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Program Overview School Year 2014-2015 Prepared by Program Coordinator Johanna Glazer jglazer@colonial.net Website: http://riversandrevolutions.wix.com/riversandrevolutions The contents of this document are as follows:

Student Learning Objectives Program description Overview of student work Assessment program Sample Community Stewardship Project descriptions

Student Learning Objectives Rivers and Revolutions aims to create a learning community in which Students will consider the holistic nature of knowledge as they synthesize their learning across discipline to explore a common set of ideas. In doing so, students will grow more adept at discovering connections and will learn how to ask better questions. Students will develop their capacity to work with others towards a shared goal as they find their own voice and become more capable at offering feedback to both peers and faculty. Students will begin to get a clearer sense of who they are as learners, so that they leave the program empowered to tackle the challenges both academic and nonacademic that inevitably lie ahead. Finally, we hope that students will leave with not only the tools, but also the will, to leverage their learning in the program in the service of other individuals and organizations; that in essence, they might leave the program better prepared to shape the world in which we live. Program description Rivers and Revolutions is an interdisciplinary, experiential program that offers students a coherent and rigorous academic experience. The curriculum provides students with the opportunity to consider the relationship among different ways of understanding and engaging the world, create connections between seemingly disparate things, and investigate links between the content and their own lives. The program is designed to work for all types of learners. Governed by an overarching thematic arc; the semester is divided into the following units of study: Rivers and Revolutions, Air and Fire, Love and Journey, Equilibrium. The program operates on a 1:1 classroom to field ratio; types of field activities include, but are not limited to: attending plays, performances, panel discussions, visiting museums, libraries, natural areas, National and State Parks, Conservation Lands, and other sites of salience. The primary disciplines of the program include: English, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, Arts and all students receive full credit in each of these disciplines.

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Overview of Student Work Each student is expected to:

1. Be a steward for the Rivers and Revolutions community on a daily basis. 2. Complete a Community Stewardship Project to serve the larger communities of which we are a part. 3. Submit 3 Unit Synthesis Assignments. 4. Work with a student teaching team to teach a full-day lesson at the midway point and a full-day

lesson at the end of the semester 5. Work with a student group to produce an interdisciplinary semester project

Stewardship: Daily Stewardship and Community Stewardship Project We will take seriously the notion that we are here as individuals not merely to advance our own learning, but also to support the learning of the wider communities of which we are a part. This includes the Rivers and Revolutions community itself, the CCHS community, and the communities in which we reside. We ask that students support the learning of our community through their daily participation, as well as through work at a stewardship site in the broader community. Community Stewardship Projects All members of the Rivers and Revolutions community will choose a formal stewardship at one of our partner organizations including deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Thoreau Elementary School, The Concord Land Conservation Trust, and the Concord River Institute. Each opportunity allows students to leverage their learning in the program in the service of an ongoing project that students will help to shape and execute. Descriptions of Community Stewardship Projects can be found at the Unit Synthesis Assignments At the conclusion of 3 of our units, students submit a project that reflects their understanding of the material. In short, we ask that students reference content from across all disciplines through the creation of a singular artifact that chronicles and synthesizes their learning in the unit. Students are then asked to write an essay in which they reflect on their investigation and connections so that the learning becomes relevant to their current life and future aspirations. The process encourages students to develop individual creativity and voice, and to build a clearer sense of who they are as learners. The projects are designed to help students consider the holistic nature of knowledge. Mid-way and Final Lessons Each student is a member of a teaching team that offers both a one-day lesson at the conclusion of the first quarter and a full-day lesson at the conclusion of the semester. These lessons allow students to lead the class on an interdisciplinary and experiential exploration that references collective course content and themes, incorporates field work, and works towards furthering the learning objectives of the program. Students are asked to think carefully not simply about the content they are presenting, but also the instructional tasks and activities they use to present their lessons. Sense of Place Project Each student works with a team of students to develop a deep understanding of a particular site in Concord through an interdisciplinary lens. Through this site students learn what it means to ask questions, to explore, to observe, to measure, to create and reflect and much more. As part of this project, students are responsible for:

a. Coming to an understanding of their site and what it tells us about them and the world. b. Sharing their site with the cohort through a variety of activities that they develop.

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c. Sharing their site with the larger community in the form of a multimedia field guide. Assessment Program At the conclusion of the third quarter, the Rivers faculty collectively calculate one letter grade for each student. This grade is based on the first Unit Synthesis Assignment, participation in the mid-way lesson planning, work on the Sense of Place project, a mid-way assessment of the students participation in the Community Stewardship Project, and a mid-way assessment of daily stewardship. This grade is applied to all five disciplines that comprise the program: English, Social Studies, Science, Mathematics, and Art. At the conclusion of the second quarter, the Rivers faculty calculate one letter grade for each student. This grade is based on the second and third synthesis projects, on the final lesson, the Sense of Place project, the students participation in the Community Stewardship Project, and daily stewardship. The final semester grade is a cumulative grade of the various pillars of the program.

USAs 30% Community Stewardship Project 15% Daily Stewardship 15% Midway and Final Lessons 30% Sense of Place Project 10%

It is critical to understand that the grading in Rivers and Revolutions follows a developmental model; that is, particular weight will be given to improvements in performance over the course of the semester. Sample Community Stewardship Project Descriptions Thoreau Elementary School: 3rd Grade Students will work with Mary Gallaghers third grade class to help connect the Thoreau community to the surrounding landscape. Students will plan interactive lessons to develop the third graders understanding of and appreciation for the Thoreau campus. In addition to activities such as journaling, drawing, and writing poetry, students will work collaboratively with the third graders to share their work through the development of signs for the Thoreau campus. This work will help current and future students come to a deeper understanding of and connection to the rich and layered landscape that is the Thoreau campus. For more information about Mrs. Gallaghers class, please visit: http://thoreau.colonial.net/Teachers/Gallagher/Home%20Page Thoreau Elementary School: 2nd Grade Students will work with Mehrnoosh Watsons second grade class to design and build a fairy garden for the classroom. The process of design will allow students to develop interactive, interdisciplinary lessons for the 2nd graders and will require work both in the classroom and around the Thoreau campus. As they develop the design for the garden, students will conduct research on science principles that would contribute to the sustainability of an indoor garden, the engineering necessary to build miniature buildings and bridges, and the diversity of fairy lore and literature. Together, the high school students and the second graders will examine the garden as a metaphor for the larger natural world and the role of the community in protection of the environment. The work on the fairy garden will provide a vehicle for learning around nature, literature, imagination, science, group process and ultimately the human condition that will hopefully help connecting the young children to the natural environment and guide them towards

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active daily relationship with it. For more information about Ms Watsons class, please visit: http://thoreau.colonial.net/Teachers/Watson/ The Concord River Institute Working with the founders of the Concord River Institute, students will have the opportunity to think carefully about ways to assist teachers and administrators from Concord and other districts in improving their practice. Upon gaining a firm theoretical basis of sound instruction and leadership, and leveraging skills and knowledge surrounding feedback and instruction learned in Rivers and Revolutions, students will help to develop training programs for teachers and administrators. At the conclusion of the semester, students will have the opportunity to facilitate a workshop of their own design. This work will help inform the model of teaching and learning that will occur when the Concord River Institute opens its doors to the public. The Concord River Institute aims to improve education within classrooms around the country for students of all backgrounds and abilities. For more information concerning the institute, please visit: www.concordri.org

DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park Rivers and Revolutions stewards will work with the deCordova Learning and Engagement department to develop an interactive portion of an educational exhibit for The Square gallery. Thinking through issues in museum studies and exhibition design, students will take inspiration from the deCordova main gallery exhibition, Walden, revisited, and investigate the legacy of Walden by Henry David Thoreau within the context of the American classroom. Focusing specifically on the prevalence of Thoreau cabin replicas found throughout the region, students will examine the various ways that schools, teachers, and classrooms continue to integrate the ideas set forth in Thoreaus iconic book. The stewardship program will involve off-site field trips, engagements with artists, educators, and curators, and will culminate in the installation of the exhibit in The Square in January 2015. For more information about the DeCordova Museum, please visit: http://www.decordova.org/

Rivers and Revolutions Online Publication Students will work to develop the concept of the Rivers and Revolutions Publication into a rich and meaningful online presence. The publication will take the form of a student produced website, blog, or online periodical and will provide a platform for sharing our work with the greater community. Students will work to understand the mission of last years publication The Look and adapt it to serve the needs of the Fifth Cohort. Students will work with previous and current Rivers students to showcase Rivers and Revolutions work of all genres and mediums. CCHS: From the Old to the New Students will work with Principal Mr. Badalament to document and support the school communitys transition to the new building. Students will work to develop community wide activities and ceremonies to mark the closing of the current building and the opening of the new space. Students will have opportunities to learn about features of the new building and the building process through interviews and tours of the building. Students will record the progress of the construction and provide information to the larger community through videos, a blog, or a newsletter. The work will give visibility to the new space and is an exciting opportunity to support the upcoming transition for students, faculty and the larger community.

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Interpretive Trail Work with the Concord Land Conservation Trust Students will work with CLCT staff and volunteers to design and build an interpretive trail on the Trusts Newbury Field property. This work will allow students to put their sense of place practice to use; they will explore Newbury Field (some of the most beautiful riparian and meadow landscapes in Concord), and they will then decide, in consultation with CLCT representatives, how best to convey the propertys rich history and contemporary significance to visitors. The work will involve investigation of the sites former house, and its ecological niche as a meadow habitat: important for many animals, including pollinators. Following this investigation, students will design and build interpretive materials. Possibilities include trail-side displays, quests, video tours - or something nobodys yet dreamed up. This is an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact on one of Concords great places. http://www.concordland.org/land.html