fundamentals of music, the rhythmic and melodic material gradually increases in complexity, as second graders are introduced to more involved exercises, and are required to master more challenging listening, instrument playing, reading, and writing skills. Students learn both aural and visual recognition of repeated, similar, and different phrases in music, and begin to label them as A, B, and C to derive form. They practice recognition of material from notation (without hearing it), and compose and write notation for short songs and rhymes. Second graders continue to expand their musical vocabularies to include terms such as timbre, crescendo, and decrescendo. They also begin to learn about some famous composers and their music.

Third Grade Performing Arts By the end of third grade, students acquire a sound understanding of the musical notation system. The curriculum in music continues to be coordinated with classroom study, and math skills are reinforced as students learn note values and time signatures. Third graders begin instruction on the soprano recorder. They also continue to expand their musical knowledge and vocabularies, learning, for example, to distinguish between major and minor tonalities and to understand terms and concepts such as staccato, legato, and syncopation.

Fourth Grade Performing Arts As students progress in developing their musical understanding and skills, there is growing emphasis on accuracy, facility, and clarity. In addition to refining their singing and instrumental techniques, and undertaking more challenging pieces, fourth graders also learn to recognize a greater variety of instruments by name and family and a greater variety of musical styles (jazz, folk, classical, etc.) and forms such as fugue.

They also develop their knowledge and use of musical notation and structure, working in a greater variety of meters, key signatures, forms, and harmonic combinations and changes. Their vocabularies continue to grow with symbols and terms like natural, Allegro, Andante, and fermata. Fourth graders continue their study of the recorder, and have the option of participating in band and/or Kids Choir.

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Fifth Grade Performing Arts There is special emphasis on the musical theatre, as fifth graders prepare for their own musical production in the spring. By the end of fifth grade, students are able to read, write, and perform melodies and accompaniments through singing and playing classroom instruments (including recorder). They are able to perform with independence and an understanding of a range of musical concepts, symbols, and terms. At this point in the program, many students have defined their own musical preferences, and take a more focused interest in musical expression and style. Fifth graders have the option of participating in band and/or Kids Choir.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION: OVERVIEW The pre-k through second grade physical education curriculum offers each child the opportunity to develop physical skills through a movement education curriculum. Participation in fitness activities and building foundation skills are of primary importance. A non-competitive environment allows children to engage in activities that promote their physical and emotional well-being.

The program is spiraling and sequential, offering ageappropriate activities that enhance skill development.

The third through fifth grade physical education program emphasizes the integration of foundation skills with fitness activities and team sports. Games with more complex rules, strategies, and team concepts are introduced.

Sportsmanship and participation are emphasized.

Pre-Kindergarten Physical Education Using a variety of materials and activities, pre-k students are engaged in movement activities that develop foundation skills. Understanding and negotiating the physical environment and integrating locomotion with levels and pathways are fundamental principles during the pre-k year. Students also learn how to handle equipment safely and properly.

Kindergarten/Pre-First Physical Education Kindergarten/pre-first students develop an understanding of the physical environment in which they move. Locomotion and non-locomotion movements, in self-space and general space, allow children an opportunity to develop and explore their individual skills in a safe physical environment.

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First Grade Physical Education First graders engage in fitness activities while continuing to develop their foundation skills. Children are introduced to multi-step directions, while becoming more sophisticated in their knowledge and use of shuttle, relay, and line formations. Lead-up and tag games, utilizing concepts and skills that underlie team sports, are also introduced. First graders develop an understanding of fair play, safety, and cooperation through group play.

Second Grade Physical Education Second graders participate in games with three or more rules, with a continued emphasis on fair play and safety issues related to movement. They integrate foundation skills with basic sport skills in simple lead-up games and cooperative activities.

Third Grade Physical Education Third graders participate in a variety of team sports.

Through team play and specific rules, they learn about positive social interaction, self-control, self-discipline, and sportsmanship. Third graders use their conflict resolution skills in more competitive settings, and learn to understand increasingly complex class and game rules.

Third graders engage in activities that combine locomotion, force, and time with manipulation skills.

Fourth Grade Physical Education Fourth graders continue to participate in team sports with an emphasis on physical and social skills. Ageappropriate progressions allow fourth graders to develop accuracy while throwing, striking, and kicking from static and dynamic positions. They become more efficient in carrying and manipulating objects during skill and drill work and in lead-up games.

Fifth Grade Physical Education Fifth graders continue to participate in team sports, an approach that provides leadership opportunities and helps develop efficient locomotion skills. The mechanics of bouncing, dribbling, throwing, striking, and kicking are emphasized. Working with stationary and moving targets, students can improve visual tracking skills, while integrating balance, force, and time. Sportsmanship, cooperation, and responsibility are an integral part of the program. Fitness testing and participation in strength building and cardio-respiratory activities help students achieve a healthier lifestyle.

VISUAL ARTS: OVERVIEW All lower school students receive formal visual art instruction. Two art teachers lead the program at the lower school, teaching the core visual arts curriculum and also coordinating projects across academic areas.

The visual arts program is designed to be a vehicle for creative and personal discovery, in which students learn about themselves, their environment, world cultures, and art history. The program provides an ongoing exploration of concepts, techniques, and materials that develop students’ ability to create visual solutions by implementing design principles and elements of art.

Students are encouraged to express themselves with joy, imagination, clarity, responsibility, and skill, and at all grade levels are encouraged to explore individual solutions to assignments. Diverse learning styles and choices are respected.

Pre-Kindergarten Visual Arts Variety is at the core of the pre-kindergarten visual arts program where self-expression is encouraged. The program is experiential and process- rather than productoriented, though cognitive and manipulative skills are introduced and reinforced. By the end of pre-kindergarten, students will be able to distinguish a shape from a line, and will use different tools and materials appropriately. Routines are established for independent gathering of supplies and clean up. Exposure to famous artists and artwork is meaningful as a way to discuss elements of design. Students are encouraged to talk freely about their work without preconceived adult expectations.

Kindergarten/Pre-First Visual Arts With the basic skills of objective drawing, cutting, and use of attachment methods obtained in pre-k, kindergarten projects become more concept-oriented while creativity and self-expression are still encouraged. The basic elements of design, line, shape, color, texture, and pattern are visited and revisited throughout the year using a variety of media. Students explore both twoand three-dimensional materials. Emphasis at this level continues to be process- rather than product-oriented with students exploring drawing, painting, printmaking, fibers, ceramics, collage, and also many projects in conjunction with the homebase classroom. Units include color concepts, architecture, sculpture, weaving, wearable art, and design in nature.

First Grade Visual Arts The first grade visual arts program is structured to develop students’ abilities to combine concepts and use problem-solving strategies. Some of the projects at this level become longer and can last for weeks of consecutive art classes. Each project is designed to accommodate as well as challenge each student at his/her own level of development. By the end of first grade students will know the difference between a two- and threedimensional work. Students throughout the year will be learning to draw representational objects as they appear in space: in front of/behind, above/below, and beside.

With the introduction of the overlap technique, students produce illustrations that convey a logical sequence of events. Students mix primary colors to create secondary colors, which they then use in paintings inspired by post-impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. Modeled ceramic and papier-mâché animals are two examples of sculptural projects connected to homebase classroom study. Pattern is the focus of a fibers unit. Students record their art projects in journals, which continue to be updated through fifth grade.

Second Grade Visual Arts The second grade curriculum continues with conceptoriented projects, which last for consecutive classes.

Assignments are given to stretch each student’s imagination and challenge students to problem solve with a specific goal in mind. They use sketching as a means of visual note taking and plan projects to develop a course of action. By the end of second grade, students should demonstrate an understanding of color concepts that include mixing and using intermediate colors and also using colors in warm and cool families. Symmetry, front and profile views, basic proportions of the human face, scale, horizon, and architectural form as function are among concepts introduced at this grade level. Students catalog their projects in their journals including written descriptions of methods and materials. American art is a recurring theme. The works of the Wyeth family are viewed during a visit to the Brandywine River Museum correlating with a classroom study of the Brandywine River Valley, and the works of John Audubon are explored when studying scale and our local habitat.

Third Grade Visual Arts In third grade, assignments become longer and increasingly complex. Manipulative skills, such as drawing and painting, clay modeling, and three-dimensional constructions continue to develop. Design principles, overlapping, positive/negative space, scale, and composition are among the concepts taught in order to develop more skillful work. Craftsmanship and organizational skills are emphasized. Visual images of masterworks are used on an ongoing basis to gain greater appreciation for artistic movements and techniques. Projects are put into context as they relate to the art timeline encompassing the Ancient World, Middle Ages, Renaissance, and the Modern World.

Fourth Grade Visual Arts Students in fourth grade begin the year by building a twelve inch ceramic coil form which involves the use of three dimensional elements of design, line, pattern, and texture to sculpt solid, voluminous, organically formed containers. In fourth grade, students are beginning to recognize perspective in drawing, applying value scales and use of monochromatic and complementary color schemes. Masterworks of the Impressionist painters are viewed as inspiration. Students in fourth grade also explore cultural symbols and patterns, which involve 16

LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER: OVERVIEW the use of positive and negative space. This serves as a starting point for the students to produce their own unique black and white images, which they use for their linoleum block designs. Students carve linoleum and then produce a series of signed and numbered prints.

The human form and figures in motion are explored in both two- and three-dimensional gesture studies. All assignments are recorded in student art journals with care taken to use proper art vocabulary along with drawings and plans.

Fifth Grade Visual Arts The fifth grade visual arts program is designed to guide students to new visual expression territories that will facilitate their transition to the middle school program.

Students are exposed to surveys of past and contemporary relevant interdisciplinary works and reflective writings. They learn to criticize their own work and the work of others. Students are invited to participate in discussions regarding the relationship between visual expression, creativity, and responsibility, and are introduced to the potential of digital technology as an important tool of visual expression and inquiry. Technical objectives are achieved in the fields of drawing, two- and threedimensional design, painting, photomontage, digital photography, and computer graphics. Key works investigate overarching interdisciplinary themes, and personal journals are used to record important ideas, reflections, and future goals in areas of interest.

The Library Media Center (LMC) is an integral part of the lower school education program, fostering enthusiasm for the process of learning and for lifelong reading, developing an appreciation for different cultures through literature and non-fiction research, teaching specific learning skills, and developing students’ sense of responsibility in using a shared resource. We recognize that students retain skills best when our lessons are taught in the context of the classroom curriculum, so information-seeking strategies and other library-related skills are taught in various subject areas. We plan teaching units closely with classroom teachers and integrate lessons based on the “Big 6 Information Problem Solving Model” into assignments and research projects. This type of library program is uniquely suited to the kind of project-based learning we promote at Wilmington Friends.

The Big 6 is a general information problem-solving model created by Michael Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. It is a six-step process that teaches students to analyze their information needs and to make a plan.

Although the Library Media Center staff members are the primary teachers of the process, the Big 6 provides every student and teacher in our school with a common vocabulary to use in the research process. The six steps are: (1) task definition—what am I supposed to do? (2) information-seeking strategies—what information do I need? (3) location and access—what would be my best sources/where can I find this information? (4) use of information—how do I record and organize this information? (5) synthesis—how do I create something new with this information? (6) evaluation—how could I have improved my process?

Pre-Kindergarten Library Media Center In addition to early information-seeking strategies (such as learning that the materials in the LMC have a specific order) and responsible library behavior, pre-k students engage in a variety of reading related activities in the LMC. They participate in drama groups, acting out stories; they learn the roles of author and illustrator; and in listening to literature, they are asked to predict outcomes and to relate stories to personal experiences, and to focus on the person reading or telling the story without interrupting. Pre-k students are also introduced to book selection, as they identify areas of interest and favorite authors. Activities that reinforce the themes they are studying include making apple pies and visiting our pretend “farm stand.”

Kindergarten/Pre-First Library Media Center K/pre-first students begin to use the borrowing and return procedures of the LMC. They also learn to name two possible sources of information to answer a question, and begin to work more formally in groups to pursue and generate information. As part of the coordination of LMC teaching with classroom curricular goals, the students experience “authentic learning” activities, such as acting out nursery rhymes. They continue to

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participate in both listening and interactive story times, drama groups, and individual consultations for book selection.

First Grade Library Media Center First graders become increasingly sophisticated in their approach to information sources, acquiring a conceptual understanding of citing information sources and developing their ability to read for information and to take notes with adult assistance. In two different units, they identify facts together and categorize those facts together.

They learn to approach a research topic by examining many different library books in a “book tasting.” First graders continue to participate in drama groups and increase their book selection skills through individual consultation with the library staff. They are also introduced to more genres of literature.

Second Grade Library Media Center With assistance but growing independence, second grade students continue to locate their own books on the library shelves. Gradually, they learn to pick a book that not only interests them but also is appropriate in reading level and size, no longer feeling that just carrying around a really big book means that you’re a good reader. They develop their research skills by practicing “skimming and scanning” to locate information and by extracting information from a variety of sources with assistance. Second graders learn to plan individual and group projects, and present more formal written and oral reports. Book tastings, book talks, and drama groups continue.

Fourth Grade Library Media Center Fourth graders become independent in their ability to compare and contrast sources for relevance, consistency, and comprehensiveness; they begin to look for and recognize inconsistencies in information sources.

They also become increasingly independent and successful in locating materials and using information. The skill of reading for information is strongly developed, with lessons that emphasize highlighting keywords and citing sources. Genre book talks, as well as those highlighting books new to the LMC, continue. The servicelearning project of poetry performance in preschools is coordinated through the LMC and culminates in a field trip in late spring.

Fifth Grade Library Media Center Fifth graders continue to become more independent in their information-seeking skills, and in their understanding of the importance of following the steps of the Big 6 and making a plan when given a research assignment.

By the end of fifth grade, students have had considerable practice formulating good research questions, locating and using information to solve a problem independently, and organizing and presenting that information in an appropriate and interesting way. They are usually able to differentiate between fact and opinion in sources, to recognize inconsistencies in sources, and to evaluate the currency, authenticity, and objectivity of sources. All of these skills are integrated within each discipline through a variety of research projects, including the fifth grade essay. Fifth graders continue to explore different literary genres, and they learn to write book reviews.

Third Grade Library Media Center In third grade, students learn to be more independent in many of the steps of the Big 6 model. They work on evaluating their information needs, locating books by call number, taking notes from and citing a variety of sources, and using general reference materials such as online and print encyclopedias. Work in the LMC is closely coordinated with third grade curricular focuses on reading for information. In addition, as students become more advanced in using the computer as a tool, they also learn to recognize out-of-school information sources, such as the public library, museums, the telephone, and human sources such as speeches and interviews. Book tastings continue to introduce them to the wealth of printed resources in the LMC. Book talks that focus on various genres, such as historical fiction, travel and history, mystery, and poetry, expand their interest in reading. Students have periodic formal lessons in research skills, co-taught by the library and computer staff.

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HUMAN DYNAMICS AND DEVELOPMENT Human Dynamics and Development is a cross-divisional (lower, middle, and upper school) program at Wilmington Friends, encompassing social and emotional awareness, interpersonal relationships, and healthy living habits, including strategies and processes for making informed decisions. In middle and upper school, there are specific courses, required for all students, in the program (sixth grade-Connections; seventh grade-Conflict Resolution; eighth grade-Decision Making; upper school-Wellness I & II). In lower school, the program is centered in the homebase classroom and is closely aligned with division objectives regarding the development of a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s self-concept and relationships with others. Themes in lower school Human Dynamics and Development include treating others with respect, peaceful resolution of conflict, appropriate expression of emotions, the process of assessing risks, increasing independence and self-reliance, and making informed and healthy choices.

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Wilmington Friends School 101 School Road Wilmington, DE 19803

Quaker, founded in 1748;

The fourth and fifth grade band warming up for a 2009 winter concert

Welcoming to all faith and ethical traditions, with a focus on values rather than religion; Coed, Early Learning Center (ages two and three) through 12th grade; Signature international programs, including the International Baccalaureate (first authorized IB school in Delaware) and School Year Abroad (first member school in Delaware); A “global” approach at all grade levels, in content and in teaching students to engage complex issues intellectually and in action, in and outside of the classroom, with a sense of confidence and responsibility; Advanced and independent study opportunities; Language study beginning in PK, upper school pilot program in Mandarin beginning fall 2010; Commitment to diversity dates to 1748, central to the school’s original and ongoing mission; National/international faculty searches, emphasis on continuing professional development; Competitive athletics in grades 7-12, extensive physical education program PK-6; Visual and performing arts, with courses and independent study to prepare for college majors, and with performance opportunities in instrumental and choral music, drama, and musical theatre; Integrated technology program, with specialized computer instruction in grades K-12;

Middle/upper school campus: (Grades 6-12)

Located in the residential neighborhood of Alapocas, just outside the City of Wilmington: approximately 25 acres, one building of 175,000 square feet; includes five athletic fields, six tennis courts, three full-size gyms, fitness room, a 500-person capacity theatre/auditorium, Meeting Room, seven science labs, and four full computer labs, one smaller public lab, two art room computer labs, and three mobile laptop labs.

Lower school campus:

Early Learning Center (ages 2 and 3) – Grade 5 Located on the wooded boundary of Alapocas: approximately 30 acres (including wooded areas), two buildings totaling 68,000 square feet; includes two gyms, two science labs, computer classroom lab, After-School Program computer lab, and two mobile laptop labs, three outdoor playgrounds, two additional paved outdoor play areas (for basketball and other hard-surface activities), two athletic fields (also used by middle and upper school sports teams), a Library Media Center open all day every school day, Meeting Room/auditorium, and facilities architecturally designed for music (including practice rooms) and art (including ceramics studio).

For more information, contact: Office of Admissions and Financial Aid (302) 576-2930 admissions@wilmingtonfriends.org

Two campuses located in a residential neighborhood just outside the city of Wilmington; Extensive financial aid program, rooted in the school’s mission, to meet a range of need; After-School Program for Early Learning Center through sixth grade; Summer camps for age three through ninth grade.

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