Toward College Readiness: Essential Questions!

Curricula!!Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys (BCSB) provides an education that challenges the mind, nurtures the heart, and celebrates human dignity. BCSB’s curriculum emphasizes deep understanding of concepts and mastery of important skills. This is accomplished through an integrated curriculum in which students investigate essential questions. Units of study culminate in exhibitions and performances that demonstrate student learning. In addition, students design and implement service projects that apply learning and benefit the community. Our Curriculum Map outlines the introduction of concepts and skills over time and across subjects. Many skills and concepts overlap from classroom to classroom. The curricula as a whole is aligned with the Common Core State Standards in Math and ELA.!!Toward College Readiness: Essential Questions!!Essential questions allow any school to genuinely endear students, parents, faculty and administration to the outcomes we wish for our graduates. AT BCSB essential questions span across grade levels as essential targets to be answered each year. These questions are crafted to be clear and enduring conversation starters about what our students, know, how they grow and how they reflect on their learning over time. Each year will bring more complexity in content and connection across the curriculum but the essential questions will be consistent, asking each student to build on prior learning, incorporate new learning and ultimately internalize and understand that a BCSB education will provide them the chance to ask these questions for a lifetime. !!Toward College Readiness: Seminar !!Seminars are aimed at developing, exposing, and exploring meanings. A seminars purpose is an enlarged understanding of the ideas and issues prompted by a text, project or design challenge. Though seminar discussions may move into the deliberative “what should we do”, the purpose of a seminar discussion is to reveal the world with greater clarity, thus illuminating a path toward joint problem solving and action. At BCSB the seminar is an important link to our partnership with Bard College. Seminars progress in complexity each year supporting students in the development of key thinking skills for college. In the In the 9th grade, students are introduced to the Bard College Seminar format for which students are prepared and ready to excel in.!!!!!!!!!!!

Seminar by Class !!

!Seminar Examples !6th Grade!!A unique seminar experience developed in conjunction with Bard College that focuses on understanding the socratic process, practicing active listening, discussion, reading and writing skills. !!8th Grade!!In a text-based seminar, students examine an issue from an outside point of view by focusing on a specific article or excerpt from a book. This seminar helps build a culture of discourse in the school by creating a safe place for individuals to approach difficult issues. Participants read a short article or excerpt from a book that is related to teaching and learning and engage in a discussion about the text. The purpose of the discussion is not to persuade other students of a particular point of view but to clarify, build upon, and enhance understanding of the actual text. Text-based seminars give participants an opportunity to extract different meanings and ideas from a text and discuss important issues related to the text.

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Program 4th-6th Grade 7-8th Grade 9th Grade

Seminar by class. Active Listening and Questioning Seminars.!!In the 4th to 6th grade, students learn how to actively listen, develop essential questions and basic discussion etiquette. Seminars emphasize active listening skills, sharing ideas and use of evidence.

Text Based Seminars!Interdisciplinary Seminars!!In the 7th and 8th grade, students are introduced to interdisciplinary seminars where two or more teachers create an interdisciplinary learning experience by blending at least three subjects in each 4 to 6 week seminar.!!

Bard College Prep Seminar Series.!!In the 9th grade, students participate in semester long interdisciplinary seminar where two or more teachers create an interdisciplinary learning experience by blending at least three subjects in each seminar.

!9th Grade!!The interdisciplinary seminar (IS) is a cornerstone to the Bard early college experience. An IS involves drawing appropriately from multiple disciplines to redefine problems outside of normal knowledge boundaries to reach solutions based on a new understanding of complex situations. In the 9th grade year teachers from at least three subject disciplines co-design seminars that students can choose from out of a selection offered. Examples of seminars are far reaching and expect a level of sophistication and dedication similar to a freshman seminar at University. Students are engaged in close reading, extensive writing, and a design and project based learning process in each seminar. Example topics of seminars include Sports, Race and Politics; Race and Education; Wealth and Power; Social Justice and the Environment; Machines in Modern American Life; Global Warming and Maryland's Watershed. !!!Assessment!!How do we know what students Have learned?!BCSB emphasizes assessments in which students take an active role. Through assessment students gain the insight to understand themselves as learners. The components of assessment at BCSB include: exhibitions; portfolios; student-led, parent-teacher conferences; and narrative reports. These assessments support our students growth in state mandated standardized measures such as Northwest Evaluation Association Assessment (NWEA) and Maryland School Assessment (MSA) .!!Formative Seminars!From the 4th grade, students share learning of concepts and skills from units of study through active questioning and discussion. From socratic seminars that ask students to be prepared and use the knowledge they acquire to student led seminars that provide an outlet for discussing self and social concerns and solving real world problems, seminar is essential in building agency and binding knowledge acquisition to active and experiential learning.! !

exhibitions!Students share learning of concepts and skills from units of study through a variety of creative presentations.!

Portfolios!Students reflect on personal goals and collect work samples related to central academic concepts and skills.!

Student-led, Parent-teacher Conferences!Supported by parents and teachers, each student takes a central role in reflecting on his or her learning.!

Narrative reports!Teachers provide thorough feedback about each student’s social-emotional growth and academic learning in all subject areas.!

MSA, NWEA!!Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys will follow state-mandated guidelines in developing a curriculum that is standards-based and aligned to Maryland State Curriculum and Common Core National Standards. An assessment system that measures each student’s progress in reading and math will be implemented. The school’s ability to meet Maryland AYP goals will be measured by the Maryland School Assessment (MSA), until the PARCC assessment is broadly implemented.

In addition to measuring student progress by the MSA, each student will take four Northwest Evaluation Association Assessment (NWEA) benchmark assessments. The first administration of the NWEA assigns a score for each student along with a growth goal score for the school year. Progress towards the growth goal is measured by each subsequent administration of the NWEA. NWEA assessments are computerized and adaptive to each student’s knowledge base. Each benchmark assesses skills needed for a student to show progress towards their yearly goals in reading and math based on the student’s previous performance. Through administration of the MSA ( or PARCC assessment) and NWEA benchmark assessments, we will be able to measure each student’s progress in performance levels from grade to grade in addition to measuring each student’s growth over the course of a school year. Throughout the school year, formative and summative assessments will be administered and utilized as indicators of each student’s progress towards their yearly goals on the MSA and NWEA.

The creation of a comprehensive curriculum aligned to Maryland State Curriculum and Common Core National Standards along with a comprehensive assessment system will provide us with the data needed to develop individual learning opportunities and interventions for all students, gifted, on grade level and below grade level, in order to ensure their progress towards the school’s goals in reading and math. NCLB.

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Habits of mind!!Inquiry!To become curious, motivated, self-reflective learners who generate questions to deepen understanding!!Communication!To engage in constructive dialogue, value literature and language, and express oneself effectively through a variety of modalities!!!Collaboration!To know when and how to lead, follow, and work together as an active listener and meaningful contributor!

Ability to Apply Learning!To integrate and apply acquired knowledge in and out of the classroom!!Stewardship!To take care of people, take care of things, take care of the environment, and seek to make the community a better place for all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Curriculum Map Grades 4-9!!!

Subject Area/ Methods Essential Questions 4th Grade

English Language Arts

Our program helps students to develop: a love for reading and writing, the skills to construct meaning from text, and the confidence for public speaking and self-expression.

Instructional Methods

Project Based Learning

Seminar

Individualized Instruction

Program

Teachers College Reading and Writing Program

Reading!!• What do I enjoy about reading?!• What makes a good story,

poem, or argument? !• How can I analyze and use

words effectively? !• How can I read for main ideas?!!Writing!!• How can I use words to

express myself?!• How can I write a strong

paragraph, story, poem, lyric, or essay?!!

Oral Communication!!• How does it feel to share my

ideas?!• How can I be an effective

speaker and an active listener?

Reading: Practice fluency, accuracy, intonation, and expression; identify main ideas and supporting details; summarize plot, characterization, setting, and conflict; determine themes and genres; develop independence through the selection of level-appropriate, high-interest texts

Writing: Create multi-paragraph compositions with a topic sentence, supporting details, and opening and closing statements; create fictional pieces that include characters with developed traits and motives, setting, conflict, and a developed plot; focus on understanding and using the multi- step writing process

Oral Communication Create presentations that focus on clarity and projection, while staying on topic and making eye contact; respond appropriately to others; ask clarifying and analytical questions

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Subject Area Essential Questions 4th Grade

Math!

The Math curriculum emphasizes five essential aspects of mathematical thinking: number sense, operations, visual thinking, measurement, and application. In years 4-9 Students build upon their conceptual understanding of math while developing fluency with traditional computation, problem solving, and application.!

Instructional Methods!

Project Based Learning!

Robotics and Modular Origami!

Individualized Instruction !

Program!

Grade 1-6 Singapore Math®: Primary Mathematics Common Core Edition !

Number Sense!

• What patterns can I recognize?!

Operations!

• What are the different ways I can solve a problem?!

Visual Thinking!

• How can I represent quantities visually? How can I use geometry?!

Measurement!

• What is the most effective way to measure?!

• How do I measure distances, weights, and spaces? !

• How can measurement help me?!

Application!

• In what ways can I apply math concepts in the world around me?

Number Sense Count forward and backward by ones, twos, fives, tens, twenty-fives and hundreds to 10,000; use mental math; understand place values to 1,000,000, basic fractions, and decimals to hundredths!

Operations Compare and order numbers to 1,000,000; add and subtract four-digit numbers; use basic multiplication and division; know multiplication facts up to tens!

Visual Thinking Collect and organize data to create graphs; use graphs to answer questions; describe and compare shapes; recognize patterns and attributes!

Measurement Measure length, width and perimeter using standard and nonstandard units; exchange monetary values!

Application Students create and solve word problems and apply math learning to science projects. They continue demonstrating understanding of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, and percents, using multiple materials and written algorithms.!

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Science!

The Science Program helps students cultivate their natural tendency to experiment and observe, while supporting the development of analytical skills through inquiry. Students use their curiosity to explore both the physical and life sciences.!



Field Studies!


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How do I develop research questions?!

How and why do I practice different forms of data collection?!

How can I use data to help me recognize patterns and draw conclusions?!

How do I design experiments!

How do I select and use scientific tools?!

When and why do I incorporate controls and variables?!

Concepts Effect of consumption on the people and land in Baltimore; effective and improved food production for local consumption; watershed systems; hydrological cycle; garden ecology; plant anatomy and physiology; human anatomy and nutrition; scientific process!

Skills Form questions for experiments; design and conduct experiments; use tools to collect and analyze data; draw conclusions and make recommendations!

Field Studies Students use conclusions from scientific work relating to water and food issueson campus and make recommendations to the school community.Students may implement suggestions as service projects.!


Social Studies!

Social Studies program begins with a focus on individual identity and then expands outward to local communities,Baltimore, Maryland, the nation, the world, and yes, the cosmos. Teachers build upon emergent opportunities to encourage the collaborative study of individuals and groups within society.!



Seminar!

Field Studies!

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How can we understand people who are different from us? !

What is the relationship between people and their environments?!

How do we balance the needs of our community with those of the environment?!

How can cultures from various times and places inform the way we see the world?!

How does understanding history help us make decisions today?!

How should public policy balance individual freedom with group needs?!

Concepts History of Baltimore’s food production; land use; Maryland geography; immigration; civil rights!

Skills Ask questions; study cause and effect; create timelines; read and create maps; practice identifying current and historical perspectives and stakeholders; use concept webs; take notes for main ideas and details; summarize information; analyze different types of media; synthesize information in creative projects!

Field Studies Students visit Baltimore’s historical sites, and parks and greenspaces, water treatment facilities, and local farms. Students make decisions about how to improve resource use at BCSB and make presentations to the school and local community.!

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Seminar


Program










Reading Continue to develop a love of literature through independent reading; read with appropriate fluency, accuracy, intonation, and expression; comprehend main ideas, common words, and root words, while drawing inferences and making connections; summarize and criticize fiction for plot, characterization, setting, conflict, themes, and genres; share book critiques and recommendations

Writing Write essays with clear opening and closing statements, topic sentences, and supporting ideas and details; continue writing stories with plot, character, conflict and setting development; learn the basics of biography writing; write and edit with attention to content, organization, style, and mechanics

Oral Communication Create oral presentations with organized ideas and present with clear enunciation, poise, and eye contact; participate in discussions; respond to others; ask clarifying and analytical questions

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Math!






Program!


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Number Sense!


Operations!


Visual Thinking!


Measurement!




Application!


Number Sense Understand place values, decimals up to hundredths and some thousandths; find factors of numbers; represent equivalent names for decimals and fractions; use mental math in addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts up to twelves!

Operations Compare and order positive and negative numbers; add and subtract four-digit numbers; multiply by two-digit numbers and divide by one-digit numbers!

Visual Thinking Collect and organize data to create graphs; use graphs to answer questions; describe and compare shapes and lines; recognize patterns and angles; model geometric shapes!

Measurement Measure perimeter and area; calculate monetary values!

Application Students continue weekly exploration of math skills, game play, and word problems.!

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Science!




Field Studies!


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Concepts city and country habitats; adaptation and ecosystems; engineering; scientific method!

Skills Deepen practice of observation and use of written descriptions; practice with the scientific method (ask questions that can be answered by experimentation, use controls in experimental methods, carefully gather and analyze data, draw conclusions and ask further questions); use scientific tools, such as a triple-beam balance; practice representing data in tables, graphs, and maps!

Field Studies Studies focus city and country habitats. An annual camping trip to Vermont allows students to compare the Baltimore flora and fauna they observed with that of the forests of Vermont. Students also visit botanical gardens and the zoo.!


Social Studies!


!Instructional Methods!


Seminar!

Field Studies!

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Concepts Comparison of societies in Maryland’s history; human geography; civil rights and justice; African American history!

Skills Ask questions from the perspective of an historian; study cause and effect; create timelines; use maps; practice making societal comparisons using Venn diagrams; take notes for main ideas and details, write summaries, and synthesize ideas; explore biography writing!

Field Studies Students explore communities that developed in Baltimore. Their visits include investigations of landscape and community structure, and access to open space.!

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Seminar


Program










Reading Study elements of fiction, such as plot, characterization (traits and motives), theme, setting and mood, genre, and conflict, in multiple forms, including visual texts; analyze literary devices in prose and poetry, such as imagery, metaphor, simile, symbolism, hyperbole, and personification; study the characteristics of mythology; distinguish between first-, second-, and third-person narratives; practice identifying main ideas; focus on root words, prefixes, suffixes, synonyms, antonyms, common homonyms, and homophones!

Writing Master paragraph structure using relevant topic sentences, supported by details, examples, and a concluding sentence; practice multiple forms of written expression, including expository and persuasive essays that demonstrate awareness of audience and purpose; pose relevant and concise questions about a given topic and gather clear and accurate perspectives on the subject; create narratives that demonstrate an understanding of the elements of fiction; develop independence with the writing process; edit for content, organization, style, word choice, spelling, and mechanics!

Oral Communication Share textual analysis in literature circles; create presentations (short stories, Poetry Jam, and book reviews) with an awareness of audience, volume, rate, emphasis, articulation, organization, word choice, body position, and eye contact; respond to others; ask clarifying and analytical question


Math!






Program!


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Number Sense!


Operations!


Visual Thinking!


Measurement!




Application!


Number Sense Know place value, roots, exponents, factors; represent equivalent names for decimals, fractions, and percents!

Operations Add, subtract, multiply, and divide four- digit numbers, fractions, and decimals; calculate proportions!

Visual Thinking Collect and organize data to create graphs; use graphs to answer questions; describe and compare shapes and lines; recognize patterns and angles; model geometric shapes!

Measurement Measure perimeter and area of geometric shapes; use protractors and compasses!

Application Students create budgets for field trips; build and map scale models; collect data and create charts for physical education and other activities; solve word problems relating to content; use spreadsheets to organize, analyze,and manipulate data; use Scratch computer program to apply geometry concepts and use of variables; and use calculators to manipulate large data sets.!


Science!




Field Studies!


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Concepts Human impact on watersheds; the credibility of scientists and experiments; scientific method!

Skills Continue to practice detailed observation and construct written descriptions; use experimental methods; design experiments; present results; use chemical tests and indicators in experiments; represent data in tables, graphs, and maps!

Field Studies Students explore Baltimore watersheds and make detailed observations through water testing, monitoring water levels, and conducting insect and plant population surveys.!

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Social Studies!




Seminar!

Field Studies!

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Concepts Interpersonal and societal conflicts and conflict resolution; power and authority; land and power; colonialism; democracy; election processes; multiple perspectives; social change!

Skills Develop research questions; identify authorship, bias, and credibility; create concept webs; take notes for main ideas and details and write summaries; make timelines and maps; analyze tables and charts and use data; understand cause and effect; participate in the creation of simulations to understand historical or contemporary issues; listen to texts and make connections to ideas about the history of our society; examine societies through multiple lenses (e.g., government, religion, ethics, the arts)!

Field Studies Using the watershed as a model for understanding land-use issues in an urban environment, students explore watersheds and meet with city officials and representatives from community groups and conservation organizations. Students also meet with professionals in the community to discuss other current local, national, or global issues relating to their topic of study.

Subject Area Essential Questions 6-9th Grade

Classics | Latin!

Developed in the spirit of the Boston Latin School, The Classics program at BCSB situates young people in the ancient Greek and Roman tradition of human ideals. It uses the languages, literature, and art of that civilization to promote, in the present one, these virtues: to restrain one's impulse to self-interest, to live and treat others with dignity, and to participate responsibly in civic life. Through careful study of excellent thought, speech, and deed from that ancient world, our students will acquire ways to understand themselves as human beings, make sense of the present, and conceive of a worthwhile future..!



Seminar!

Field Studies!

Lecture!

Individualized Instruction!

Resources:!

The textbook will be Latin for Americans. First Book (8th ed., 1997), which may be supplemented with other materials.!

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Who am I?!

How does one balance self and social concerns?!

How do we make sense of the present?!

What is a worthwhile future?!

Concepts This course is an introduction to the world of the ancient Roman people and to the Latin language. Students will learn both to see Latin as an important part of that world, and to view that world through Latin.!

Skills Primary emphasis will be on the elements of the language: alphabet and pronunciation, parts of speech, word-formation, vocabulary (including English derivatives), and grammatical rules. Students will also begin to learn the geography of the ancient Roman world, an outline of Roman history, and important aspects of Roman private and public life. Essential skills development: memorization, attention to details of word-formation, preparation of daily work, and organization. Memorization of word-forms and vocabulary is essential at this level.!

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!Instructional Methods


Seminar


Program










Reading Maintain an emphasis on the joy of reading; practice analyzing the elements of fiction, such as plot (subplot and parallel episodes), characterization (traits and motives), theme, setting and mood, genre, and conflict, in multiple forms, including visual texts; analyze and use literary devices in prose and poetry, such as metaphor, simile, symbolism, dialect, and irony; focus on root words and study of thematic vocabulary; read historically and culturally significant works of literature, plays, poetry, newspapers, and magazines!

Writing Practice with expository and persuasive essays that demonstrate an awareness of audience and purpose, with supporting ideas that use relevant evidence, details, and statistics from research; create narratives that demonstrate an understanding of the elements of fiction; use figurative speech; become practiced and independent with the writing process; edit for content, organization, style, word choice, spelling, and mechanics; study poetry, journalism, and script writing!

Oral Communication Focus on understanding the characteristics of oral communication, delivering focused, coherent presentations that convey ideas relating to the background and interests of the audience; become aware of voice modulation, inflection, tempo, enunciation, and eye contact; practice asking probing questions to deepen one’s understanding, as well as elicit evidence from the speaker.!

!Subject Area Essential Questions 7-9th Grade

Math!






Program!

Grade 7-9 Singapore Math® Dimensions Math Common Core Series!

Note: It is an expectation that all BCSB 9th grade students are proficient in algebra.!

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Number Sense!


Operations!


Visual Thinking!


Measurement!




Application!


Introduction to Algebra This course provides students with a solid foundation for algebra and geometry. Students work to develop independence with: variables; expressions, equations, and functions; rational numbers; linear equations; proportional reasoning; graphing relations and functions; and linear inequalities.!

Algebra Students continue to practice concepts and skills in algebra. They begin to explore and develop independence with polynomials and quadratic functions.!

Algebra Continued and Introduction to Geometry Students review the concepts presented in algebra and are introduced to exponential functions, radical expressions, and basic trigonometric functions. They work with more independence.!

Students learn the following geometry concepts: points; lines; planes; angles; deductive reasoning, including proving theorems; parallel lines and planes; congruent triangles; quadrilaterals; and inequalities in geometry.!

Problem Solving Each section of Math uses problem solving to challenge students to apply their learning of each concept to real-world situations. Additionally, students take a weekly problem-solving class to provide other opportunities to use mathematics.!

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Science!




Robotics and Coding!

Field Studies!


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Concepts Human and comparative anatomy and physiology; physics; chemistry; geology; analysis of scientific methods; robotics!

Skills Use model building and experimentation to collect, observe, measure, and analyze data; construct simple machines and analyze the role of friction in the movement of objects; create endothermic and exothermic reactions; investigate changes in structure as ionic and covalent bonds!

Field Studies Students explore questions about geology and archeology during their spring trip. They design and perform experiments on campus using the student population as a study group for their experiments.!

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Social Studies!




Seminar!

Field Studies!

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Concepts Government policies and individual rights; effects of ancient civilizations on our ethics and the ethics of today’s societies; globalization and power!

Skills Develop research questions; identify authorship, bias, and credibility; use primary resources; create concept webs; learn two-column notetaking and summarizing skills; make timelines and maps; understand cause and effect; analyze tables and charts and use data; analyze different types of media; understand local and global issues; develop and implement a social-change action plan!

Field Studies Students connect global, national, and local issues through visiting project sites, as well as engaging with speakers from organizations in the area. Through their research, students formulate recommendations and take action on various social-change projects. Additionally, students participate in Model United Nations.!

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Classics | Latin!

Developed in the spirit of the Boston Latin School, The Classics program at BCSB situates young people in the ancient Greek and Roman tradition of human ideals. It uses the languages, literature, and art of that civilization to promote, in the present one, these virtues: to restrain one's impulse to self-interest, to live and treat others with dignity, and to participate responsibly in civic life. Through careful study of excellent thought, speech, and deed from that ancient world, our students will acquire ways to understand themselves as human beings, make sense of the present, and conceive of a worthwhile future..!



Seminar!

Field Studies!

Lecture!

Individualized Instruction!

Resources:!

The textbook will be Latin for Americans. First Book (8th ed., 1997), which may be supplemented with other materials.!

!!

Who am I?!

How does one balance self and social concerns?!

How do we make sense of the present?!

What is a worthwhile future?!

Concepts This course is an introduction to the world of the ancient Roman people and to the Latin language. Students will learn both to see Latin as an important part of that world, and to view that world through Latin.!

Skills Primary emphasis will be on the elements of the language: alphabet and pronunciation, parts of speech, word-formation, vocabulary (including English derivatives), and grammatical rules. Students will also begin to learn the geography of the ancient Roman world, an outline of Roman history, and important aspects of Roman private and public life. Essential skills development: memorization, attention to details of word-formation, preparation of daily work, and organization. Memorization of word-forms and vocabulary is essential at this level.!

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Documents

Toward College Readiness: Essential Questions!