Newell Elementary School Curriculum

Curriculum Overview

The Mission Of Newell Elementary School Is To Create A Learning Climate In Which All Children Feel Safe, Secure And Able To Reach Their Full Potential As Learners. We Encourage Our Children To Explore, Take Risks, Work Together To Build A Foundation For All Future Learning. While On This Journey, We Celebrate Every Step Students Take Toward Becoming Successful Readers, Effective Communicators, Thoughtful Problem Solvers, Responsible, Caring Members Of Our School Community. We Embrace The Educational Journey Focusing On The Whole Child.

Language Arts

Our Language Arts Program Is Focused On The Reader’s And Writer’s Workshop Model Through Teachers College, Columbia University. Nes Staff Have Been Trained In The Workshop Model And Deliver Reading And Writing Instruction Based On The Needs Of The Individual Learner. Students Are Assessed Using Running Records As Well As Through The Use Of Skill Based Rubrics. Students Participate In Book Clubs And Are Free To Select Books Of Interest, Both Fiction And Nonfiction That Are  On Their Individual Reading Level. In Addition To The Workshop Model Approach To Reading And Writing, Nes Also Uses Fundations Word Study Program To Teach The Foundational Skills Of Letter Recognition, Letter Sound,  Letter Formation And Word Patterns. 

Math

Currently Our Math Program Is Envisions 2.0. Our Mathematics Program Is Based Upon The Philosophy That Student Performance Should  Focus On The Development Of Making Certain That All Students Acquire A Broad-based Math Background. Our Goal Is To Make Certain That Our Students See Relationships, Reason Logically, And Use A Range Of Strategies To Problem Solve. The Use Of Manipulatives, Hands On Experiences, Calculators, Smart Boards And Various Forms Of Technology Are Introduced To Support The Master Computational Skills, The Application Of Math Knowledge, And Development Of Complex Thinking Processes. The Envisions Math Program Places Strong Emphasis On Integrating Technology Into Daily Math Instruction. Students In Third And Fourth Grades Who Exhibit Self-motivation And High Ability In Mathematics Are Eligible To Participate In The Advanced Level Math Program. Students In Alm Often To Work At A Faster Pace And Cover The Grade Level Curriculum In A Shorter Amount Of Time, Which Then Leaves More Time For Enrichment And Challenge Opportunities. 

Science

Our Next Generation Science Program Capitalizes On The Students' Curiosity To Discover Logical Concepts And Relationships As They Explore The World Around Them. Students Participate In The Scientific Method And Apply A Variety Of Scientific Process Skills In Hands-on Experiences. Important Science Themes Are Studied Through Instructional Units That Provide Guided Explorations And Discoveries In An Inquiry Science Approach. In Addition We Also Offer Steam Classes And Maker Space Activities.

Social Studies

Our Social Studies Program Utilizes The Social Studies Alive! Curriculum At The K-4 Level. This Curriculum, Published By Tci, Engages Students With Important Information And Concepts Through Movement, Music And A Variety Of Creative And Cooperative Simulations. 
World Language

Currently Nes Offers Spanish Instruction Delivered By A Certified Spanish Instructor To First Through 4th Grades. The Introductory Level Instruction Is Done Through Music, Movement And Special Activities To Reinforce Basic Concepts.

Mental Wellness

Nes Places A High Emphasis On The Mental Well-being Of Our Staff And Students. All Staff Have Been Trained In The Benefits Of Mindfulness And The Importance Of Teaching Our Children Executive Functioning Skills. Both Mindfulness And Executive Functioning Are Taught On A Daily Basis. In Addition, We Recognize The Importance Of Social And Emotional Learning And Connect With Our Staff And Students On A Daily Basis By Way Of Responsive Classroom.
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Stone Bridge Middle School Curriculum

Math

5th Grade

Focuses On Five Critical Areas: (1) Basic Operations And Algebraic Thinking Involving Decimals And Whole Numbers; (2) Numbers And Operations In Base Ten; (3) Number And Operations In Fractions; (4) Measurement And Data; And (5) Geometry.

6th Grade

Focuses On Four Critical Areas: (1) Using Concepts Of Ratio And Rate To Solve Problems; (2) Understanding Division Of Fractions; (3) Using Expressions And Equations; And (4) Understanding Of Statistical Reasoning.

7th Grade

Focuses On Four Critical Areas: (1) Developing Understanding Of And Applying Proportional Relationships; (2) Operations With Rational Numbers And Working With Expressions And Linear Equations; (3) Solving Problems Involving Scale Drawings, Geometric Constructions, And Surface Area, And Volume; And (4) Drawing Inferences About Populations. 

8th Grade

Glencoe Math, Course 3, Focuses On Three Critical Areas:  (1)  Applying Equations In One And Two Variables; (2) Understanding The Concept Of A Function And Using Functions To Describe Quantitative Relationships; (3) Applying The Pythagorean Theorem And The Concepts Of Similarity And Congruence.

Algebra

Glencoe Algebra 1, Focuses On Four Critical Areas:  (1)  Linear Equations And Inequalities, (2) Non-linear Functions, (3) Transformations Of Linear And Non-linear Functions, And (4) Polynomials.

Science

5th Grade:  Focus Areas - Earth, Life, Physical Sciences

Earth & Sun Topic Areas:

Day Vs. Night
Shadows - Personal And In Solar System
Natural Objects Seen At Night, During The Day, Or Both.
Size And Relative Distance Of Earth, Moon, & Sun Relationship
Moon Cycle
Gravity & Gravitational Pull Of Our Planets
Stars - Why We See Them, Tracing Their Path Across The Night Sky
Earth’s Atmosphere & Convection
Air & Water Cycle
Meteorology
Weather Vs. Climate

Living Systems Topic Areas:

What Is A System? 

Earth’s Systems - Geosphere, Hydrosphere, Biosphere
Predator Vs. Prey Relationship - Food Chain/food Web (Land And Marine Environments)

Breakdown Of Organics And Waste (Human And Animal)
Plants & Photosynthesis

What Is Yeast & How Does It Work

How Does Digestion In Animals Work
Why Do We Breathe:  Respiratory System

Animal Traits (Mating, Natural Selection, Evolution)

Marine Ecosystem
Mixtures & Solutions Topic Areas:

Mixture Vs. Compound
Solubility & Concentration

Exo Vs. Endothermic Reactions

Drought Stopper

Weight Vs. Density

Chemical Reactions In Solutions

6th Grade:  Focus Areas -  Earth & Space Science

Layers Of The Earth

Sea-floor Spreading

Plate Tectonics

Earthquakes

Volcanoes

Rocks

Weathering And Erosion

Fossils And Radioactive Dating

Weather

Storms (Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Etc)

Global Winds And Water Cycle

Climate

Atmosphere

Earth, Moon, Sun Relationships (Eclipses, Tides, Etc)

Solar System

Galaxies

Stars

7th Grade: Physical Science

Topic Areas:

Scientific Inquiry

Matter

Properties Of Matter

Chemical And Physical Reactions

Atomic Structure

Periodic Table

Forces And Motion

Energy And Waves

8th Grade

8th Grade Science Covers A Life Science Curriculum.  We Start The Year With A Large Scale Study Of The Spheres That Make Up The Earth With A Focus On The Biosphere.  We Then Put A Lens On The Biosphere And Get Smaller.  Our Topics Include Biomes, Ecosystems, Communities, Populations, Organisms, Organ Systems, Organs, Tissues, Cells, Organelles, Molecules, And Atoms.  Throughout The Study Of These Content Areas We Look For Patterns Including Energy Flow And Interconnectedness.

Social Studies

5th Grade

Over The Course Of A Semester, 5th Grade Students Will Learn About The Early Settlement Of The Americas. The Course Begins With A Quick Mini-unit On Maps And Globes, Leading Into The Discussion Of The Age Of Exploration. From There, Students Will Learn About The Earliest Colonies Here In The “new World,” And The Settling Of All 13 Original Colonies. The Semester Ends By Covering The Revolutionary War And The Start Of A New Nation. 

6th Grade

In This Semester-long Course, Sixth Grade Students Will Learn About The History Of The United States From The Drafting Of The Constitution In 1787 To The End Of The Civil War In 1865 Through A Series Of Projects, Re-enactments, Debates, And Primary Source Research.

Goals For Learning:  1) To Read, Understand And Evaluate Primary Sources, 2) To Assess The Dynamic Relationships Between Land, Money And Power That Drove Policy Formation In The First Half Of The 19th Century, 3) To Experience History With A Hands-on Approach, 4) To Explore Social Justice Movements And The Delicate Balance Between Individual Rights (And Who Had Access To Those Rights) And Federal Authority, 5) To Debate And Discuss The 7 Articles Of The Us Constitution And The Bill Of Rights, 6) To Examine Population Data Over The Course Of The First 78 Years Of U.s. History And Explore The Experiences Of Various Politically, Socially And Economically Disenfranchised Groups, 7) To Explore Manifest Destiny And The Acquisition And Settlement Of The American West, 8) To Think Critically About The Causes, Events And Legacy Of The Civil War. 

7th Grade

Big History Examines Our Past, Explains Our Present, And Imagines Our Future. It's A Story About Us. An Idea That Arose From A Desire To Go Beyond Specialized And Self-contained Fields Of Study To Grasp History As A Whole. 

8th Grade

In Eighth Grade Social Studies The Students Will Study The Ancient River Valley Civilizations And World Religions. Geographic Awareness, Essential Questions, Document -based Investigations, Video/ Timeline Analysis, Current Events, And Non-fiction Reading Strategies Are Included In Every Unit. 

Allentown High School Curriculum

English

All English Courses Emphasize Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, And Higher Order Thinking. A Special Emphasis On Writing, Especially Revision And Editing, Is Possible Because The English Department Offers A Writing Center Available To All Students Every Period Every Day. All Courses Also Offer Practice In The Reading And Writing Skills Necessary For Success On The Required State Assessments And College Entrance Tests.

Mathematics

The National Council Of Teachers Of Mathematics (Nctm) States, "Sound Mathematics Teaching Requires An Understanding Of What Students Know, Need To Learn And Then Challenging And Supporting Them To Learn It Well." Students Must Learn Mathematics With Understanding, Actively Building New Knowledge From Prior Knowledge. The Mathematics Department's Goal Is To Maximize Every Student's Knowledge Of Mathematics By Maintaining High Expectations And Offering Strong Support. This Is Accomplished By Offering A Variety Of Courses Designed To Accommodate Individual Strengths And Needs.

Science

Science Helps People In Their Struggle To Survive The Hazards Produced By Nature. Science, Too, Has Made It Possible To Have Television, Telephones, Frozen Food, Cars, Computers, Atomic Energy And Countless Other Conveniences. Conversely, Civilization And Science Have Created Some Problems That Need Solving. Our Great Industries Are Constantly Polluting The Air And The Water. Supersonic Planes Create Problems Of Noise And Safety. The Increase Of Population Is Threatening Our Wildlife As Man Expands Into Nature's Realm. The Use Of Chemicals Threatens All Animals, Including Humans. In Many Cases, The Problem Created By Science Can Be Solved By It. All Citizens Must Make Important Decisions That Affect Many Other People And Their Style Of Life. A Study Of Physical And Biological Science Can Provide Important Information To Aid This Process. Three Years Of Science Are Required To Graduate From Allentown High School. One Course Must Be Biology; One Must Be Chemistry, Environmental Science Or Physics; And The Third May Be An Additional Lab And Or Inquiry-based Science Class.

Social Studies

The Goals Of The Social Studies Department Are To Improve Basic Social Studies Skills, To Make Students Aware Of Their American Heritage, To Create An Awareness Of Their Place As Historical Beings, To Improve Inquiry Skills, And To Prepare All Students To Participate In Our Democratic Society. The Curriculum Pattern Was Designed To Meet The Aforementioned Goals. The Social Studies Department Also Offers Many Elective Courses All Designed For Students Desiring To Further Their Knowledge Of Social Studies. In Addition, The Social Studies Department Offers Six Ap Courses, Which Allow Students To Earn College Credit While In High School.

World Language

The Most Immediate And Perhaps Greatest Benefit Of Foreign Language Study Is The Help It Affords Students In Understanding Their Own Language. In An Era When The Development Of Basic Skills Is The Focal Point Of Many State Programs, One Must Not Overlook The Very Practical Role That The Study Of Foreign Language Plays In This Effort. In Language Classes Students Develop The Same Skills Normally Associated With Learning English. They Learn To Sharpen Their Awareness Of Prefixes And Suffixes, Master Grammar, Decipher Sentences And Improve Reading Comprehension. Many Students Readily Admit That They Have Learned A Great Deal About English In Foreign Language Classes.