ANN AND NATE LEVINE ACADEMY JANET AND JEFFREY BECK LOWER SCHOOL GRADES K-4 CURRICULUM GUIDE
Ann and Nate Levine Academy offers an innovative curriculum combining the best of both general and Jewish studies. Our curriculum is based on recognized models of excellence and is continuously reviewed and informed by extensive research. Based practice instruction, state-of-the-art technology, fully equipped science labs, and individualized attention ensure our students’ success academically, emotionally and spiritually. Students cultivate their study skills, critical thinking, and creativity every day: at the computer, in Social Studies and Math classes, during reading, Language Arts and library, and in the study of Torah and Jewish tradition. Levine Academy is committed to creating a welcoming atmosphere of diversity. Teachers and students reflect different traditions of Jewish observance and share a variety of skills and interests. Teaching is tailored to each child’s needs and strengths, not to a class average. This allows children to move ahead in areas of strength and to receive additional attention in areas of need. Our approach fosters self-confidence and promotes success. CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMS At Ann and Nate Levine Academy, development of the whole child is essential. We encourage our students to explore and achieve expertise in a wide variety of enrichment activities both during the school day and after school. Our curriculum includes studio art, art appreciation, music appreciation, Hebrew music, band instruction and choir. The P.E. classes from K through 8 emphasize the acquisition and expansion of basic athletic skills, responsible play and competition, while teaching students healthy choices and preparing them for interscholastic and intramural sports.
ANN & NATE LEVINE ACADEMY
2
OVERVIEW GENERAL OVERVIEW OF BECK LOWER SCHOOL The Janet and Jeffrey Beck Lower School curriculum is designed to foster academic excellence and meet individual needs, nurturing each student’s natural curiosity and sense of wonder. Motivated from within, our children acquire a sense of self and accomplishment that allow for experiences of creativity, independent study, choice, and responsibility. These experiences are reinforced through warm, disciplined classroom environments and loving teachers devoted to enhancing each child’s personal development. Embracing the sciences, mathematics, the humanities, Hebrew language and Jewish studies, the arts, and physical and health education, our curriculum integrates material taught within each grade and across the grade levels. In this way, we lay the foundation for a liberal education and lifetime love of learning. Through emphasis on critical and intuitive thinking, as well as analysis and creative problem-solving, our children acquire the intellectual independence essential to succeed in a world of accelerating change. Differentiated instruction designed to meet the learning needs of each individual student begins during the Lower School years as learning specialists, counselors, and classroom teachers work toward developing Individual Learning Plans. Students are stretched to meet their maximum potential in academics, the arts, and as individuals. Emphasis is placed on social responsibility within the school community and the community at large.
3 LOWER SCHOOL GRADES K- 4 | CURRICULUM GUIDE
KINDERGARTEN OVERVIEW In Kindergarten, it is our goal to provide a stimulating, nurturing learning environment where children are encouraged to work toward being independent. They are encouraged to develop self-awareness, interpersonal skills and responsible behaviors, which will enable them to be successful in school and life. LITERACY The students develop literacy skills that enable them to progress in reading, comprehension, and writing. Early in the year, the main focus is on phonological awareness and phonemic instruction. Once these early reading skills have been mastered, the reading instruction is student-centered through small groups using the Collaborative Classroom Curriculum. As a student’s reading fluency develops, they shift their attention to comprehension and making inferences. During this literacy block, the students are working independently on Word Work and Writing, including sight words and rule- based spelling. In kindergarten, the students are introduced to Writers Workshop. They learn the beginning aspects of writing, including how-to, informational, and fiction writing. MATHEMATICS Levine Academy’s Beck Lower School has adopted the Everyday Math Fourth Edition program. This comprehensive program teaches basic math skills in a real world context, encouraging learners to think conceptually and mathematically. Students are encouraged to reason through problems and engage themselves in a wide variety of math related activities. The curriculum includes diverse concepts such as number sense, introduction to number stories, non-standard units of measure, 3-D shapes, addition, and subtraction. The program itself provides opportunities for differentiation at every level while still teaching within the range of one concept or skill. The Kindergarten thematic units are social studies and science-based, with a variety of topics that interest kindergarten aged children. These units of study range from historical characters to life science. During these units, the students participate in read aloud books, informational technology and hands- on projects to help them develop a deeper understanding of the subject. Additionally, kindergarteners visit the lower school science lab twice a week and have instruction with our lower school science teacher. Kindergarten is a year of exponential growth and maturity. While academics is a big focus, it is just as important to teach the students skills that will help them be successful throughout their school careers. Each child is encouraged to be the best version of themselves as we learn to problem solve and show compassion in our relationships. SCIENCE The science curriculum in kindergarten is developed around the three main areas of natural sciences: physical, earth, and life. The students attend science class twice weekly. In the science lab kindergarten grade students use the knowledge gained during class to develop skills to plan and carry out investigations, analyze and interpret data, obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the core ideas introduced.
ANN & NATE LEVINE ACADEMY
4
JEWISH STUDIES/HEBREW Chalav U’Dvash program imparts basic knowledge of spoken Hebrew that will also build a foundation for future study of the language. The program develops children’s ability to communicate in Hebrew, by providing them with a variety of opportunities and incentives to use the linguistic patterns and vocabulary acquired in the program, connects Hebrew to everyday social situations related to the children’s experiences in the home, at school, in encounters with friends and holiday celebrations, makes Hebrew a source of pleasure for the children and involves the entire family in the learning experience. JEWISH HOLIDAYS Art projects, songs, stories, class celebrations and cooking experiences will help give your child an understanding and appreciation of the stories and symbols of each of the major Jewish holidays. TORAH The students will learn Jewish values through Biblical Stories from creation to the giving of the Torah at Sinai and explore them during class discussions and dramatic play. PRAYERS The students will be introduced to many of the basic prayers of the daily morning service and Friday evening Shabbat service. FIRST GRADE OVERVIEW First Grade is a year of tremendous academic, emotional and social growth. Our primary goal for our first graders is that they receive the foundation they need to be successful 21st century learners. To achieve this goal we strive to teach them to be positive contributors to collaborative conversations, independent, curious students, critical thinkers who strive to have a deep understanding of material learned, and responsible members of our community who show respect for themselves and others. ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS The core of our language arts instruction is the Being a Reader program developed by the nonprofit learning organization, Center for the Collaborative Classroom. The goals of our work are to provide our students opportunities and skills to become confident readers, independent learners and caring members of a classroom community. The program’s academic strands provide students with a wide range of essential early literacy experiences. These strands combine to inspire the students’ love of reading, allow them to move at their own pace along a continuum of reading development, build their confidence, and establish their sense of identity as readers. The students participate in differentiated small group instruction that allows students to move at their own pace in their reading development. This work, as well as the instruction that takes place in whole-class lessons, provides many experiences using reading strategies to read and understand text. The students also utilize the writer’s workshop model developed by The Teacher’s College at Columbia University. The workshop model provides time for a mini-lesson, guided practice, independent active engagement, and collaboration/reflection.
5 LOWER SCHOOL GRADES K- 4 | CURRICULUM GUIDE
MATHEMATICS Levine Academy’s Beck Lower School has adopted the Everyday Math program. This comprehensive program teaches basic math skills in a real world context, encouraging learners to think mathematically. Students are encouraged to reason through problems and to engage themselves in a wide variety of math related activities. The curriculum includes operations and algebraic thinking, number and operations in base ten, measurement and data, and geometry. The first grade program provides opportunities for differentiation at every level while still teaching within the range of one concept or skill. SOCIAL STUDIES Students in grade one learn the broad concepts of rights and responsibilities in the contemporary world. The classroom serves as a microcosm of society in which decisions are made with respect for individual responsibility, for other people, and for the rules by which we all must live: fair play, good sportsmanship, and respect for the rights and opinions of others. Students examine the geography of their own neighborhoods and wider community. Students explore the varied backgrounds of American citizens and discuss the significance of the symbols, icons and national holidays of our country. SCIENCE Thesciencecurriculuminfirstgrade isdevelopedaroundthethreemainareasofnatural sciences:physical, earth, and life. The students attend science class twice weekly. In the science lab, first grade students use the knowledge gained during class to develop skills to plan and carry out investigations, analyze and interpret data, obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the core ideas introduced. JEWISH STUDIES/HEBREW Ariot-Cal is an internet based multimedia application which is an integral part of the TaLAM first grade Hebrew as a foreign language curriculum. The program allows students to work at their own pace according to their own personal needs. FIRST GRADE HEBREW/JEWISH STUDIES CURRICULUM INCLUDES 5 DIFFERENT UNITS: Shalom Bakita (Shalom In The Classroom) The Shalom in the Classroom unit deals with everyday life in the classroom at the beginning of the school year, and focuses on familiarization with the characters of a “virtual” classroom, the articles and the learning habits in the classroom. Shalom Babayit Uvachutz (Shalom At Home And Outdoors) Shalom at Home focuses on the Jewish daily agenda at home from wakeup until sunset, hence containing subtopics regarding: morning and evening routines, the body, clothing and nutrition, and combining the respective prayers and blessings. Shalom Outdoors focuses on the world outside of the classroom and home. It is linked to the creation of the world and is organized according to the seasons of the year.
ANN & NATE LEVINE ACADEMY
6
Shabbat Shalom This unit deals, respectively, with the preparations for Shabbat, the Mitzvoth of Shabbat. The unit includes: • Blessings over the candles • The challah • The Kiddush for Shabbat. Parashat Hashavu’a The Parashat Hashavua unit presents a first cycle for the study of the weekly Torah portion according to the Jewish calendar. Chag Sameach The Unit consists 10 topics: The High Holidays, Hannukah, Tu Bishvat, Purim, Pesach to Shavuot, Yom Ha’Atzmaut and Yom Yerushalayim. SECOND GRADE OVERVIEW The overall curriculum goals in Second Grade focus on growing self-awareness and academic esteem by allowing our Ethical Covenant to shape and guide. Through Respect, Caring, Holiness, Responsibility, Justice, Citizenship, and Integrity, Second Grade students embark on cross-curricular journeys encompassed by collaborative Project-Based Learning to foster a sense of independence and preparedness in years to come. HUMANITIES Second Grade Humanities involves Language Arts, Word Study, and Social Studies. In Language Arts we use Conventions of Standard English, Knowledge of Language, Vocabulary Acquisition and Use, Integration of Knowledge and Ideas in Literature, Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity across Genres, Fluency, and Complex Writing. Throughout the year, we use a variety of resources for our Novel Study practice in order to build fluency and exposure to complex texts. Word Study is adapted through our Collaborative Classroom Curriculum. Collaborative Literacy is the only curriculum that authentically integrates social and emotional learning with literacy. It marries the latest research in literacy education with useful, concrete support for teachers to build a caring classroom community that motivates and inspires students to grow as readers, writers, thinkers, and principled people. In Social Studies, we are “Road Tripping Across the USA”. We launch our academic quest with our “Me on a Map” Unit. This unit supports self-reflection and discovery as a person in a community. We continue to magnify this concept until we have embraced key geographical features and influential Americans that have affected US History. As students think, talk, and share ideas, they come to value the thinking of others. MATHEMATICS
7 LOWER SCHOOL GRADES K- 4 | CURRICULUM GUIDE
Second Grade uses the Fourth Edition of the Everyday Math Program, developed by the University of Chicago School of Mathematics Project. This comprehensive program teaches basic math skills in a real world context, encouraging learners to think conceptually and maththematically. Students are encouraged to reason through problems and engage themselves in a wide variety of math related activities. The curriculum includes diverse concepts such as strategic computation, algebraic function, data collection and interpretation, multiplication, and geometry. The program itself provides opportunities for differentiation at every level while still teaching within the range of one concept or skill. SCIENCE The science curriculum in second grade is developed around the three main areas of natural sciences: physical, earth, and life. The students attend science class twice weekly. In the science lab, second grade students use the knowledge gained during class to develop skills to plan and carry out investigations, analyze and interpret data, obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the core ideas introduced. JEWISH STUDIES/HEBREW Tal Am program activates learning in all frames of mind by utilizing a wide range of activities for all modes of communication, integrating Hebrew Language acquisition, the development of Jewish concepts and values, and reading and writing skills. The curriculum offers a variety of stories, Jewish sources, prayers and blessings, as well as age- appropriate songs, recitations and plays which aim to develop the child and his/her Jewish identity. The program is structured around a Virtual Classroom comprised of diverse students, each demonstrating how s/he learns. These virtual students grow and develop together with the students, serving as models for the construction of a learning community. ITal Am - Internet based multimedia program working in conjunction with the Tal AM program. SECOND GRADE HEBREW/ JEWISH STUDIES CURRICULUM INCLUDES 6 DIFFERENT UNITS: Tov Bakitah This unit focuses on student’s world, daily school schedule and relationships with peers. Tov Babayit This unit presents daily routines at home including clothes, meals and cleanliness. Chagim This unit focuses on Jewish Holidays including customs, rituals, mitzvot, blessings, stories related to units. Torah (Genesis) This unit teaches the stories of Creation, Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, Noah –The flood and Tower of Babel. Students learn to use a Chumash and also learn the language of the Torah. Parashat Hashavua
ANN & NATE LEVINE ACADEMY
8
These units present the weekly Torah Portion according to the Jewish calendar. Shabbat Sheli Ve’shelanu This unit focuses on Mitzvot and rituals of Shabbat - from sunset on Friday through Havdalah services on Saturday night. THIRD GRADE OVERVIEW The primary focus of academic development in Third Grade is to create a framework of skills that build a foundation of competencies to promote independence for future learning. Third grade is a cornerstone year as the students are transitioning from early elementary to upper elementary. This demands a much more diverse and prominent set of expectations. Through curricular integration and
repetition, the students build the following skills: • Follow routines and procedures independently • Take ownership of learning and provide evidence • Employ a variety of problem solving strategies for tasks in reading and math • Develop responsibility, integrity, and character READING/LANGUAGE ARTS
English Language Arts instruction in third grade follows the Collaborative Classroom’s Making Meaning curriculum, which focuses on developing reading comprehension strategies and fostering the social- emotional development of the learner. This is achieved through a variety of mentor texts, engaging activities, and content extensions. We also integrate Social Studies concepts into our extension activities to promote cross-curricular connections. The students work within a modified Daily 3 workshop model, which includes independent reading, small group work with the teacher, and work time to complete assignments. The students have a weekly lesson on a grammar concept, which is reinforced and conceptualized through other English language arts workshops during the academic week. In lieu of a traditional spelling program, we use a Word Study model that not only addresses proper spelling and usage, but also focuses on specific spelling patterns and word rules. The students study the pattern while reinforcing this skill in a myriad of activities over a two-week period. Students utilize the writer’s workshop model developed by The Teacher’s College at Columbia University, which provides time for a mini-lesson, guided practice, independent active engagement, and collaboration/reflection. Students participate in regular, dedicated writing time in addition to regular presentations of completed coursework to the class. MATHEMATICS Weuse theUniversityofChicago’sEverydayMathcurriculumforourmath instruction. This comprehensive program teaches math skills in a real world context, encouraging learners to think conceptually and explain their mathematical reasoning. The third grade curriculum focuses on multiplication strategies,
9 LOWER SCHOOL GRADES K- 4 | CURRICULUM GUIDE
building fact fluency, fractions, and comparing geometric attributes. Problem solving is a significant focus of this study, and students are expected to provide evidence of their understanding. The program itself provides opportunities for differentiation at every level while still teaching within the range of one concept or skill. SOCIAL STUDIES Our Social Studies curriculum focuses on the study of world cultures and geography. The students begin the year with a survey of geographical concepts, work on the development and refinement of their map reading skills, and deepen their understanding of landforms. Following our introductory unit, the students receive their passports and “travel” across the world! They study a specific country from each continent throughout the year. Our social studies curriculum challenges students to think critically about world events, celebrate cultural differences, and highlight similarities between themselves and children around the world. Students engage in enriching, experience-based, hands-on activities. At the end of the year, the students create their own country study to showcase their project-based learning skills and reinforce objectives, such as note taking, organizing information, and public speaking. They complete these projects to reflect their learning, develop time management strategies, and take responsibility for their ideas. Our social studies program is a blend of student interests and highly engaging 21st century learning! SCIENCE The science curriculum in third grade is developed around the three main areas of natural sciences: physical, earth, and life. The students attend science class twice weekly. In the science lab third grade students use the knowledge gained during class to develop skills to ask questions, plan and carry out investigations, analyze and interpret data, obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the core ideas introduced. JEWISH STUDIES/HEBREW CHAVERIMB’IVRIT is a curriculum linguistically sequential both in texts and tasks. The Hebrew language is learned in contexts relevant to the children’s lives and cultural backgrounds. The lessons revolve around themes of interest to children including: birthday, family, friendship, traveling, food, and music. Each theme is presented from three perspectives: Jewish, modern Israeli culture, and general world knowledge. Ivrit Beclick An interactive online resource for the teaching of conversational Hebrew language which helps students progress gradually in all language skills, with grammatical topics integrated in a natural way in the context of the various topics. Migdalor And Italam (Internet Based Multimedia Program) Jewish Holidays programs present major holidays and Shabbat concepts in context (stories, poems and a variety of exercises). Tal Am
ANN & NATE LEVINE ACADEMY
10
This program activates and develops learning of Jewish concepts and values. The curriculum offers a variety of stories, Jewish sources, prayers and blessings, as well as age-appropriate songs, recitations and plays which aim to develop the child and his/her Jewish identity. Torah – Bereishit (Lech Lecha, Vayera, Chayei Sarah) This unit develops reading and comprehension skills in Chumash, introducing Torah commentary. Students are exposed to Biblical Hebrew, giving them a foundation to understand and develop their Biblical text skills. Assessment is done using the Standards and Benchmarks program, allowing for greater diversity. Parashat Hashavua This unit presents the weekly Torah Portion according to the Jewish calendar. FOURTH GRADE OVERVIEW The major goal of Fourth Grade is to foster a sense of independence and prepare students for their years in middle school and beyond. This is done through cross-curricular integration with all subject areas, but particularly in the humanities. In Fourth Grade, the students begin to lay a foundation for response to feedback, self-evaluation, accountability, peer collaboration, and more. Emphasis is placed on students becoming independent learners and acquiring necessary skills, such as: • Developing study skills to prepare for examinations • Acquiring organizational and time management skills with target dates • Using a variety of note taking strategies • Implementing reading strategies and writing skills • Thoughtfully showing all work and providing detailed explanations behind the steps LANGUAGE ARTS/READING In Reading and Language Arts, we are reinforcing the comprehension reading strategies taught in lower grades and introducing additional strategies to enable children to comprehend higher-level material. By utilizing newspaper articles, novels, short stories, and other instructions materials we are building on previously obtained skills. In lieu of a traditional spelling program, fourth grade utilizes a word study program. Each week the students work with and manipulate words that follow a specific rule. They complete in class categorizations and sorts to apply their thinking. All language arts work is completed using a modified version of the Daily 5 Café. Fourth graders are assigned tasks at the beginning of the week and are given an opportunity to choose want activities and assignments they want to work on each day. This model provides time for students to work one-on-one or in small groups with the teacher for guided reading. The students also utilize the writer’s workshop model developed by The Teacher’s College at Columbia University. The workshop model provides time for a mini-lesson, guided practice, independent active engagement, and collaboration/reflection.
11 LOWER SCHOOL GRADES K- 4 | CURRICULUM GUIDE
MATHEMATICS Levine Academy’s Beck Lower School has adopted the Everyday Math Fourth Edition program. This comprehensive program teaches basic math skills in a real world context, encouraging learners to think conceptually and mathematically. Students are encouraged to reason through problems and engage themselves in a wide variety of math related activities. The curriculum includes diverse concepts such as computation, algebraic function, decimals, fractions, and geometry. The program itself provides opportunities for differentiation at every level while still teaching within the range of one concept or skill. SOCIAL STUDIES The main focus in social studies for fourth grade is Texas. The units range from basic geography and map identifications to the Texas Revolution and impact of expansion. Social Studies units are taught through a variety of activities utilizing various learner profiles and intelligences. SCIENCE The science curriculum in fourth grade is developed around the three main areas of natural sciences: physical, earth, and life. The students attend science class twice weekly. In the science lab fourth grade students use the knowledge gained during class to develop skills to ask questions, develop and use models, plan and carry out investigations, analyze and interpret data, obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the core ideas introduced. JEWISH STUDIES/HEBREW CHAVERIMB’IVRIT is a curriculum linguistically sequential both in texts and tasks. The Hebrew language is learned in contexts relevant to the children’s lives and cultural backgrounds. The lessons revolve around themes of interest to children including: birthday, family, friendship, traveling, food, and music. Each theme is presented from three perspectives: Jewish, modern Israeli culture, and general world knowledge. Ivrit Beclick An interactive online resource for the teaching of conversational Hebrew language which helps students progress gradually in all language skills, with grammatical topics integrated in a natural way in the context of the various topics. Migdalor Jewish Holidays program presents major holidays and Shabbat concepts in context (stories, poems and a variety of exercises). Tal Am This program activates and develops learning of Jewish concepts and values. The curriculum offers a variety of stories, Jewish sources, prayers and blessings, as well as age-appropriate songs, recitations and plays which aim to develop the child and his/her Jewish identity.
ANN & NATE LEVINE ACADEMY
12
Torah – Exodus This unit develops reading and comprehension skills in Chumash, introducing Torah commentary. Students are exposed to Biblical Hebrew, giving them a foundation to understand and develop their Biblical text skills. Assessment is done using the Standards and Benchmarks program, allowing for greater diversity. Parashat Hashavua This unit presents the weekly Torah Portion according to the Jewish calendar. LOWER SCHOOL MUSIC Music is a distinctive part in the learning process at Levine Academy. In the Music classroom, students learn to be listeners and performers as they explore basic musical concepts such as rhythm, melody, harmony and form. Our comprehensive Music program provides hands-on experiences for children to learn through listening, singing, moving, playing instruments, improvising and creating. Music is integrated across the curriculum. In Music class, students may learn geography or history while in their core subject classrooms, they sometimes sing to add to their understanding of subjects such as math or science. JEWISH MUSIC Music classes at Levine introduce students to many styles of Jewish Music, from Israeli traditional to modern Jewish Music. The curriculum promotes an atmosphere of fun, while teaching songs that enrich the children’s knowledge of Hebrew and Judaica as well as understanding of basic musical concepts. Our celebrations throughout the year are enhanced by musical performances such as: • Kabbalat Shabbat • Zimriyah • Kehillah Kedosha Monthly Celebrations • First Grade Hagigat HaSiddur • Second Grade Hagigat HaChumash
• Third Grade Hagigat HaSafah • Fourth Grade Hagigat HaAliyah • Yom Ha’atzmaut PHYSICAL EDUCATION
The Physical Education curriculum takes a whole-child approach to physical fitness. Students develop gross motor skills and coordination, targeting specific skills needed in team sports. Thye are exposed
13 LOWER SCHOOL GRADES K- 4 | CURRICULUM GUIDE
to a wide range of team sports, enhance skill development, a competitive environment, while building self-esteem, and instill a life-long enjoyment of physical activity. Teamwork, appropriate sportsmanship, an understanding of the rules of the game, and the spirit of competition are integrated into each sports unit. Students are encouraged to push themselves to go beyond their individual limits and work towards achievement of their physical fitness goals. ART The Levine Academy art program is based on the National Core Arts Standards. Students attend weekly art classes, where they receive hands-on instruction in a wide range of art media and explore choices involved in presenting art to an audience. Students also learn how to identify, examine, and compare works of art. Our visual arts venue gives students an opportunity to look closely at themselves, to examine the world around them, and to understand connections between artistic expression and cultural values.
July 2018
ANN & NATE LEVINE ACADEMY
14
15 LOWER SCHOOL GRADES K- 4 | CURRICULUM GUIDE
July 2018
18011 Hillcrest Road Dallas, TX 75252 972-248-3032 phone 972-248-0695 fax www.levineacademy.org
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online