Academic Curriculum
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Literacy
Scholars will apply literal and figurative meanings and implications of words in context. They will analyze, synthesize and summarize multiple informational documents in light of the audience and purpose to demonstrate comprehension. Scholars will also compare and contrast aspects of various genres and describe the contributions of major literary movements. When writing informational pieces, scholars will use a variety of strategies to develop topics for different purposes to different audiences including quality research, synthesis of information and well supported conclusions. For literary texts, scholars will use a variety of planning strategies and write well organized pieces with well developed settings, plots, and characters using quality literary devices. Scholars will use effective structures, varied word choice and proper spelling, punctuation and grammar. Scholars will analyze the language, organization, evidence, and delivery or oral communications. They will also develop and deliver well organized presentations incorporating visual aids, technology and effective nonverbal elements. Scholars will clarify a speaker or writer’s purpose and audience and choose appropriate format for communication. They will also ask relevant questions of speakers. Four areas of literacy will be seamlessly integrated into the curriculum of the academy. All scholars, regardless of grade level or subject area, will be taught these literacy skills: Reading – Subjects: history, math, English, elective, science - For content (both literal and inferential) - To apply pre-reading, during reading and post-reading strategies to all reading assignments, including determining purpose and pre-learning vocabulary - To research a topic - To gather information - To comprehend an argument - To determine the main idea of a passage - To understand a concept and construct meaning - To expand one’s experience Writing - Subjects: history, math, English, elective, science - To take notes - To explain one’s thinking - To argue a thesis and support one’s thinking - To compare and contrast - To write an open response - To describe an experiment, report one’s findings, and report one’s conclusion - To generate a response to what one has read, viewed, or heard - To convey one’s thinking in complete sentences - To develop an expository essay with a formal structure Speaking – Subjects: history, math, English, elective, science - To convey one’s thinking in complete sentences - To interpret a passage orally - To debate an issue - To participate in class discussion or a public forum - To make an oral presentation to one’s class, one’s peers, one’s community - To present one’s portfolio - To respond to what one has read, viewed, or heard - To communicate in a manner that allows one to be both heard and understood Reasoning – Subjects: history, math, English, elective, science - To create, interpret, and explain a table, chart or graph - To compute, interpret and explain numbers - To read, break down, and solve a word problem - To interpret and present statistics that support an argument or hypothesis - To identify a pattern, explain a pattern, and/or make a prediction based on a pattern - To detect the fallacy in an argument or a proof - To explain the log of an argument or solution - To use analogies and/or evidence to support one’s thinking - To explain and/or interpret relationships of space and time Logic and Rhetoric (Speech) Scholars are to connect and interpret basic facts when using formal logic. The principles of quality and effective speech and writing are the basis of formal rhetoric. This incorporates the ability to persuade effectively through the use of sound logical reasoning. Learning rhetoric helps scholars grapple with ethics, and underlying causes for actions and the words one uses. Science In science, scholars will use physics, chemistry, and biology laws to categorize and interpret the physical world. They will demonstrate skills using tables, data, and formulas. They will also do experiments and perform dissections. They will demonstrate the ability to draw logical conclusions based on observations. Humanities (Social Studies) In Humanities, scholars will read through the works of history and literature from the ancient world, the medieval world, the American world, and the modern world as it pertains to their individual grade. Historical periods will be ordered chronologically. Scholars will read nonfiction, biographies, historical fiction, and timely pieces from today’s news. They will read, write, and speak about each period of time as it relates to their particular grade. Information disseminated in this curriculum will provide scholars with schema from which to draw for the rest of their lives. Scholars will also study foreign languages. Math In Math, scholars will understand ordered relationships as represented by numbers and mathematical relationships. As they progress, higher level math skills will be developed and mastered. Number sense, computation, geometry, measurement, algebra and functions will be developed as they relate to the grade level. Analysis and prediction will be a major part of each grade’s work. |
