The Ethical Community Charter School PBL Themes, Field Trips, and Assemblies
What does “PBL” mean? PBL stands for Project Based Learning. According to the Buck Institute of Education, “Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge.” http://www.bie.org/about/what_pbl
PBL and TECCS PBL style teaching fits into TECCS mission of “meeting students where they are” by allowing students to learn and grow at their own pace and in a way that is most beneficial for them. PBL units start with an essential question on a specific topic that students will be able to answer by the end of their exploration. These units are cross-curricular, which allows students to explore the topic from various perspectives and through different content areas. In their classes, students engage in interactive, inquiry-based learning experiences where they are encouraged to explore the topic in a way most appropriate to their individual learning styles. The goal is for students to be able to answer the essential question to the best of their individual ability with appropriate scaffolding where necessary. At TECCS, all PBL units are also explored through an ethical lens. In some cases, this is done in Ethics class through React to Film.
Third Grade Cultural Comparison Immigration Essential Question: What happens when two ways Essential Question: Why do people leave their of life come together? homeland to immigrate to a new country? Overview: Through the study of the impact of Overview: Students will determine reasons why European colonization and the Lenni Lenape various groups, voluntarily and involuntarily culture, students will understand how cultures are immigrated to America and evaluate the impact of alike and different and how peoples can influence that immigration on America’s growth as a nation, one another. historically and today. Field Trip: Waterloo Village Field Trip: Ellis Island Culminating Project: Lenape Museum
Fourth Grade Financial Literacy The 50 States Essential Question: How can we act as responsible Essential Question: How and why are regions in citizens and wise consumers? the US different? Overview: Students learn the importance of work Overview: Students study the 50 states and the readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy development of the United States. in the creation of a successful economy. Culminating Project: 50 States Fair Field Trip: JA Biz Town Field Trip: TBD
Fifth Grade Cooperation & Collaboration Empathy & Kindness: The Responsibility of Individuals Influencing Your World to Society Essential Question: Why are cooperation and collaboration Essential Question: What is empathy Essential Question: How are people necessary for success? and how do people’s backgrounds responsible for creating a safe and just impact with whom or what they society? Overview: Students determine the empathize? extent to which cooperation and Overview: Students identify how collaboration are necessary for a group Overview: Students study the citizens’ notion of their responsibility to or society to succeed, specifically treatment of animals and determine the create a safe and just society led to the looking at the Ancient Egyptian social extent of the rights that animals should development of democracy in Ancient pyramid as a case study. have. Greece. Literature: From the Mixed-Up Files of Literature: Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Literature: The Lightning Thief by Rick Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Naylor Riordan Konigsburg React to Film: Buck Field Trip: The MET (end of year) Field Trip: The MET (end of year) Field Trip: St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Culminating Project: Egypt Museum Center
Sixth Grade Voices of Adversity Human Impact on Earth Ethics and Responsibility Essential Question: What is adversity Essential Question: What Essential Question: How does one’s and can people overcome it? accountability should humans take for sense of ethics affects one’s decision maintaining their environment? making? Overview: Students will assess the the various types of adversity that arose in Overview: Students will determine the Overview: Students analyze the Medieval Europe. effects of overfishing on the actions taken by individuals during the sustainability of the environment. Holocaust and reflect on the role Literature: Good Masters! Sweet identity may play when becoming an Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz Literature: World Without Fish by Mark upstander. Kurlansky and Flush by Carl Hiaasen Field Trip: Cloisters Museum and Literature: The Boy in the Striped Gardens - NYC Field Trip: New York Aquarium, “Fish: Pajamas by John Boyne and an Diversity & Adaptations” course assortment of primary source news Culminating Project: Medieval Village articles React to Film: End of the Line Field Trip: Museum of Jewish Heritage Guest Speaker: Holocaust survivor
Seventh Grade Adaptations & Survival Development & Identity Divided Loyalties Essential Question: How to different Essential Question: What impacts the Essential Question: Are loyalty and species adapt to survive? development of people, groups, and rebellion always opposites? Why or societies? why not? Overview: Students will determine how people must adapt in order to Overview: Students will learn about Overview: Students will analyze the survive various situations such as individual cognitive development and roles of loyalty and rebellion through immigration and war. the development of groups and the lens of the Revolutionary War. societies based on common Literature: A Long Walk to Water by interests. Literature: My Brother Sam is Dead Linda Sue Park by Christopher Collier and James Literature: Various research articles Lincoln Collier Field Trip: Bronx Zoo - “Hunter and scientific journal entries Games” course regarding the development of the Field Trip: TBD brain Guest Speaker: Immigration Panel James Murduca Field Trip: American Museum of Finance - “The Incredible Shrinking RTF: Who is Dayani Cristal? Coin” course RTF: Fed Up
Eighth Grade Finding Home Human Perception Taking A Stand Essential Question: How does our Essential Question: How does Essential Question: How does one identity affect our idea of what “home” perception help humans identify what is stand up for that in which he or she is? reality and create order out of chaos? believes? Overview: Students will explore the idea Overview: Students will assess how the Overview: Students will discuss the of how one’s “home” changes over time development of the brain impacts one’s difficulties faced by citizens when they through the lens of the refugee perception of reality and discuss how are forced to take a stand on a divided experience. the brain is wired to create order out of issue through case studies of the Civil chaos. War and the Civil Rights Era. Literature: Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai Literature: Midsummer Night’s Dream Literature: To Kill a Mockingbird by by William Shakespeare Harper Lee Field Trip: TBD Field Trip: NY Hall of Science - Design Field Trip: Afro-American Historical and Lab Engineering Challenge Cultural Society Museum in Jersey City* RTF: Miss Representation *Other suggestions welcomed
Kindergarten Van Saun Park 1st Grade Turtle Back Zoo Traditional 2nd Grade Sandy Hook 3rd Grade Soup Kitchen Field Trips 4th Grade NJ State House Kindergarten through 8th Grade 5th Grade Dairy Farm, TheatreWorks Play 6th Grade Camp Bernie 7th Grade Philadelphia 8th Grade Washington, DC
Traditional Assemblies Contracted Assemblies TECCS-Run Assemblies Prismatic Magic Laser Light Show Indian Mela Traveling Lantern Theatre Company Play Pep Rallies Sciencetellers Interactive Science Assembly Winter and Spring Concerts Dance Performances Middle School Lunch and Learn Dome Theatre Field Day Author Visits We are actively seeking to incorporate more multicultural, academically enriching assemblies into our curriculum. Please email suggestions or references to gabby.sepulveda@teccsjc.org.
How You Can Help Share field trip ideas and connections with grade level homeroom ● teachers who will then share with the field trip coordinator Volunteer to speak to our middle school students during a Lunch and ● Learn session Forward assembly ideas and contact information to current FSA ● Assemblies Chair who will discuss with the TECCS assemblies coordinator Reach out to community members who might be willing to come to TECCS ● as a guest speaker or Lunch and Learn participant
Contact Information FSA Programs and Events Chair - Nancy Ruel (fsaprograms@teccsjc.org) Coordinator of Field Trips and Assemblies - Gabrielle Sepulveda (gabby.sepulveda@teccsjc.org)
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