Curriculum Night Valley Ranch Elementary 2015-2016 The staff at - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Curriculum Night Valley Ranch Elementary 2015-2016

The staff at Valley Ranch Elementary believes in engaging learners in authentic and relevant learning experiences . This is done by teaching through the lens of Understanding By Design(UBD) and Project Based Learning (PBL) . Through this process Valley Ranch learners become critical thinkers , consumers of information , informed researchers , and effective communicators . Many learning projects are accomplished as a group which fosters collaborators and informed decision makers .

Curriculum

Balanced Literacy • Includes: Interactive Read Aloud, Spelling, Literacy Stations, Guided Reading, and Writing • Based on literacy learning and motivation research.

Interactive Read Aloud Interactive Read Aloud is a way of modeling reading strategies and comprehension. It also allows learners to become engaged in the story through turn and talks and reflective STEM sentence starters.

Spelling Reading Street is a word study program for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction. As with reading, each child develops spelling concepts gradually. Word study begins with finding out what each child already knows about spelling and starting instruction there. From that point, each child will participate in activities that target their specific needs so that they will continue to progress through the spelling stages.

Literacy Stations Literacy Stations are a series of literacy tasks that learners complete while the facilitator meets with small groups or confers with individuals. It is a structure that ensures all children are working at their level of challenge while taking responsibility for their learning and behavior. It helps learners develop the daily habits of reading, writing, spelling, grammar, and working with peers, that will lead to a lifetime of independent literacy. Explicit modeling, practice, reflecting and refining takes place during the launching phase, preparing the foundation for a year of meaningful content and instruction tailored to meet the unique needs of each child.

Guided Reading While learners are working independently in Literacy Stations, the facilitator will be meeting with learners to help them become proficient, successful readers. The CAFE system, which stands for Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expand Vocabulary, includes goal-setting with learners in individual conferences, posting of goals on a whole-class board, developing small group instruction based on clusters of learners with similar goals, and targeting whole-class instruction based on emerging needs. It provides a structure for conferring with learners, a language for talking about reading development, and a system for tracking growth and fostering learner independence.

Writing: Write From the Beginning and Beyond In second grade, the learners will write for a variety of purposes/audiences and demonstrate the proficiency to use the writing process. This process consists of pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. They will use Thinking Maps to help them develop and organize their thoughts/ideas; and, we will focus personal and experience narratives.

Handwriting The learners will also write appropriately spaced words using correct letter formation. The Handwriting Without Tears program is a developmentally appropriate program that helps children master these printing skills, as well as prepare them for cursive handwriting. Please visit the Handwriting Without Tears website at www.hwtears.com for more information.

Math Second grade math objectives consist of some new skills, reinforcement of skills learned in previous grades, and problem solving. Facilitators use math manipulatives, interactive activities, books, and videos to help make abstract skills concrete. It is suggested that learners practice some type of math every evening whether it be written, hands on, or oral. The following is a partial list of tentative math skills for second grade: place value up to 1,200 patterns ordinal numbers logic/probability skip counting time even/odd numbers graphs greater than and less than measurement addition/subtraction to 24 area fact families geometry 2-digit addition/regrouping fractions subtracting 2-digit numbers money rounding financial responsibility problem solving temperature

Social Studies Focus: History, Geography, Economics, Government, • Citizenship, Culture, Science, Technology, Society, and Social Studies Skills Resources: Social Studies Alive, Mind Missions and Time • for Kids will help to promote critical thinking, problem solving, communication, creativity, innovation, and collaboration. Each month, learners will also learn a new • citizenship/character trait, such as patriotism, responsibility, and cooperation. These traits will be reinforced throughout the school day.

Science The Science curriculum emphasizes the following topics in second grade: Plants, Animals, Earth Science, and Physical Science. The students will participate in hands-on learning experiences through the use of FOSS (Full Option Science System) Kits for the insect, balance and motion, and air and weather units. Vocabulary instruction, digital curriculum, and various other resources will also be used to help reinforce the science curriculum in a fun, interactive, effective way.

Project-Based Learning (PBL) Project-Based Learning promotes authentic and relevant learning experiences through standards based instruction. Learners learn how to become critical thinkers, informed researchers, effective communicators, group collaborators, and informed decision makers while creating an authentic product. Our second grade learners will participate in several projects throughout the school year. The 21st Century Soft Skills, otherwise known as learner outcomes, that will be assessed during our PBL projects are Communication, Collaboration, Behavior & Responsibility, and Digital Literacy. For more information about PBL, please visit our school website at www.coppellisd.com/vr/.

Project-Based Learning (PBL) CRITERIA IPS AS MS Insufficient Progress on Standard Approaching the Standard Mastered the Standard Your group will show developing skills using the Skitch Your group will use the Skitch application on the ipad Your group will use the Skitch application on the ipad application on the ipad to incorrectly: to do some of the following: to:    Take a picture of plant they are Take a picture of plant they are Take a picture of plant they are recommending for the garden recommending for the garden recommending for the garden    Correctly label each part of the plant Correctly label each part of the plant Correctly label each part of the plant    Technology Write a short description of why they chose Write a short description of why they chose Write a short description of why they chose their plant their plant their plant Your group is still developing correct science skills and Your group will use science skills to do some of the Your group will use science skills to:  unable to correctly complete the following: following: Observe, record and compare how plants   depend on their natural environment Observe, record and compare how plants Observe, record and compare how plants  Plant, observe and record data on possible depend on their natural environment depend on their natural environment   garden plants Science Skills Plant, observe and record data on possible Plant, observe and record data on possible garden plants garden plants For your final product your group will create an For your final product your group will create an For your final product your group will create an original plant book which demonstrates little or none original plant book which contains some of the original plant book which contains the following: of the following: following:    Facts about your plant Facts about your plant Facts about your plant    Parts of your plant correctly labeled Parts of your plant correctly labeled Parts of your plant correctly labeled    Visual of how your plant makes its own food Visual of how your plant makes its own food Visual of how your plant makes its own food    Visual of the life cycle of the plant Visual of the life cycle of the plant Visual of the life cycle of the plant    Visual of the roots and explanation of their job Visual of the roots and explanation of their job Visual of the roots and explanation of their job    Description of the VRE garden conditions Description of the VRE garden conditions Description of the VRE garden conditions    Plant choice for VRE Garden and 2-3 sentences Plant choice for VRE Garden and 2-3 sentences Plant choice for VRE Garden and 2-3 sentences Final Product of why? of why? of why?