K-12 Curriculum and Instruction

Elementary Curriculum Overview

The elementary school experience provides a foundation for learning for all students. Our goal is that students will discover their individual passions along with a strong sense of self and purpose. Students will graduate equipped with the skills and qualities outlined in the Graduate Profile.

Kindergarten

Throughout Kindergarten, our students are challenged to develop academically, socially, and emotionally.

Art

English Language Arts

Health

Math

Media

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Apply reading skills to meet individual needs
Select and use appropriate technology for educational and personal goals
Analyze information in electronic and print media
Use a variety of productivity tools to communicate
Follow a systemic research process
Recognize ethical practice in a global society

Music

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Sing tunefully
Become familiar with some basic elements of music through participation
Recognize same and different
Listen, reflect, describe, and move to music
Improvise
Practice inner-hearing skills
Value and enjoy music
Develop audience skills

Physical Ed.

Science

Social Studies

First Grade

Throughout First Grade, our students are challenged to develop academically, socially and emotionally.

Art

While in Art, your student will be learning these standards in our classrooms:

Develop art skills using a variety of media such as drawing, painting, clay, printmaking, mixed media, or textile/fiberwork
Develop an awareness and appreciation of many artists and cultures from historical and aesthetic perspectives
Recognize and uses a variety of lines, shapes, textures, and colors in his/her own work
Recognize the primary and secondary colors and mixes colors to meet creative needs
Demonstrate the concept of space (empty, full) through their own artwork
Name and use geometric shapes

English Language Arts

Health

Math

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Demonstrate knowledge of numbers by ordering, reading, writing, comparing, and representing numbers
Demonstrate and explain strategies to solve real world problems and mathematical equations
Demonstrate understanding of money
Demonstrate understanding of time
Demonstrate number sense

Music

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Sing a variety of songs tunefully
Move and perform patterns within a steady beat
Echo/read/perform rhythm patterns using quarter and eighths notes and quarter rests
Sing and read so-la-mi patterns
Understand that music is written down
Improvise
Value and enjoy music
Demonstrate appropriate audience behavior

Media

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Apply reading skills to meet individual needs
Select and use appropriate technology for educational and personal goals
Analyze information in electronic and print media
Use a variety of productivity tools to communicate
Follow a systemic research process
Recognize ethical practice in a global society

Physical Ed.

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Know the benefits of physical activity
Contribute to a team effort
Play by the rules
Demonstrate locomotor movements: start, stop, walk, run, hop, jump, skip, gallop
Demonstrate manipulation skills: catch, throw, pass, shoot, striking
Move in various directions: forward, backward, sideways
Move at varying speeds: slow, fast, increasing,decreasing
Develop a positive self-image and attitude
Practice good sportsmanship in success and failure
Listen and follow directions

Science

Social Studies

Second Grade

Throughout Second Grade, our students are challenged to develop academically, socially, and emotionally.

Art

While in Art, your student will be learning these standards in our classrooms:

Develop art skills using a variety of media such as drawing, painting, clay, printmaking, mixed media, or textile/fiberwork
Develop an awareness and appreciation of many artists and cultures from historical and aesthetic perspectives
Distinguish between man-made and natural lines, shapes, and textures
Explore how a pattern is created by repetition of shapes
Explore light and dark colors and uses them in their own artwork
Recognize and use overlapping shapes to show depth in an art production

English Language Arts

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing these ability to:

Express and support their ideas through the writing process for a variety of purposes
Independently read and comprehend literature and informational text at grade level
Apply strategies to read with accuracy and expression at grade level.
Know and apply grade level phonics and word recognition skills

Health

Math

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Use flexible thinking to demonstrate numbers
Demonstrate and understand of the various representations of numbers
Apply and explain strategies and skill to solve real-world problems and mathematical equations
Accurately measure using various units and tools
Create and interpret data

Media

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Apply reading skills to meet individual needs
Select and use appropriate technology for educational and personal goals
Analyze information in electronic and print media
Use a variety of productivity tools to communicate
Follow a systemic research process
Recognize ethical practice in a global society

Music

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Sing a variety of songs tunefully
Read and notate music
Sing and read do-re-mi-so-la patterns
Echo/read/perform rhythm patterns using whole, half, quarter, eighth notes and rests
Improvise, create, perform, and listen to music
Begin part work
Value and appreciate music
Demonstrate appropriate audience behavior

Physical Ed.

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Know the benefits of physical activity
Contribute to a team effort
Play by the rules
Demonstrate locomotor movements: start, stop, walk, run, hop, jump, skip, gallop
Demonstrate manipulation skills: catch, throw, pass, shoot, striking
Move in various directions: forward, backward, sideways
Move at varying speeds: slow, fast, increasing,decreasing
Develop a positive self-image and attitude
Practice good sportsmanship in success and failure
Listen and follow directions

Science

Social Studies

Third Grade

Throughout Third Grade, our students are challenged to develop academically, socially, and emotionally.

Art

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning these about these topics and developing these ability to:

Develop an awareness and appreciation of many artists and cultures from historical and aesthetic perspectives
Express ideas in varied media such as painting, clay, printmaking, mixed media, drawing, and textile/fibers
Use lines to divide space and create shapes
Recognize warm and cool colors and uses them to express feelings in their own artwork
Identify similar shapes and uses them to unify a work of art
Express their own creative ideas in both two-and-three dimensional work
Add texture to artwork to make surfaces more interesting or realistic

English Language Arts

Health

Math

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning these about these topics and developing these ability to:

Solve real world problems using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
Display and interpret data using a variety of graphs and charts with different scales
Use tools to measure length, time, and money
Read, write, represent, compare, and order numbers up to 100,000 with an emphasis on place value and equality
Use flexible number strategies to add, subtract, multiply, and divide

Media

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning these about these topics and developing these ability to:

Apply reading skills to meet individual needs
Select and use appropriate technology for educational and personal goals
Analyze information in electronic and print media
Use a variety of productivity tools to communicate
Follow a systemic research process
Recognize ethical practice in a global society

Music

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning these about these topics and developing these ability to:

Sing a variety of songs tunefully
Read and notate music
Sing and read pentatonic scales and songs
Identify and perform rhythm patterns including sixteenth notes
Improvise rhythms, melodies, and accompaniments on classroom instruments
Create, perform, and listen to music
Value and appreciate music
Demonstrate appropriate audience behavior

Physical Ed.

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning these about these topics and developing these ability to:

Know the benefits of physical activity
Contribute to a team effort
Play by the rules
Demonstrate locomotor movements: start, stop, walk, run, hop, jump, skip, gallop
Demonstrate manipulation skills: catch, throw, pass, shoot, striking
Move in various directions: forward, backward, sideways
Move at varying speeds: slow, fast, increasing, decreasing
Develop a positive self-image and attitude
Practice good sportsmanship in success and failure
Listen and follow directions
Evaluate personal fitness levels

Science

Social Studies

Fourth Grade

Throughout Fourth Grade, our students are challenged to develop academically, socially, and emotionally.

Art

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning these about these topics and developing these ability to:

Develop an awareness and appreciation of many artists and cultures from historical and aesthetic perspectives
Demonstrate critical thinking skills when creating and discussing a variety of artistic works
Express ideas in varied media such as clay, painting, printmaking, drawing, mixed media, and textile/fibers
Recognize that repeating lines or texture adds variety and interest to a work of art uses line, color, and shape to show expression in their own work
Recognize that colors and shapes can attract attention Identifies and uses positive and negative space in a composition
Arrange their own artwork in a symmetrical or asymmetrical composition

English Language Arts

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning these about these topics and developing these ability to:

Clearly communicate their thinking through writing for a variety of purposes
Communicate their thinking and build on the thinking of others - speaking and listening
Identify, define, and apply new vocabulary
Evaluate and use information from a multitude of media sources
Read and comprehend literature and informational text

Health

Math

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning these about these topics and developing these ability to:

Work flexibly to show understanding of numbers
Determine and apply mathematical strategies in real-world situations
Organize, display, and interpret data appropriate to the purpose
Demonstrate understanding of fractions and decimals
Understand the meaning of area and determine the area of a rectangle

Media

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning these about these topics and developing these ability to:

Apply reading skills to meet individual needs
Select and use appropriate technology for educational and personal goals
Analyze information in electronic and print media
Use a variety of productivity tools to communicate
Follow a systemic research process
Recognize ethical practice in a global society

Music

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning these about these topics and developing these ability to:

Sing a variety of songs, including part work
Identify solfege (major diatonic scale = do-re-mi-fa-sola-ti-do)
Read, notate, and perform rhythms using syncopation
Identify the sound of various orchestral and world instruments
Play simple melodies and ostinati on classroom instruments
Improvise
Value and appreciate music
Demonstrate appropriate audience behavior

Physical Ed.

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning these about these topics and developing these ability to:

Recognize the benefits of physical activity
Contribute to a team effort
Identify rules, skills, strategies, and etiquette of activities
Move to open spaces
Demonstrate manipulation skills: catching, throwing, striking
Develop a positive self-image and attitude
Practice good sportsmanship in success and failure
Listen and follows directions
Evaluate personal fitness levels

Science

Social Studies

Fifth Grade

Throughout Fifth Grade, our students are challenged to develop academically, socially, and emotionally.

Art

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning these about these topics and developing these ability to:

Develop an awareness and appreciation of many artists and cultures from historical and aesthetic perspectives
Demonstrate critical thinking skills when creating and discussing a variety of artistic works
Express ideas in varied media such as painting, drawing, printmaking, mixed media, clay, and textile/fibers
Create depth in a composition by using shapes, space, and converging lines
Recognize and creates contrast using bright and dull, warm and cool, and light and dark colors
Use colors and repeated lines to create value

English Language Arts

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning these about these topics and developing these ability to:

Compose a well structured piece of writing
Comprehend a variety of literature and informational texts at grade level
Communicate ideas in a range of collaborative and individual methods
Use strategies to determine the meaning of unknown words or phrases in grade level text

Health

Math

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning these about these topics and developing these ability to:

Accurately display and analyze data
Multiply and divide multi-digit whole numbers and apply to real-world problems
Add and subtract fractions, decimals, and mixed numbers and apply to real-world problems
Solve problems with surface area and volume
Write and evaluate expressions and equations with and without a variable
Read, write, represent, and compare decimals and fractions

Media

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning these about these topics and developing these ability to:

Apply reading skills to meet individual needs
Select and use appropriate technology for educational and personal goals
Analyze information in electronic and print media
Use a variety of productivity tools to communicate
Follow a systemic research process
Recognize ethical practice in a global society

Music

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning these about these topics and developing these ability to:

Sing tunefully: individually, within a small group and two-part harmony
Read, sing, and notate a combination of rhythms and pitches with solfege syllables
Interpret music symbols in the performance of music
Listen, reflect, describe, and move to music
Appreciate and understand the music of world cultures
Improvise within a pentatonic scale - vocally and with classroom instruments
Begin minor scales
Value and appreciate music
Demonstrate appropriate audience behavior

Physical Ed.

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning these about these topics and developing these ability to:

Recognize the benefits of physical activity
Contribute to a team effort
Identify rules, skills, strategies, and etiquette of activities
Move to open spaces
Demonstrate manipulation skills: catching, throwing, striking
Develop a positive self-image and attitude
Practice good sportsmanship in success and failure
Listen and follows directions
Evaluate personal fitness levels

Science

Social Studies

Middle School Curriculum Overview

The middle school experience fosters students' academic, social and emotional development. Students are assigned to teams and receive instruction in the core areas of mathematics, language arts, social studies and science within their teams. Differentiated instruction and accelerated offerings allow students' needs to be met at individualized levels. Students will graduate equipped with the skills and qualities outlined in the Graduate Profile.

Sixth Grade

Art

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Develop an understanding of aesthetics and art criticism
Review and use the elements of art and the principles of design to produce works of art and demonstrates an understanding of composition
Experiences techniques in a variety of art media: drawing, painting, printmaking, mixed media, and sculpture
Solve visual problems
Communicate artistic intent
View art of different times and cultures
Create a portfolio to record their critiques of art works and to develop, revise, and evaluate their works
Be involved in creative endeavors which support the Minnesota Academic Standards in the Arts

English Language Arts

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Support ideas and arguments using evidence from multiple credible sources
Use technology tools to communicate effectively with others
Write complete, effective sentences.paragraphs, and essays for a variety of purposes
Analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone
Read a variety of genres (including types of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry)and identify the components that make each unique
Analyze literary elements and their contributions to the text
Prove central theme and main idea by providing support details from text

Energy and the Environment

Physical Ed.

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Follow safety procedures and rules during physical education
Understand and appreciate various abilities by showing respect for self and others as a spectator and/or participant
Recognize and value contributions of sound physical conditioning to performance and enjoyment of team sports and group activities
Experience activities that help maintain physical fitness in the health related areas including: cardiovascular endurance, strength, muscular endurance, flexibility
Perform basic swimming and survival skills in the pool
Participate in the following sports including: tennis, track, softball, aerobics, social dance, soccer, basketball, Ultimate Frisbee, speed-a-way, football, team handball, volleyball
Complete a fitness log tracking physical activity done outside of class

Math

Music

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Develop correct vocal and instrumental techniques
Understand melodic and harmonic singing
Know the elements of music
Use an instrument to experience performance, composition, and improvisation
Demonstrate proper concert etiquette
Demonstrate proper performance skills
Experience performance through band, orchestra, or chorus

Science

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Use past failures to revise and improve design and experimentation
Analyze data to accurately explain their findings in an experiment and show supporting evidence
Use the appropriate tool and measurements so they can accurately describe, represent, and analyze phenomena in the physical world
Create and interpret multiple types of graphs when provided an experimental process
Create a model representation to explain processes

Social Studies

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Interpret and use key features of a map
Compare and contrast different points of view
Analyze the cause and effect of a conflict
Demonstrate effective collaboration skills
Summarize main idea through clear and coherent writing on a topic
Use text features to support comprehension of informational text
Summarize the main idea of a topic

Seventh Grade

Art

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Develop an understanding of aesthetics and art criticism
Review and use the elements of art and the principles of design to produce works of art and demonstrates an understanding of composition
Experiences techniques in a variety of art media: drawing, painting, printmaking, mixed media, and sculpture
Solve visual problems
Communicate artistic intent
View art of different times and cultures
Create a portfolio to record their critiques of art works and to develop, revise, and evaluate their works
Be involved in creative endeavors which support the Minnesota Academic Standards in the Arts

Design and Modeling

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Be introduced to and use the design process to solve problems and understand the influence that creative and innovative design has on our lives. Students use industry standard 3D modeling software to create a virtual image of their designs and produce a portfolio to showcase their creative solutions

English Language Arts

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of poetic devices, as well as tone and mood, on a verse stanza of a poem or as section of a story/drama
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials
Produce clear and coherent writing using the writing process in which the development, organization, and style are relevant to task, purpose, and audience
Analyze a Fictional and Non-Fictional text
Predict, make inferences, and draw conclusions, citing examples of textual evidence
Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citations

Health

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Personal Health and Wellness: Demonstrates understanding of the dimensions of health and wellness, identifies factors that affect health, analyzes risks and consequences to health, describes and understands the decision-making model ( DECIDE), identifies personal attitudes, values and beliefs that affect decision-making, develops a personal action plan to demonstrate the SMART goal setting strategy
Mental Health: Identifies characteristics of mentally healthy people, understands how the following topics affect mental health and behavior: emotional needs, self-esteem, body image, personality types, stress and stress management, recognizes and copes with emotions in healthy ways Recognize and value contributions of sound physical conditioning to performance and enjoyment of team sports and group activities
Social Health: Identifies characteristics of healthy and unhealthy relationships ( family, peers, friends), demonstrates understanding of effective communication skills, identifies and demonstrates coping skills for conflict ( bullying and cyber-bullying)

Physical Ed.

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Follow safety procedures and rules during physical education
Understand and appreciate various abilities by showing respect to self and others as a spectator and/or participant
Recognize and value contributions of sound physical conditioning to performance and enjoyment of team sports and group activities
Experiences activities that help maintain physical fitness in the health related areas of: cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, strength and flexibility

Music

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning these about these topics and developing these ability to:

Identify various musical styles
Experience, evaluate, and assess music through the process of listening
Recognize and demonstrate specific musical performances by sight, sound and definition
Experience musical theatre
Experience performance through band, orchestra, or chorus

Science

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
Developing and using models
Planning and carrying out investigations
Analyzing and interpreting data
Using mathematics and computational thinking
Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
Engaging in argument from evidence
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

Social Studies

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Map Skills - Identify and use components of maps (TODALSS - Title, Orientation, Date, Author, Legend, Scale, and Source)
Cause and Effect - Analyze causes and effects of conflict, growth, and location
Communication - Be able to justify a position or point of view and develop a thesis statement (written or orally)
Citizenship - Understand rights, responsibilities, and duties of citizenship
Historical thinking - Explore events from different perspectives (compare and contrast historical events from different perspectives)

Communication Arts

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Interact with multiple technologies while developing writing, analysis, argument and communication skills. The goal of this class is to continue developing students who are critical thinkers, readers, writers, and communicators in order to prepare for life after middle school. The focus is on developing individual critical thinking and reading skills, enhancing each student's research and writing abilities, and preparing students for future endeavors in high school and beyond

Library Media

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Apply reading skills to meet individual needs
Select and use appropriate technology for educational and personal goals
Analyze information in electronic and print media
Use a variety of productivity tools to communicate
Follow a systematic research process
Recognize ethical practice in a global society

Math

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to comprehend:

Use mathematical properties and order of operations to understand and generate equivalent expressions with integers
Comprehend the concept of integers to compare and evaluate expressions
Use number sense to assess and analyze the reasonableness of consumer math situations (ie. discounts, tips, tax, unit pricing, and interest).
Solve real-world problems involving area and circumference of a circle and surface area and volume of cylinders
Demonstrate an understanding of proportional relationships
Statistics - Calculate, represent, and interpret data
Solve and represent real-world problems using algebraic equations

21st Century Tech. and Careers

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Create an electronic portfolio of career exploration
Achieve high standard speed and accuracy level in touch typing
Explore career interests and opportunities with MCIS Junior
Learn internet safety tips of the ethical use of computers and social networking

World Language

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Demonstrate knowledge about people, customs, and countries of the language
Demonstrate comprehension of written and oral material using familiar vocabulary, phrases, questions, statements and commands
Communicate orally and in writing using familiar vocabulary, phrases, questions, statements, and commands
Use acquired vocabulary and grammar to write a multi-sentence composition

Eighth Grade

Art

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Develop an understanding of aesthetics and art criticism
Review and uses elements of art and the principles of design to produce works of art and demonstrates an understanding of composition
Experiences techniques in a variety of art media: drawing, painting, printmaking, mixed media, and sculpture
Solve visual problems
Communicate artistic intent
View art of different times and cultures
Create a portfolio to record their critiques of art works and to develop, revise, and evaluate their works
Be involved in creative endeavors which support the Minnesota Academic Standards in the Arts

Automation and Robotics

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Trace the history, development, and influence of automation and robotics. They learn about mechanical systems, energy transfer, machine automation and computer control systems. Students use a robust robotics platform to design, build, and program a solution to solve an existing problem

English Language Arts

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Produce clear and coherent writing through the process of drafting, revising, and editing
Produce writing pieces for multiple purposes and audiences
Produce clear and coherent writing using the writing process in which the development, organization, and style are relevant to task, purpose, and audience
Identify and analyze credible sources
Read literature and/or informational text to determine the author's purpose and analyze the central idea or theme over the course of the text
Determine what the text says explicitly and make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text
Analyze how figurative language and literary devices contribute to the meaning of a text
Actively participate in collaborative discussions and/or presentations

Health

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Mental Health Illnesses: Identifies sign and symptoms of the following, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, eating disorders, and anxiety disorders
Identify warning signs of depression and prevention of suicide
Describe treatment options for mental illnesses and community resources for help and support
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs: understands the consequences of drugs and develops refusal skills in order to make healthy decisions, demonstrates comprehension of vocabulary, identifies the stages and types of addiction, describes consequences of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs on the body systems, identifies the categories of drugs and the effect on the Central Nervous System, analyzes the influences of peer pressure and media, identifies community resources for help with substance abuse
Human Growth and Development: Develop strategies to effectively communicate about sexuality, demonstrates understanding of the dimensions of sexuality including gender differences, stereotypes, and sexual orientation, identifies developmental changes during adolescence, identifies anatomy and physiology of male and female reproductive systems, develops personal boundaries for healthy dating relationships, understands and identifies reasons that abstinence is a healthy choice for teens, demonstrate comprehension of teen pregnancy prevention, understands the influence of society(family, peers and media) on sexuality and consequences of sexual activity, develops awareness and prevention of sexually transmitted infections ( including HIV/AIDS)

Physical Ed.

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Understand basic structure of the human body system( muscular, skeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory
Develop a fitness plan and incorporates goal setting into a lifetime fitness program
Follow safety procedures and rules during physical education
Understand and appreciate various abilities by showing respect for self and others as a spectator and/or participant

Math

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Write and solve equations and inequalities
Understand slope and its applications to linear equations
Represent linear relationships in multiple formats (e.g. verbal descriptions, tables, graphs, equations, written forms, etc.)
Understand systems of equations and apply them in various contexts

Music

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Identify various musical styles
Experience, evaluate, and assess music through the process of listening
Recognize and demonstrate specific musical performances by sight, sound and definition
Experience musical theatre
Experience performance through band, orchestra, or chorus

Science

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Use maps and imagery to interpret earth and space concepts.
When measuring, identify and apply scale and units
Apply a systematic and logical approach to problem solving.
Use models to interpret and evaluate earth and space phenomena
Organize, analyze, arrange, and interpret data into an appropriate visual representations
Apply mathematical concepts to scientific principles
Engaging in argument from evidence
Use evidence to support how human activities impacted earth systems over time

Social Studies

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Define and identify effects of globalization
Demonstrate comprehensive map reading skills using physical, political, and thematic maps
Describe and explain how physical and environmental features affect human populations and cultural characteristics
Demonstrate effective research skills through writing or a social studies focused topic for a variety of purposes and audiences
Identify characteristics of different government systems and analyze relationships between individuals, government, and society
Analyze the causes and effects of conflicts

Library Media

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Apply reading skills to meet individual needs
Select and use appropriate technology for educational and personal goals
Analyze information in electronic and print media
Use a variety of productivity tools to communicate
Follow a systematic research process
Recognize ethical practice in a global society

21st Century Tech. and Careers

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Creates an electronic portfolio using the following tools: Google, digital multimedia, computer ethics, career planning
Achieve higher standard speed and accuracy levels in touch typing
Plan career interests and opportunities: MCIS website activities and portfolio
Learn internet safety tips and the ethical use of computers, social networking

World Language

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Demonstrate knowledge about people, customs, and countries of the language
Demonstrate comprehension of written and oral material using familiar vocabulary, phrases, questions, statements and commands
Communicate orally and in writing using familiar vocabulary, phrases, questions, statements, and commands
Use acquired vocabulary and grammar to write a multi-sentence composition

High School Curriculum Overview

Rochester Public High Schools seeks to inspire students to find their individual passions along with a strong sense of self and purpose. All of our efforts will go into supporting students as they develop knowledge, skills and confidence to become capable and global citizens. Students graduate equipped with the skills and qualities outlined in the Graduate Profile.

For more information on the offered High School courses and programs, view the Course Registration Guide.

Ninth Grade

Math

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Solve and apply systems of linear equations and inequalities
Use the properties of exponents and radicals to simplify expressions
Factor, solve, and graph quadratic equations
Identify and apply functions (Function Notation [substitution], Domain, Range, Transformations, and Type - including absolute value)
Perform operations on polynomials (Add, Subtract, Multiply and Factor)Identify and use complex numbers

English Language Arts

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Analyze informational text
Correctly collect and cite information from a variety of sources using MLA
Analyze literary text
Write analytically, persuasively, and informationally
Write creatively with appropriate structures and purpose
Use Standard conventions to create clear and concise writing

Social Studies

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Chronological Reasoning: Analyze and explain how events of history affect each other
Historical Analysis: Analyze and evaluate multiple perspectives
Historical Connections: Compare and contrast historical context
Historical Argumentation: Create and defend a historical argument

Science

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Ask questions and defining problems
Plan and carry out investigations
Develop and use models
Analyze and interpret data
Use mathematics and computational thinking
Construct and design solutions
Engage in argument from evidence
Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information

Tenth Grade

Math

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Construct logical arguments verbally and in written form (using words and symbols)
Calculate measurements of geometric figures (area, volume, perimeter, circumference, and surface area)
Apply the properties of angle relationships to solve problems and justify results
Apply the properties of triangles, quadrilaterals, and circles to solve problems and justify results
Apply the properties of similar triangles (and proportions) to solve problems and justify results
Apply the properties of right triangles to solve problems

English Language Arts

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Demonstrate close reading of fiction and nonfiction by using fitting textual evidence to prove a claim
Write creatively with appropriate structure, purpose, tone, and conventions for various audiences
Write argumentative pieces with appropriate structure, purpose, tone, and conventions for various audiences
Use a writing process to develop and strengthen ideas
Develop and verbalize a cohesive argument that initiates, builds on, or poses questions to move discussion forward

Social Studies

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Historical Causation: Interpret and trace events to their cause(s)
Proper Use of Relevant Historical Evidence: Identify, describe, evaluate evidence, and cite about the past from various sources
Historical Interpretation: Describe, analyze, and evaluate different perspectives of the past
Drawing Inferences and Conclusions: Make decisions or form opinions based on relevant information
Evolution of Citizenship: Trace and define a citizen's role and rights in society
Interpret and determine the effect(s) of an event

Science

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Ask questions and defining problems
Plan and carry out investigations
Develop and use models
Analyze and interpret data
Use mathematics and computational thinking
Construct and design solutions
Engage in argument from evidence
Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information

Eleventh Grade

Math

English Language Arts

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Speaking and Listening: Actively participate in collaborative discussions and/or presentations
Write persuasively using a thesis-driven argument
Find, evaluate, and integrate relevant sources in student work
Identify, explain, and support with textual evidence an author's purpose in informational texts
Identify and analyze literary elements in fiction with supporting textual evidence

Social Studies

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Make inferences about the physical or human characteristics of places based on maps
Explain and analyze sustainability issues in a variety of geographic contexts
Understand how places have unique features and how regions have (a) unifying feature(s)
Explain how humans have created and imposed non-natural geographic elements onto the earth and the impacts of those elements
Analyze economic data to explain change in various markets
Demonstrate an understanding in comparing and contrasting real world economic situations
Understand and apply the economic decision making process
Identify cause and effect relationships in economic forces in society

Science

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Ask questions and defining problems
Plan and carry out investigations
Develop and use models
Analyze and interpret data
Use mathematics and computational thinking
Construct and design solutions
Engage in argument from evidence
Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information

Math

Social Studies

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

Demonstrate how the US Constitution establishes a system of government that has powers, responsibilities, and limits that have changed or are changing.
Demonstrate an understanding of civic responsibility (characteristics of good citizenship) and civic duty (obligations of citizenship) as well as ways individuals can influence the government
Access and analyze information in multiple formats
Use fact-based evidence from primary, secondary, and other credible sources, create an argument, deliberate, and reach a decision about an issue
Critically analyze ways in which the government (at various levels) operates and impacts daily life

Program Contacts:

Heather Willman
POSA Secondary Curriculum, Instructional Coaches, and PD
(507) 328-4311 | Email

Peter Dodds
POSA Elementary Curriculum, Instructional Coaches, and PD
(507) 328-4302| Email

District
Literacy Plan