Curriculum

The curricula at Sun Valley Charter School will be designed not only to inform and inspire students, but also to prepare them for entrance into institutions of higher learning and for real life. The curricula will be standards based, consistent with state standards. They will also be integrated across traditional subject boundaries. Along with being integrated laterally, the curricula will be sequenced vertically, with each year building on the knowledge gained the previous year. Finally, within each course, the curriculum will be differentiated, to allow advanced placement and low achieving students to maximize their learning experience.

This plan will include a discussion of the steps we will take to develop our curricula. At the end of this plan, we have included a sample of how standards can be integrated within a particular course.

Standards

Sun Valley Charter School will provide its students with standards-based curricula. In developing its own set of standards, SVCS will review national, state, and local standards. Ultimately, the standards developed by SVCS shall be consistent with those of the state. However, we will present some courses in a different sequence and will teach some subjects not usually taught in high school, i.e. ancient civilizations (eastern and western) and earth sciences.

Sun Valley Charter School will advise all parents of new students on enrollment forms that there may not be a sequential alignment of curricula between RHS and SVCS. They will be told that, in the event of transfer to RHS or another high school, they may need to take coursework that is offered in a different sequence at that school.

Sun Valley Charter School will develop a comprehensive reading list, tailored to its guiding principles and education plan. State and RUSD reading lists will be used as guidelines for developing the reading list, but the list will ultimately be tailored to the requirements of the curricula. Books on both the California State and RUSD lists may be dropped, and others may be added. Primary sources may also be added to the list.

Over the four-year course of study, students will receive a full education. All students will receive instruction that will enable them to pass the California High School Exit Exam. Those students who plan to attend college will meet the A-G requirements for California college admissions. Those who do not plan to attend college will have opportunities to develop and expand upon practical skills.

Integrated Curricula

Before discussing the potential benefits of integrated curricula, it is important to understand what we mean by integrated. There are many different models of integration ranging from a mere connection of topics within a field to a full integration of concepts and topics across disciplines.

Where topics can be overlapped, we will do so. Where this is not possible, we will base our curricula on themes around which each discipline can work. This will require expertise, flexibility, and cooperation on the part of all faculty members. Not only will standards need to be integrated, but also the timing of topics within the course will need to be coordinated to provide a seamless education.

We believe integration is necessary to help students make sense of the information they are learning. Disconnected bits of information are sometimes difficult to synthesize, especially when students are not given a model they can follow. As Alan Humphries noted:

It is taken for granted, apparently, that in time students will see for themselves how things fit together, Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that they tend to learn what we teach. If we teach connectedness and integration, they learn that. If we teach separation and discontinuity, that is what they learn. To suppose otherwise would be incongruous. (A. Humphries, T. Post, and A. Ellis. Interdisciplinary Methods: A Thematic Approach. Santa Monica, CA, Goodyear Publishing Company, 1981, p. xi.)

We also believe that integration makes education useful. When students can see the interconnectedness of the disciplines, they can see how to put their knowledge to work. Newton, Whitney, and Einstein were not just scientists, they were men of their times and products of history. Their work grew out of a specific historical context, yet dealt with the cutting edge of science and technology. They were informed by the past, as well as the great thinkers and writers of their age. Students who learn through integrated models will be better prepared to participate in the next wave of thought and invention.

Finally, we believe that integration assists in the retention of information. When items are placed in context, they make more sense to the mind. The mind prefers order and is better able to recall items that are placed in the memory in an organized fashion. Showing the connections between disciplines gives students a tool to organize this new material in their own minds. Once the information has been stored in an organized fashion, it is easier to recall.

Sequential Curricula

Along with integrating curricula across disciplinary lines, we will sequence our curricula, over a four-year course of study, in a manner that provides peak understanding at graduation. We will lay the foundation in the first year and build in complexity and depth over the next three years.

In history, we will start with a discussion of ancient times and move forward to the present day in America. In English, we will work on the building blocks of composition and analysis in the first year. Students will then use those skills to write more advanced compositions and provide more in-depth analyses in the following years. Students will be trained in keyboard and word processing skills during their freshman year. In following years, they will expand their abilities and use this technology to develop their projects and presentations. In math, we will start with geometry, rather than algebra. Geometry builds the skills of analysis, logic, and argument that will be useful in other fields. In the sciences, we will start with geology and meteorology to give students a sense of their world, and to provide a foundation for world history. The second year, we will introduce astronomy and oceanography, mirroring history in the age of exploration. Chemistry will be taught as we discuss the modern world, connecting the one discipline to the other and building on the earth sciences foundation.

Differentiated Curriculum

We will provide opportunities for all students to excel to the best of their abilities by providing a differentiated curriculum within each class. A differentiated curriculum is one in which the same material is covered by all students in the class, but in varying degrees of complexity. The standard curriculum will prepare students adequately for graduation and admission to college. The advanced placement differentiation will allow gifted and talented students to develop their abilities to the fullest. The curriculum will also be differentiated to accommodate low achieving students.

Differentiation, for advanced placement students, does not mean merely adding assignments or asking harder questions. It means developing activities that are more complex in nature and require a higher degree of critical thinking. Differentiated curriculum should challenge the limits of the student’s abilities, but not burden them with busy work.

For low achieving students, a differentiated curriculum means adapting the standards to a level that is within their understanding. That does not mean fewer assignments. It means assignments better suited to their abilities.

The demands of a differentiated curriculum require flexible scheduling. Our modular program is well suited to this. In our program, students will meet in different groups at different times throughout the week. Following the initial large class meeting, students will meet in smaller seminars, geared to the differentiated curriculum in which they are participating. This allows each student to interact at the peak of his/her abilities without being overwhelmed.

Curriculum Development Process

Staff Involvement

Key personnel will be brought on board in March to assist in the development of the curricula for the first year. (See proposed staffing schedule on the following page). They will work with curriculum consultants and organizations like the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Credentialed teachers, along with subject area specialists, (who may or may not be credentialed) will be responsible for the full development of the curriculum.To truly provide integrated curricula, the process will necessarily involve individuals with expertise within their areas and an ability to cross into other fields.

Proposed Staffing Schedule

January 2002: Director to be hired by the SVCS Board. Director will work part-time with no compensation.

March 2002: Director will start working full-time, with half-salary. Director will work on staff development/hiring, student enrollment, curriculum/assessments, etc. Director will work with consultants and volunteers.

June 2002: Mid-month, two teachers/department chairs will be hired in math/science and English. They will work full-time, with half salary. They will assist in developing curriculum/assessments, classroom level instruction/ assessment. The Director and department heads will work with consultants and volunteers.

August 2002: Mid-month, the remaining teaching staff, administrative support staff, and other employees will be hired. They will work full-time for half-salary.

September 2002: All employees will begin receiving full compensation.

It is anticipated that, throughout this process, many people will be volunteering their time. While we show teachers being hired in June and August, they will, most likely, be brought on board at an earlier date as a volunteer. Thus, we will not be introducing them at the last minute, but will involve them in the process early on.

Review of Standards

We will begin the process by reviewing the standards for the various disciplines. This was addressed in the section on standards earlier in this plan.

Integration of Subjects

After the standards have been reviewed, the curriculum development team will work to find the connections between the various disciplines. They will work to identify those areas where integration can be most effective. Standards that cross discipline lines will be incorporated in both areas. Where integration is more difficult, a webbed approach will be outlined and standards will be adapted to fit the identified theme.

Development of Objectives

Following this process, the team will establish a set of objectives for each course that not only addresses the standards, but also connects the curricula across traditional boundaries. These objectives will provide the framework for the individual courses and will be used to determine the materials to be selected.

Selection of Materials

Obviously, textbooks are not organized in this integrated manner. The team will need to seek out reference materials and online sources, including original documents, scientific websites, online academic books, etc., that satisfy the objectives. They will assemble a pool of resources to be used by students and teachers in connection with the course objectives.

Specific Course Outlines

From these objectives and materials, the team will develop specific course outlines. The outlines will address integration and webbing issues, and will give the teachers a road map and schedule for their classes. At this point, other teachers will be involved, helping to create the lesson plans that will carry out the course objectives.

Approval by SVCS Board

The final step in the process will be the approval of the standards, objectives, materials, and course outlines by the Sun Valley Charter School Board of Directors. It is anticipated that we will only develop the first year’s curricula prior to September 2002. The curricula for the 2003-2004 school year will be developed during the 2002-2003 school year.

Connectedness to Secondary Testing

Our courses will be designed primarily to educate the student, but we will also be sure to prepare students to take standardized tests, bearing in mind the State law prohibition from using certain test preparation materials. We believe there is a difference between educating a student and teaching to the test. A student who can pass a test is not necessarily well educated, but a well-educated student will be able to pass standardized tests.

Our students will be required to pass the California State High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). We will also participate in the SAT-9, and other statewide assessments as required by law, including the STAR program which includes the SAT-9 and the SABE2. There are other tests that our students will want to take in preparation for college. Our program will be rigorous enough to provide them with the knowledge they need to do well on these tests, but we will not leave testing to chance.

As a part of our practical skills component, we will prepare students for these tests by providing instruction in test-taking strategies These strategies will include: Providing study guides geared to the tests contents, reviewing previous versions of the tests where available, discussing strategies for approaching different types of questions, and providing simulated test conditions to gear students up for the real thing. Studies have shown that students who take even rudimentary steps to prepare for standardized tests fare better than those who do not.

Sample Integrated Standards

9th Grade: World History First Semester: Western civilizations to 600 B.C.

Standards for this Subject:

(There are no California State Standards for Ancient World History in the ninth grade. For the purpose of this sample, I have used the standards developed by the National Center for History in the Schools. Actual standards adopted by SVCS may vary from these.)

Era 2, Standard 1A: The student understands how Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus valley became centers of dense population, urbanization, and cultural innovation in the fourth and third millennia BCE.

Era 2, Standard 1B: The student understands how commercial and cultural interactions contributed to change in the Tigris-Euphrates, Indus, and Nile regions.

Era 2, Standard 2B:The student understands how new centers of agrarian society arose in the third and second millennia BCE.

Era 2, Standard 3A: The student understands how population movements from western and Central Asia affected peoples of India, Southwest Asia, and the Mediterranean region.

Era 2, Standard 3B: The student understands the social and cultural effects that militarization and the emergence of new kingdoms had on peoples of Southwest Asia and Egypt in the second millennium BCE.

Era 2, Standard 3C: The student understands how urban society expanded in the Aegean region in the era of Mycenaean dominance.

Era 2, Standard 3D: The student understands the development of new cultural patterns in northern India in the second millennium BCE.

Era 2, Standard 4A: The student understands major trends in Eurasia and Africa from 4000 to 1000 BCE.

Era 3, Standard 1A: The student understands state building, trade, and migrations that led to increasingly complex interrelations among peoples of the Mediterranean basin and Southwest Asia.

Era 3, Standard 1C: The student understands how states developed in the upper Nile valley and Red Sea region and how iron technology contributed to the expansion of agricultural societies in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Era 3, Standard 1D: The student understands how pastoral nomadic peoples of Central Asia began to play an important role in world history.

Integrated Standards from Related Fields

Science and Technology:

Standard 1: Geology - The student understands the impact geological features have on civilizations, including the effects of mountains, volcanoes, landforms, erosion patterns, mineral deposits, earthquakes, etc.

Standard 2: Meteorology - The student understands the impact climate and weather have on civilizations, including flood and drought patterns, temperature ranges, rainfall, etc.

Standard 3: Inventions - The student understands the development of new technologies and inventions within their historical context.

Standard 4: Architecture – The student understands the form and function of architecture in ancient civilizations.

Geography:

Standard 1: The student understands the political boundaries of ancient civilizations and can identify their location on maps.

Standard 2: The student understands the resources available to civilizations within their political boundaries.

English: (Taken from California English-Language Arts Content Standards)

Standard 1: The student writes coherent and focused essays that convey a well-defined perspective and tightly reasoned argument.

Standard 2: The student combines the rhetorical strategies of narration, exposition, persuasion, and description to produce texts of 1500 words related to historical topics

Standard 3: The student writes and speaks with a command of standard English conventions.

Standard 4: The student delivers focused and coherent oral presentations of their own that convey clear and distinct perspectives and solid reasoning.

Standard 5: The student employs appropriate word processing and presentation technologies in written works and oral presentations.

Arts and Literature: (Taken from California English-Language Arts Content Standards)

Standard 1: The student reads and responds to historically or culturally significant works of literature that enhance their studies of history and social science.

Standard 2: The student conducts in-depth analysis of recurrent patterns and themes in historically or culturally significant literature.

Standard 3: The student listens to music from these civilizations and understands the relationship between music and culture.

Standard 4: The student understands the art forms of ancient civilizations and can identify their design and construction with the region of origin.

Philosophy, Religion, and Government:

Standard 1: The student understands the polytheistic religions of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and India and can explain the importance of these religious beliefs in the formation of governments.

Standard 2: The student understands the emergence of Judaism and the historical significance of the Hebrew kingdoms.

Communications:

Standard 1: The student understands the significance of written communication to the development of civilizations.

Standard 2: The student understands the different types of written language and their effectiveness as communication tools.

Self-Reliance:

Standard 1: The student understands the process of cooperative agricultural production and its necessity to the creation of civilizations.

Standard 2: The student understands the need for specialization and division of labor in the civilized world.

Family and Community:

Standard 1: The student understands family relations in ancient civilizations

Note: This is a sample only. The actual standards will be developed once the charter has been granted and key personnel identified.

Proposed Curriculum Outline

Year 1

History: Eastern civilizations to 1600 A.D.; Western civilizations to 600 B.C. (Includes physical geography)

English: Composition and oral communication, basic word processing

Science and Technology: Geology, meteorology, ancient inventions

Philosophy, Religion, and Government: Eastern religions and philosophies

Logic and Mathematics: Geometry, symbolic logic

Arts and Literature: Eastern music, ancient epics

Communications: Foreign language I.

Self-reliance: Basic gardening, physical activity

Family and Community: Personal/family projects, field trips, school janitorial services

Year 2

History: Western civilizations, 600 B.C. to 1600 A.D.

English: Composition and oral communication, advanced word processing

Science and Technology: Scientific Revolution, oceanography, astronomy, celestial navigation

Philosophy, Religion, and Government: Early western philosophies, religions, governments

Logic and Mathematics: Algebra I

Arts and Literature: Western art and music, classic literature, applied arts

Communications: Foreign language II

Self-reliance: Food storage, food marketing, physical activity

Family and Community: Personal/family projects, field trips, school maintenance

Year 3 (Includes Practical/Academic Split)

History: World history, eastern and western, 1600 A.D. to present

English: Composition and oral communication, creative writing, research paper formats

Science and Technology:

Practical: Introductory trades, computers

Academic: Chemistry w/lab

Philosophy, Religion, and Government:

Practical: Applied economics and politics

Academic: Modern philosophy, political theory, applied economics and politics

Logic and Mathematics:

Practical: Personal and business math

Academic: Algebra II

Arts and Literature:

Practical: Applied schematics

Academic: Humanities, Renaissance through present

Communications:

Practical: Electronic communications

Academic: Foreign language III

Self-reliance: Food preparation, health (includes nutrition, first aid/CPR), physical activity, test-taking strategies

Family and Community: Personal/family projects, community service, work internships

Year 4 (Includes Practical/Academic Split)

History: U.S. and California History, 1600 to present

English: Composition and oral communication, desktop publishing, multi-media skills

Science and Technology:

Practical: Advanced trades, computers

Academic: Biology w/lab

Philosophy, Religion, and Government:

Practical: U.S. founding documents, modern politics

Academic: American religious movements, American political thought, U.S. founding documents, modern politics

Logic and Mathematics:

Practical: Finance, accounting

Academic: Trigonometry, Calculus

Arts and Literature:

Practical: American theater, cinema.

Academic: American and modern art, music, theater, cinema, literature

Communications:

Practical: Multimedia

Academic: Foreign language IV

Self-reliance: Life skills, physical activity, test-taking strategies

Family and Community: Personal/family projects, community service, work internships

Matrix for An Integrated Curriculum

Grade 9 – 37 Weeks

(33 weeks of instruction, 2 weeks of student presentations, 2 weeks STAR testing)

Standards are identified numerically. A full text version is currently being drafted and will be available soon.

Units of Study	World History National Standards	Philosophy and Government SVCHS Standards TBD	Geography Proposed SVCHS Standards	English/Lang. Arts CA State Standards (Grades 9 & 10) R(read) W(write) S(speak) *	Self-Reliance SVCHS Projects	Arts and Music Standards TBD	Science I Standards TBD	Family and Community Projects
UNIT I – ORIENTATION (3 weeks)	Sun Valley Charter HS Ramona The World		2.1 2.2 a,b,c,d 2.3	R 2.1,2.2,2.5,2.6 W 1.8	Agricultural measurements and yields	Sound and music Light and color	Scientific Method	Intro to family research

UNIT II – AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION	ERA 1 S2A early agriculture		1.2 a,b 1.4 a,b,c		Selection of crops		Botanical genetics
(1 week)	ERA 1 S2B agricultural Societies	Division of labor	1.4 a,b,c 2.7 a	W 1.1,1.3,1.4,1.5,1.9	Germinate grain seeds

UNIT III – RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATIONS	ERA 2 S1A dev. of Meso., Egypt, Indus Valleys.	Gilgamesh	1.2 a,b 1.3 2.5 b	W 2.3 a-f	Ground preparation - nutrients	Artistic styles In various locations	Atmosphere (climate)	Research on living ancestors
(2 weeks)	ERA 2 S1B interactions among river valleys	Code of Hammurabi	1.2 a,b 2.4 a 2.5 b	R 1.1,1.2 W 1.1,1.3,1.4,1.5,1.9	Build plows Make pottery Weave baskets
	ERA 2 S2A civilization in n. China	Ancestor worship – Beginnings of Dynasties	1.1 1.5 2.4a	R 2.3 S 2.1,2.2,2.6	Make jewelry Build looms
	ERA 2 S2B.1 plow technology		2.4 a 2.7 a		Plant fields

UNIT IV – INDIA TO 1000 CE (5 weeks)	ERA 2 S3D new patterns in Northern India	Hinduism	2.7 a 2.8 c	R 1.2 S 2.1,2.2,2.6	Metal tools Metal casting	Indian art and music	Scientific Experimentation (metallurgy)	Research on dead ancestors
	ERA 3 S3D religious and cultural dev. In India	Buddhism	2.6 a	R 1.2,2.2,2.3, 3.5,3.7,3.8,3.9,3.12 W 1.1,1.3,1.4,1.5,1.9

UNIT V –	ERA 3 S1D nomadic people of Central Asia	I Ching Confucius LaoTzu	2.7 b				Scientific Experimentation (Cont.)	Gather family stories, photos, memorabilia
CHINA, JAPAN, KOREA TO 1234 CE	ERA 3 S3C unification of hina				Making paper puppets	Chinese art and music
(6 weeks)	ERA 4 S3A China’s political and cultural expansion	Introduction of Buddhism	2.6 a	R 1.2,2.2,2.3, 3.5,3.7,3.8,3.9,3.12	Reading compasses		Magnetism

	ERA 4 S3B Japan, Korea and SE Asia vs China	Buddhism in Japan		R 1.2 W 1.1,1.33,1.4,1.5,1.9 S 2.1,2.2,2.6		Japanese art and music	Tectonics (geology )
	ERA 5 S1A urbanization and commerce in China	Zen	2.7 a,b,c 2.8 c	R 1.2	Earthquake preparedness
	ERA 5 S1B dev. in Japan and SE Asia	Introduction of Shoguns	2.7 a,b,c,d	R 1.2 W 1.1,1.3,1.4,1.5,1.9

SEMESTER I STUDENT PRESENTATIONS (1 week)				W 1.8 S 1.3 – 1.9
Semester 2 19 weeks	(Includes 2 weeks of STAR testing)
Units of Study	World History National Standards	Philosophy and Government SVCHS Standards TBD	Geography Proposed SVCHS Standards	English/Lang. Arts CA State Standards (Grades 9 & 10) R(read) W(write) S(speak) *	Self-Reliance SVCHS Projects	Arts and Music Standards TBD	Science I Standards TBD	Family and Community Projects
UNIT VI – ANCIENT AMERICAS (3 weeks)	ERA 3 S4A early Mesoamerica Civilizations	Mesoamerican religions	2.5 a,b,c 2.7 a	W 2.3 a-f	Start seedlings and tubers for Native American plants and foods	Mesoamerican art	Calendars (Math/astronomy)	Compile family history book
	ERA 4 S6A Mayan civilization		2.5 c	R 1.2,2.3 W 1.1,1.3,1.4,1.5,1.9
	ERA 4 S6B other Meso. and Andean civilizations		2.7 a	R 1.2,2.3 W 1.6,1.7			Botany
ANCIENT AMERICAS (cont.)	ERA 5 S6A dev. of complex societies in N America and Mesoamerica	N. American native religions	2.7 a,b,c,d	R 2.2,2.3,3.7,3.8,3.9,3.12 W 1.1,1.3,1.4,1.5,1.9		N American art	Botany (Cont.)	Compile family history book (Cont.)
	ERA 5 S6B dev. of Inca empire	Incan government	2.7 a,b,c,d	R 2.3 W 1.6,1.7		Incan art

UNIT VII – EARLY MEDITERRANEAN	ERA 2 S2B.2 urbanization of Crete	Polytheism	2.5 a		Plant and maintain home garden	Early Middle Eastern art and music	Biochemical Cycles
CIVILIZATIONS (13 weeks)	ERA 2 S2B.3 commercial exchange		2.5 b
	ERA 2 S3A movements of pastoral peoples		1.4 b 2.4 a	R 2.2,2.3
	ERA 2 S3B militarization, new kingdoms		2.4 a	R 1.1,11.2,2.3 W 1.1,1.3,1.4,1.5,1.9
	ERA 2 S3C Mycenaean urban Society			R 1.1,1.2,2.2,2.3
	ERA 3 S1A increasing relations Among peoples in Med. and SW Asia		2.5 a,b,c 2.8 a,b,c 2.6 b	R 1.1,1.2,2.2, 3.5,3.7,3.8,3.9,3.12 W 1.1,1.3,1.4,1.5,1.9	Grafting of trees and vines
	ERA 3 S1B emergence of Judaism	Judaism - monotheism	2.6 a	R 1.1,1.2,2.2,2.3, 3.5,3.7,3.8,3.9,3.12 W 1.6,1.7
	ERA 3 S1C Nile Valley, iron, maritime trade	Egyptian religion and government	1.5 a 2.5 b 2.7 a,c	R 1.1,1.2,2.3 W 1.1,1.3,1.4,1.5,1.9

SEMESTER 2 STUDENT PRESENTATIONS (1 week)				W 1.8 S 1.3 – 1.9

* Standards for written and oral English conventions (Grammar, mechanics, format) will be addressed in all writing and speaking assignments.

Contents:

Overview