ms curriculum handbook 2018-2019 · curriculum handbook 2018-19 standards-based curriculum the...

CURRICULUMHANDBOOK2018-19

ELEMENTARYPRESCHOOL - GRADE 8

Curriculum Handbook 2018-19

Standards-Based Curriculum The curriculum at ASK is based on standards, statements that define what students should know and be able to do, for each subject area. These standards have been adopted or adapted from the U.S. and international agencies and provide clear and coherent learning targets and progression. Standards are divided into benchmarks, which describe the increasingly complex content and skills that students address as they move from one grade level to another. Standards and benchmarks help us focus on the process, as well as the product, and break learning into manageable steps that guide teachers and can be shared with students.

Development of Our Curriculum Curriculum development at ASK is a dynamic process involving collaboration, subject area standards, and data indicating student readiness for learning. This process is lead by an academic leadership team comprised of the head of school, principals and teacher leaders. Together they establish curriculum goals and action steps, including a calendar of professional development and activity for teachers.

Our curriculum goals are . . .

Curriculum Articulation & Documentation: In each subject area using prescribed frameworks, processes and meeting time twice a month, teachers identify power standards, integrate/align MASHT standards and assure vertical alignment through collaboration among divisions, resulting in curriculum documentation for each subject area file (hard and digital) to provide foundational curricular consistency and coherence school-wide. Analysis & Response to Data: Teachers, curriculum leaders, learning support staff and administrators collaborate in gathering and analysing data (MAP, MobyMax and common writing assessment) so that instructional choices may be selected to meet the needs of all learners, using guides and protocols to be archived (hard and digital) in the curriculum file, and, when appropriate, in unit plan reflections and individual learner files. Student Active Engagement & Access to Learning: Each teacher’s instructional plans will document a differentiation strategy and a collaborative language strategy, including a reflection on their impact on student learning, citing assessment data as evidence.

Organization of Our Curriculum The curriculum at ASK is organized around units or topics, lasting approximately a few weeks or month. For each unit, teachers develop Essential Questions from the core knowledge standards and benchmarks that help bring us into the heart of the learning and promote inquiry and intrigue. Throughout the unit, students are given opportunities to practice skills and show their knowledge in a variety of ways. An assessment task is not always a test, in the traditional sense. It can also be a project, a presentation, or a performance, depending on the standards we are working toward and assessing. Assessments are used at the beginning and throughout the unit to best inform instructional planning and resources.

Curriculum Integration At ASK Elementary some curricular areas are not exclusively taught as separate courses but integrated in other subject area units or in school practices. These are Character Education and Information Technology. Integration is achieved by co-planning and sometimes co-teaching among subject area teachers, the School Counselor and Information Technology Teacher.

Character Education

The Character Education at American School of Kosova supports our mission and vision by nurturing the whole child and by inspiring academic and personal growth and leadership through the development of qualities, understandings and skills for life. It is multidisciplinary and embedded throughout the curriculum.

ASK Student Qualities: These are behavior traits that ASK aims to foster in all students. They are the characteristics we want students to embody both opportunities and evidence in and out of school. Each disposition is intentionally taught to students and frequent feedback is given through conversations and the use of rubrics that illustrate the behaviors one needs to exhibit to successfully demonstrate the disposition. Inquirer Knowledgeable Thinkers Communicator Principled Open-minded Caring Risk-takers Balanced Reflective

Information Technology

IT courses in MS and integration in ES Gr 3-5 focus on Digital Organization, Literacy, Safety, Citizenship, Google Applications for Education, applied use of information technology in the context of other subject area units of study.

Subject Area Unit Calendars Preschool Program (2-3yr olds)

The multiage grouping has been designed to meet the needs of the whole child focusing on early learning skills and literacy readiness. This structure allows for greater differentiation in the development of young children. All instruction occurs first in English and then Albanian. The continuum of learning in preschool is based on the “I can statements below”. It is expected that students who are ready for kindergarten, will be able to meet these expectations:

I CAN . . .

● Say how I feel ● Be responsible and follow school routines ● Think before acting or speaking ● Show I care about my peers ● Show I am happy about how I and my peers may be different from each other ● Express myself through words, art, dance and song ● Make new friends and include them in my play and work ● Problem-solve with peers, asking for help if needed ● Be honest and helpful in my classroom ● Think and talk about my growth as a learner ● Choose what to play and do so independently ● Say what I am curious about and initiate exploration ● Show attention, effort and persistence in finishing work ● Show creativity in my ideas and work with materials ● Cooperate with peers in play and learning ● Show and talk about different ways to solve a problem or question ● Organize things and information ● Remember and use things I experience and learn

Kindergarten (4-5yr olds)

Kindergarten is an exciting time for learning. Students are actively engaged in activities and projects that help them learn about their world. We believe that Kindergarten students need to be active participants in their learning process and the teachers’ role is to guide students by encouraging them to explore their interests while also introducing them to new stimulating experiences. Our classrooms are designed to invite children to create, read, explore and learn. It is expected that students who are ready for 1st grade, will be able to meet these expectations: I CAN . . .

● Ask for help and tell someone how I am feeling ● Recognize, write and know the sounds of letters ● Read and write simple words and basic sentences ● Recognize, write numbers, showing concepts of how many, more and less ● Show my understanding of adding and subtracting with objects and solving equations ● Write a simple story through picture and words ● Express how I, plants and animals grow from small to big ● Observe and describe change as part of a life cycle ● Talk about how we are in some ways the same and different, and why this is good

English Language Arts Unit 1: Print Concept; Phonological Awareness (Rhyming) Unit 2: Phonics and Word Recognition (Site words) Unit 3: Phonics and Word Recognition (Site words); Conventions of Standard English Unit 4: Print Concept; Craft & Structure (types of texts) Unit 5: Print Concept; Key Ideas and Details Unit 6: Phonics and Word Recognition; Text Types and Purposes Unit 7: Fluency; Print Concept Unit 8: Fluency; Print Concept; Phonological Awareness

Mathematics Unit 1: Counting & Cardinality Unit 2: Counting & Cardinality; Geometry Unit 3: Counting & Cardinality; Classifying Data (Bar-graphing) Unit 4: Counting & Cardinality; Numbers & Operations in Base Ten Unit 5: Counting & Cardinality; Measurement & Data Unit 6: Counting & Cardinality; Numbers & Operations in Base Ten; Geometry

Science Unit 1: From Molecules to Organisms - Structures and Processes Unit 2: Four Seasons; Earth’s Systems Unit 3: Five Senses Unit 4: Earth’s Systems; Four Seasons Unit 5: Earth & Human Activity Unit 6: Earth Systems Unit 7: Earth’s Systems - Seasons; Earth & Human Activity Unit 8: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes Unit 9: Earth Systems

Social Studies Unit 1: Responsible Decision-making Unit 2: Self-awareness Unit 3: Social Awareness; Responsible Decision-making Unit 4: Social Awareness Unit 5: Self-Management Unit 6: Social Awareness; Relationship Skills: Unit 7: Social Awareness; Approaches to Play and Learning Standards Unit 8: Social Awareness; Self-Awareness; Conflict Management

Physical Education Unit 1: Classroom rules and procedures, safety Unit 2: Locomotor Skills, Health & Hygiene Unit 3: Locomotor Skills Unit 4: Goal Setting & Data (height, weight, long jump, high jump) Unit 5: Gymnastics Unit 6: Body Fitness Unit 7: Athletics, starting position 20m run Unit 8: Basketball Unit 9: Kicking and Receiving Unit 10: Water Games

Integrated Arts Unit 1: Recognizing upper + lower case letters through sing alongs and games Unit 2:Rhythm patterns/music geography Unit 3:Geometric shapes and color mixing Unit 4:Comparing artistic and cultural holidays / symmetry Unit 5: Animal habitats (song, and dramatic play) Unit 6:Analyzing characters personality traits through actions and movements Unit 7: Dr. Seuss month Unit 8: Citizenship of musicians Unit 9:Imagining musical stories Unit 10: Capturing sensory experiences

Albanian as First Language Unit 1: Tingujt/Shkronjat. Shkolla. Unit 2: Familja. Unit 3: Ngjyrat Unit 4: Ditët e javës. Unit 5: Muajt e vitit. Stinët. Unit 6: Numrat. Unit 7: Pjesët e trupit. Unit 8: Njeriu dhe natyra. Unit 9: Frutat dhe perimet. Unit 10: "Jam gati për klasën e parë".

Albanian as Second Language Unit 1: Tingujt/Shkronjat. Shkolla. Unit 2: Familja. Unit 3: Ngjyrat Unit 4: Ditët e javës. Unit 5: Muajt e vitit. Stinët. Unit 6: Numrat. Unit 7: Pjesët e trupit. Unit 8: Njeriu dhe natyra. Unit 9: Frutat dhe perimet. Unit 10: "Jam gati për klasën e parë".

Grade 1

English Language Arts Unit 1: Understanding the Alphabet: Building and Reading Words Unit 2: Creating Sentences Unit 3: Understanding Stories Unit 4: Understanding Non-Fiction Stories Unit 5: Understanding Fiction Stories Unit 6: Speaking and Listening: Discussing Texts Unit 7: Having Conversations Unit 8: Recap the Year

Mathematics Unit 1: What are Numbers? Unit 2: How to Use Numbers? Unit 3: It All Adds Up! Unit 4: Take It Away! Unit 5: Opposites Attract! Unit 6: Tens and Ones Unit 7: It's Hip to be SQUARE! Unit 8: Measure Up in Math! Unit 9: Represent Data Unit 10: Recap the Year

Science Unit 1: You, Inside and Out! Unit 2: Shh! I can't hear the vibrations! Unit 3: Passing Through? Unit 4: Mimicking Plants and Animals Unit 5: Staying Alive Unit 6: It's All in the Genes Unit 7: Third Rock from the Sun Unit 8: Modeling the Planets

Social Studies Unit 1: All about me and Life at school Unit 2: Blast from the Past! Unit 3: Connections and Conflict Unit 4: Where in the World? Unit 5: Culture! Unit 6: Social Groups Unit 7: How to be a Good Citizen Unit 8: Tech Check!



Albanian as First Language Unit 1: Alfabeti i gjuhës shqipe Unit 2: Kulturë e të folurit. Unit 3: Rrokja. Unit 4: Fjala. Unit 5: Paraqitja e shkronjave të dorës. Përralla. Unit 6: Nga fjala te fjalia. Unit 7: Fjalia dëftore dhe pyetëse. Unit 8: Emri. Unit 9:Aftësim shkrimi me shkrim të dorës. Unit 10: Përsëritje e temave.

Albanian as Second Language Unit 1: Alfabeti i gjuhës shqipe Unit 2: Kulturë e të folurit. Unit 3: Rrokja. Unit 4: Fjala. Unit 5: Paraqitja e shkronjave të dorës. Përralla. Unit 6: Nga fjala te fjalia. Unit 7: Fjalia dëftore dhe pyetëse. Unit 8: Emri. Unit 9:Aftësim shkrimi me shkrim të dorës. Unit 10: Përsëritje e temave.

Grade 2

English Language Arts Unit 1: Phonics Unit 2: Reading Comprehension Unit 3: Informational Text Unit 4: Reading Comprehension Unit 5: Fluency

Mathematics Unit 1: Even and Odd numbers Unit 2: Story (word) problems Unit 3: Numbers to 1000 with place value Unit 4: 3 digit addition and subtraction. Unit 5: Measuring length (cm and inches) Unit 6: Time Money Unit 7: Graphing Unit 8: Geometry Unit 9: Multiplication Basics Unit 10: Multiplication practice/basics

Science Unit 1: Matter and its Interactions Unit 2: Biological Evolution Unit 3: Earth’s place in the universe Unit 4: Earth’s system Unit 5: Ecosystems Unit 6: Engineering Designs

Social Studies Unit 1: Respect Communities Unit 2: Historical Thinking Skills Unit 3: Maps, Globes and the environment Unit 4: Government and Political system Unit 5: Economics



Albanian as First Language

Unit 1: Nga fjalët te fjalia. Unit 2: Llojet e fjalive. Unit 3: Teksti. Unit 4: Emri. Numri dhe gjinia e emrit. Unit 5: Mbiemri. Numërori. Unit 6: Folja. Unit 7: Kohët e foljes. Unit 8: Foljet/mbiemrat me kuptim të kundërt. Unit 9: Antonimet. Sinonimet. Unit 10: Përsëritje. “Të gjithë me pushime".

Albanian as Second Language Unit 1: Nga fjalët te fjalia. Unit 2: Llojet e fjalive. Unit 3: Teksti. Unit 4: Emri. Numri dhe gjinia e emrit. Unit 5: Mbiemri. Numërori. Unit 6: Folja. Unit 7: Kohët e foljes. Unit 8: Foljet/mbiemrat me kuptim të kundërt. Unit 9: Antonimet. Sinonimet. Unit 10: Përsëritje. “Të gjithë me pushime".

Grade 3

English Language Arts Unit 1: Education & The Court System Unit 2: Volunteers, Engineering & Sports Unit 3: Visual Arts; Traditions Unit 4: Performance Arts, Inventions Unit 5: Inventions, Agriculture, American Indian History Unit 6: People and Animals, Cooking Unit 7: Conservation, Fossils, Trees, Working Together Unit 8: Social Relationships, Climate Unit 9 : Pioneer Life, Animal Migration, Sending Messages Unit 10: Determination, Doing Your Best, Working Together, Magnets

Mathematics Unit 1: Addition and Subtraction Unit 2: Represent and Interpret Data Unit 3: Understand Multiplication Unit 4: Multiplication Facts and Strategies Unit 5: Understand Division Unit 6: Division Facts and Strategies Unit 7: Understand Fractions Unit 8: Compare Fractions Unit 9: Time, Length, Liquid Volume, and Mass Unit 10: Two-Dimensional Shapes

Science Unit 1: Life Science: Plants and How They Grow? How Animals Live? Unit 2: Life Science: Where Plants and Animals Live, Plants and Animals Live Together Unit 3: Earth Science: Water and Weather Unit 4: Earth Science: Rocks and Soil; Changes on Earth Unit 5: Earth Science: Natural Resources Unit 6: Physical Science: Matter and Its Properties Unit 7: Space and Technology: Patterns in the Sky Unit 8: The Solar System Unit 9: Space and Technology: Science in Our Lives

Social Studies Unit 1: Education & The Court System Unit 2: Volunteers, Engineering & Sports Unit 3: Visual Arts; Traditions Unit 4: Performance Arts, Inventions Unit 5: Inventions, Agriculture, American Indian History Unit 6: People and Animals, Cooking Unit 7: Conservation, Fossils, Trees, Working Together Unit 8: Social Relationships, Climate Unit 9 : Pioneer Life, Animal Migration, Sending Messages Unit 10: Determination, Doing Your Best, Working Together, Magnets


Arts Unit 1: Line Unit 2: Shape Unit 3:Colours Unit 4: Texture & Mural Art Unit 5: Portrait & Pattern Unit 6: Pattern Unit 7: Landscape & Depth perspective Unit 8: Symmetry & Abstract Art Unit 9: Color & Rhythm Assemblage Unit 10: Graphic Art

Albanian as First Language Unit 1: Llojet e fjalive Unit 2:Pjesët kryesore të fjalisë. Unit 3: Grupet e fjalëve në fjali. Unit 4: Drejtshkrimi i fjalëve. Unit 5: Pjesët e ligjëratës. Emri. Unit 6: Kategoritë gramatikore të emrit. Unit 7: Pjesët e ligjëratës; folja dhe zgjedhimet e saj. Unit 8: Kohët e foljes. Unit 9: Fjalëformimi. Unit 10: Shprehjet frazeologjike.

Albanian as Second Language Unit 1: Përshëndetje! Ngjyrat, Numrat. Unit 2: Unë, familja ime, trupi im. Unit 3: Shkolla ime. . Unit 4: Festat. Unit 5: Ushqimi. Pemët dhe perimet. Unit 6: Kafshët dhe insektet. Unit 7: Ditët e javës. Stinët e vitit Unit 8: Përralla dhe vjersha. Unit 9: Tingujt në gjuhën shqipe. Unit 10: Uji, Ajri dhe Toka

Information Technology Unit 1: Digital Citizenship, Safety and Ethics Unit 2: Computer Hardware Unit 3: Computer Basics, Keyboarding, Internet Navigation Unit 4: Word Processing Unit 5: Presentation tools Unit 6: Drawing and Graphics Unit 7: Spreadsheets Unit 8: Database Unit 9: Electronic reference Unit 10: Scratch

Grade 4

English Language Arts Unit 1: Interpreting Characters / Short Story Elements Unit 2: Novel Unit 3: Historical Fiction / Biography Unit 4: Realistic Fiction / Biography Unit 5: Poetry

Mathematics Unit 1: Basic Grade Level Math Skill Assessments Unit 2: Understand Whole Numbers and Operations Unit 3: Time, Data, and Graphing Unit 4: Multiplication and Division Facts Unit 5: Multiply By 1- and 2-Digit Numbers Unit 6: Divide By 1- and 2-Digit Divisors Unit 7: Geometry and Algebra Unit 8: Fractions and Probability Unit 9: Measurements and Decimals Unit 10: Perimeter, Area and Volume

Science Unit 1: Getting Ready For Science Unit 2: Life Science Unit 3: Earth Science Unit 4: Physical Science

Social Studies Unit 1: Ancient Civilization - Mesopotamia Unit 2: “Aztecs, Incas & Mayas'' Mayas Unit 3: “Aztecs, Incas & Mayas'' Aztec Unit 4: “Aztecs, Incas & Mayas'' Inca Unit 5: Geography Unit 6: Continents and Oceans


Arts Unit 1: Nature Inspires Art Unit 2: Shape Unit 3: Color Unit 4: Color & Texture Unit 5: Form Emphasis & Movement Unit 6: Rhythm Unit 7: Form Relief & Space Unit 8: Pattern, Symmetry & Unity Unit 9: Pattern, Balance and Variety Unit 10: Technology and handmade

Albanian as First Language Unit 1: Llojet e fjalive. Unit 2: Pjesët e ligjëratës. Unit 3: Lakimi i emrave. Unit 4: Pjesët e ligjëratës; mbiemrat. Unit 5: Foljet dhe zgjedhimi i tyre. Unit 6: Sinonimet dhe antonimet. Unit 7: Poezia. Unit 8: Gjymtyrët kryesore të fjalisë Unit 9: Gjymtyrët e dyta të fjalisë. Unit 10: Përsëritje e temave.



Grade 5

English Language Arts Mathematics Science

Unit 1: Elements of Story Unit 2: Inferences, Theme, summarizing, Point of View Unit 3: Compare/Contrast Fiction, Unit 4: References from Informational Texts, Main Idea Unit 5: Main Idea Review, Summarizing, Text Structure Informational Texts Unit 6: Informational Texts Relationships Print and Digital sources Unit 7: Reading: Integrating Information Unit 8: Reading: Poetry Comprehension Unit 9: Reading: Multimedia Stories, dramas, plays

Unit 1: Multiplication/Division Review Unit 2: Geometry Unit 3: Order of Operations Unit 4: Decimals Unit 5: Coordinate Grids Unit 6: Fractions: Unit 7: Math Properties Multi Step Word Problems

Unit 1: Engineering Design Unit 2: Gravity Unit 3: Matter Unit 4: Plant and Animal Unit 5: The Cosmos Unit 6: Earth’s Systems Unit 7: Human Impact on the Earth

Social Studies Unit 1: Humans and the Environment Unit 2: Explorations and Colonization Unit 3: Oppression and Resistance


Arts Unit 1: Line Unit 2: Shape Unit 3: Color schemes Unit 4: Patterns in paintings Unit 5: Surprising sculptures Unit 6: Narrative Art, Portrait Self-portrait Unit 7: Artist’s point of view Unit 8: Self-portraits Unit 9: Symmetrical composition Unit 10: Rhythm in sculpture

Albanian as First Language Unit 1: Llojet e fjalive. Unit 2: Pjesët e ligjëratës. Unit 3: Fjalëformimi. Unit 4: Lakimi i emrave. Unit 5: Tekstet letrare dhe jo letrare. Unit 6: Foljet dhe zgjedhimet e tyre. Unit 7: Kohët e foljeve. Lidhëzat. Unit 8: Gjymtyrët kryesore të fjalisë. Unit 9: Gjymtyrët e dyta te fjalisë.. Unit 10: Gjuha standarde dhe dialektet.



Grade 6

English Language Arts

Unit 1-Grammar mechanics Unit 2- Non-fiction Unit 3- Reading literature Unit 4- Language conventions Unit 5- Narrative and expository writing Unit 6- Viewing and representing

Mathematics Unit 1: Whole Numbers and patterns Unit 2: Equations and expressions Unit 3: Decimals Unit 4: Number theory and fractions Unit 5: Collecting and Displaying Data Unit 6: Proportional Relationships Unit 7: Measurement and Geometry: Area and Volume Unit 8: Integers, Graphs and Functions

Science Unit 1: Cells to Body Systems Unit 2: Classifying living things Unit 3: Plant growth and reproduction Unit 4: Animal growth and heredity Unit 5: Energy and ecosystems Unit 6: Ecosystems and changes Unit 7: Properties of matter Unit 8: Energy Unit 9: Electricity Unit 10: Forces and Motion

Social Studies Unit 1: Uncovering the Past Stone Ages and Early Cultures Unit 2: Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent Ancient Egypt Unit 3: Ancient Kush/ Ancient India Unit 4: Ancient China Hebrews and Judaism Unit 5: Greece Unit 6: Roman Republic Roman Empire Unit 7: Rome and Christianity Unit 8: Fall of Rome Unit 9: Early Americas Unit 10: Declaration of Independence & US Constitution

Physical Education Unit 1: Introduction to PE and physical assessment Unit 2: Elements of Basketball Unit 3: Gymnastics Unit 4: Football elements Unit 5: Athletics Unit 6: Frisbee elements Unit 7: Jumping rope techniques Unit 8: Ping Pong elements Unit 9: Volleyball basics Unit 10: Fitness assessment and comparison

Graphic Arts Unit 1: Story of Design Unit 2: The Art of Graphic Design Unit 3: The Design Process Unit 4: Typography Unit 5: Identity Design Unit 6: Publications Design Unit 7: Advertising Design Unit 8: Radio and Television Ads Web Ads Unit 9: Environmental and Information Design Unit 10: Digital Design

Albanian as First Language Unit 1: Komunikimi, llojet e fjalive, intonacioni, theksi, ritmi Unit 2: Klasat e fjalëve- emri Unit 3: Mbiemrat, Përbërësit e fjalisë së thjeshtë Unit 4: Përemrat, Kryefjala Unit 5: Ndajfolja, parafjala, poezia, tregimi Unit 6: Kryefjala, kallëzuesi, kundrinorët, lidhëzat, pasthirrmat Unit 7: Rrethanorët dhe llojet e tyre Unit 8: Foljet , Mënyrat e foljeve: dëftore dhe lidhore Unit 9: Fjalitë e përbëra Unit 10: Fjalitë e thjeshta dhe të përbëra

Albanian as Second Language Unit 1-2: Introduction and alphabet, In Prishtina. Unit 3-5: Friends and traveling, Nora in the Prizren Unit 6-8: Fruits and vegetables. Zana in grocery store. Skender’s hobby. Unit 9-10: In the picnic. Worried mother. Unit 11-12: At the restaurant. In the village: Unit 13-14: Meeting a friend, At the cinema: Unit 15-17: In the mountain, Returning back to England. Writing a letter to a friend. Unit 18-19: Visiting London for the first time. Weather is good today. Unit 20-22: A nice evening. At the British museum. Unit 23-24: Mother Teresa. Marku is coming back in Prishtina.

Integrated Computer Technology Unit 1: Word processing Unit 2: Spreadsheets Unit 3: Presentation tools Unit 4: Search engines Unit 5: Scratch

Drama Unit 1: Welcome to Drama Unit 2: Character Development Unit 3: Script Writing Unit 4: Famous Speeches Unit 5: Puppetry

French Unit 1: Bienvenue dans Adosphère - First contacts -greetings Unit 2: Module 1. Lucille - Introduction Unit 3: Module 2. Xavier - Likes and dislikes Unit 4: Module 3. Lise et Lea - Describe a person Unit 5: Module 4. Loîc - Speaking about sport

Grade 7

English Language Arts Unit 1- Grammar usage and mechanics Unit 2- Digital literacy (non-fiction) Unit 3- Descriptive and expressive writing Unit 4- Novel reading Unit 5- Language conventions Unit 6- Speaking & listening applications

Mathematics Unit 1: Algebraic Reasoning Unit 2: Integers and Rational Numbers Unit 3: Patterns and Functions Unit 4: Proportional Relationships Unit 5: Percents Unit 6: Geometry: Measurement Two-Three Dimensional Figures Unit 7: Collecting, Displaying and Analyzing Data Unit 8: Probability

Science Unit 1: Cells Unit 2: Heredity, Evolution, Classification Unit 3: Evolution of Living things Unit 4: History of Life on Earth Unit 5: Invertebrates / Fish Unit 6: Birds and Mammals Unit 7: Human Body Unit 8: Circulation / Respiration Unit 9: Digestive, Urinary, Nervous Unit 10: Bacteria and Viruses

Social Studies Unit 1: The Roman Empire Unit 2: The Fall of Rome and The Byzantine Empire Unit 3: Arabian Life and Its Impact Unit 4: Life in the Chinese Middle Ages Unit 5: Africa Unit 6: Medieval Japan Unit 7: Medieval Europe Unit 8: Balkan Countries / Europe Unit 9: The Scientific Revolution and The Enlightenment Unit 10: Meso-America and Andes Civilization



Albanian as First Language Unit 1: Intonacioni, theksi, ritmi, kompozitat, poezia, krahasimi, metafora Unit 2: Klasat e fjalëve- emri Unit 3: Fjalitë foljore dhe jo foljore, mbiemri, trajtat e shkurtëra të përemrave Unit 4: Analizë gramatikore e fjalisë, përemrat Unit 5: Ndajfolja, parafjala, poezia, tregimi Unit 6: Kryefjala, kallëzuesi, kundrinorët, lidhëzat, pasthirrmat Unit 7: Rrethanorët dhe llojet e tyre Unit 8: Foljet dhe mënyrat dëftore, lidhore, habitore, kushtore Unit 9: Fjalitë e përbëra Unit 10: Fjalitë me bashkërenditje dhe nënrenditje


Integrated Computer Technology Unit 1: Word processing Unit 2: Spreadsheets Unit 3: Presentation tools Unit 4: Drawing and Graphics Unit 5: Twinery

Drama Unit 1: Welcome to Drama Unit 2: Character Development Unit 3: Script Writing Unit 4: Famous Speeches Unit 5: Puppetry

French Unit 1: Bienvenue dans Adosphère - First contacts -greetings Unit 2: Module 1. Lucille - Introduction Unit 3: Module 2. Xavier - Likes and dislikes Unit 4: Module 3. Lise et Lea - Describe a person Unit 5: Module 4. Loîc - Speaking about sport

Grade 8

English Language Arts Unit 1- Grammar usage and mechanics Unit 2- Persuasive and compare/contrast writing Unit 3- Discovery through non-fiction Unit 4- Novel reading Unit 5- Character/setting/plot Unit 6- Literary devices and style

Mathematics Unit 1: Equations and Inequalities Unit 2: Integers and Exponents Unit 3: Rational and Real Numbers Unit 4: Collecting, Displaying and Analyzing Data Unit 5: Geometry: Perimeter, Area, and Volume Unit 6: Ratios and Percents Unit 7: Functions Unit 8: Probability

Science Unit 1: General Properties of Matter Unit 2: Physical and Chemical Changes Unit 3: Mixtures, Elements, and Compounds Unit 4: Atoms: Building Blocks of Matter Unit 5: Maps Unit 6: Ecosystems Unit 7: Rock and Fossil Record Unit 8: Plate Tectonics Unit 9: Oceans Unit 10: Space

Social Studies Unit 1: Early Exploration and Settlement English Colonies Unit 2: American Revolution Forming a Government Unit 3: Citizenship and the Constitution Launching the Nation Unit 4: The New Republic New National Identity Unit 5: Age of Jackson Expanding West Unit 6: North South Unit 7: New Movements in America Divided Nation Unit 8: Civil War Reconstruction Unit 9: Americans Move West Industrial Nation Unit 10: Spirit of Reform America Becomes a World Power



Albanian as First Language Unit 1: Tekstet e vjetra, dialektet, historia e gjuhës shqipe, poezi, ndërrimet fonetike të gjalla dhe historike Unit 2: Klasat e fjalëve- emri Unit 3: Fjalitë foljore dhe jo foljore, mbiemri, trajtat e shkurtëra të përemrave Unit 4: Analizë gramatikore e fjalisë, përemrat Unit 5: Ndajfolja, parafjala, poezia , tregimi Unit 6: Kryefjala, kallëzuesi, kundrinorët, lidhëzat, pasthirrmat Unit 7: Rrethanorët dhe llojet e tyre Unit 8: Foljet dhe mënyrat dëftore, lidhore, habitore, kushtore Unit 9: Fjalitë e përbëra Unit 10: Fjalitë me bashkërenditje dhe nënrenditje


Integrated Computer Technology Unit 1: Word processing Unit 2: Spreadsheets Unit 3: Presentation tools Unit 4: Drawing and Graphics Unit 5: Twinery

Drama Unit 1: Welcome to Drama

French Unit 1: Bienvenue dans Adosphère - First

Unit 2: Character Development Unit 3: Script Writing Unit 4: Famous Speeches Unit 5: Puppetry

contacts-greetings,introductions Unit 2: Module 1. Étienne - Speaking about their origins, their nationality Unit 3: Module 2. Manon - Describe their home, their room Unit 4: Module 3. Antoine - Speaking about their passion, hobby Unit 5: Module 4. Akiko - Speaking about food, shopping Unit 6: Bienvenue dans Adosphère - First contacts-greetings,introductions Unit 7: Module 1. Étienne - Speaking about their origins, their nationality Unit 8: Module 2. Manon - Describe their home, their room Unit 9: Module 3. Antoine - Speaking about their passion, hobby Unit 10: Module 4. Akiko - Speaking about food, shopping

ES Character Education Program & MS Advisory Program

ES Character Education Program Unit 1: Developing Habits for Success Unit 2: Be Proactive Unit 3: Begin with the End in Mind Unit 4: Put First Things First Unit 5: Think Win-Win Unit 6: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood Unit 7: Synergize Unit 8: Sharpen the Saw Unit 9: Review & Reflection on the 7 Habits

MS Advisory Program Unit 1: Creating a Team & Setting Goals Unit 2: Interpersonal Relationships Unit 3: Bullying & Problem Solving Strategies Unit 4: Inclusion, Diversity & Multiculturalism Unit 5: Cyber Safety & Digital Citizenship Unit 6: Well-Being: Dealing With Conflict Unit 7: Wrapping Up: Test Prep; Reflecting on Growth; Summer Planning Unmit 8: Study Skills & Organization (each Friday)

Language & Learning Support The American School of Kosova’s (ASK) English as a Second Language and Learning Support programs aim to foster student well-being and success by creating holistic learning programs that help students reach their academic, social, emotional and intellectual goals. By identifying and

understanding personal and academic difference in each of our students, we strive to meet individual needs and to ensure success in the core classroom environment.

The success of each student is a responsibility shared by the student, the school and the family, and each has a role in maintaining strategies and goals to contribute to that success. ESL and learning specialists support student success through collaborative planning and preparation, in-class differentiation and accommodations, push-in support, pull-out support, mentorship and guidance/counseling programs. We strive to keep students in the most inclusive setting possible at all times.

For students requiring ESL or learning support services, an individual record including history, interventions, accommodations, goals, and progress is maintained and regularly evaluated in order to ensure the best program for each student.

Support Program Descriptions

The ASK Support serves students with a variety of educational needs. The professional team is comprised of teachers specialized in the following areas:

● Learning Support (for students with diagnosed needs) ��

● Social, emotional or behavioral coaching ● English as a Second Language (ESL) �Services include pull-out and push-in instruction,

mainstreaming, in-class support

Specific criteria for entrance and exit from the service areas are used and strictly adhered to. Student Success Team (SST) meets regularly to discuss students referred and to plan support interventions.

Assessments & Use of Data In addition to formative and summative assessments designed by the classroom teacher to inform instruction and measure academic growth, ASK also uses common writing assessment for students and an external Measure of Academic Progress in Grades 1-8.

Measure of Academic Progress (MAP)

The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) provides products and services to measure and promote academic student growth and school improvement. One of these products is Measures of Academic Progress (MAP). MAP tests are standards-aligned computerized adaptive tests that accurately reflect the instructional level of each student and measure growth over time. MAP tests provide results that are used to:

• Identify the skills and concepts individual students have learned. • Diagnose instructional needs. � • Monitor academic growth over time. � • Make data-driven decisions at the classroom, school, and district levels. � • Place new students into appropriate instructional programs. The assessment itself is unique in that it adapts to the student's ability, accurately measuring what a child knows and needs to learn. In addition, MAP tests measure academic growth over time, independent of grade level or age. Most importantly, the results educators receive have practical application to teaching and learning. (NWEA website: www.nwea.org) �All students in Gr 1-11 sit for MAP testing twice a year. At ASK, teachers as well as students analyze data to set goals and measure progress throughout the year. Students in Grades 1-8 take the MAP test in the Fall and in the Spring.

Common Writing Assessment, 6+1 Writing Traits

Each year in the Fall and Spring, students in Grades 1-8 receive a visual image as a prompt for a writing task. Their writing is distributed among a team of teachers who rank the quality of writing in a variety of areas using the 6+1 Writing Traits rubrics. A grade is not assigned to the writing samples as our focus is on promoting and measuring growth.

The purpose of our common writing assessment is to assess writing skills at the start and end of the school year:

● to provide qualitative feedback to students about their writing without the pressure of grading

● to set teaching and learning goals for writing at the start of the school year to assure an appropriate level of challenge for each student throughout the school year

● to benchmark and measure the growth in writing for the academic year The rubrics used to assess the writing and give students feedback and instructional guidance are found in the appendix of this handbook.

About the Report Card At ASK, assessment and grading is aligned with standards in each subject area. Standards break down the knowledge, concepts and skills for each subject area into statements that help us understand more about a child’s progress and achievement. Our grading system does not evaluate/rank children against each other. It assesses their journey towards meeting end of year expectations.

PowerSchool gradebook can be viewed at any time by students and parents to keep informed on achievement and missing assignments. Login access is given to families at the start of the school year. A digital 7-week report is available via PowerSchool, and paper format report cards are issued at the end of each semester, in February and June.

What does our numeric grading scale mean? This reporting scale identifies how often a child is demonstrating the learning expectations. The focus of the assessment is to encourage each child to seek ways to demonstrate learning more consistently.

Achievement of Expectations ESL/ASL No Grade (sem. 1) receiving additional support of English/Albanian proficiency

Letter grade % Raw Score Explanation

A+ 97-100 Excellent; demonstrates required knowledge and skills.

A 93-96 Excellent; demonstrates required knowledge and skills.

A- 90-92 Excellent; demonstrates required knowledge and skills.

B+ 87-89 Very Good; demonstrates most of the required knowledge and skills.

B 83-86 Very Good; demonstrates most of the required knowledge and skills.

B- 80-82 Very Good; demonstrates most of the required knowledge and skills.

C+ 77-79 Average; demonstrates some of the required knowledge and skills.

C 73-76 Average; demonstrates some of the required knowledge and skills.

D+ 67.69 Demonstrates some of the required knowledge and skills in limited ways. Below standards.

D 63.66 Demonstrates some of the required knowledge and skills in limited ways. Below standards.

D- 60-62 Demonstrates some of the required knowledge and skills in limited ways. Below standards.

F 59 > Has not demonstrated the required knowledge and skills. Extensive remediation is required.

The reporting scale at the Nursery and Kindergarten 4/5 Levels is based on a letter system. Each child is assessed on the development of the required skills.

DEVELOPMENTAL SCALE

C = consistently and independently demonstrated

O= often demonstrated

S= sometimes demonstrated; emerging

R = rarely or never demonstrated, requires further development

Missing or incomplete work will be given a mark of No Grade (NG). Late work will be given feedback but a grade only if received by the extended deadline determined by the teacher. If at the end of a trimester, there is not sufficient assessment data giving evidence of student growth in relation to learning expectations, then the student will receive a No Grade (NG) for the trimester. This may result in make up work for the term or the entire course.

Participation Grades

In each class, students will be coached and given qualitative feedback on participation. The criteria will include attitude, time management and behavior. Participation rubrics used to assess, give feedback and provide guidance are found in the appendix of this handbook.

Standards Common Core English Standards Kindergarten ⅘ - Grade 8

To be achieved by the end of Grade 5 Standard 1: Reading: Literature Key Ideas and Details:

● Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

● Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

● Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).

Craft and Structure: ● Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative

language such as metaphors and similes. ● Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall

structure of a particular story, drama, or poem. ● Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: ● Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of

a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem). ● Compare and contrast stories in the same genre (e.g., mysteries and adventure stories) on

their approaches to similar themes and topics. Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:

● By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Standard 2: Reading: Informational Text Key Ideas and Details:

● Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

● Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.

● Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.

Craft and Structure: ● Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a

text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area . ● Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect,

problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts.

● Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: ● Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to

locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently. ● Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text,

identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s). ● Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about

the subject knowledgeably. Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:

● By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Standard 3: Reading: Foundational Skills Phonics and Word Recognition:

● Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. ● Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and

morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context.

Fluency: ● Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. ● Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding. ● Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on

successive readings. ● Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as

necessary. Standard 4: Writing Text Types and Purposes:

● Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

● Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which ideas are logically grouped to support the writer's purpose.

● Provide logically ordered reasons that are supported by facts and details. ● Link opinion and reasons using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., consequently, specifically ). ● Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented. ● Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information

clearly. ● Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related

information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

● Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.

● Link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., in contrast , especially ).

● Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. ● Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation

presented.

● Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

● Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.

● Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.

● Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage the sequence of events. ● Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events

precisely. ● Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

Production and Distribution of Writing:

● Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)

● With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 up to and including grade 5 here.)

● With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge:

● Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

● Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.

● Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

● Apply grade 5 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or a drama, drawing on specific details in the text [e.g., how characters interact]").

● Apply grade 5 Reading standards to informational texts (e.g., "Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point[s]"").

Range of Writing:

● Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Standard 5: Speaking and Listening Comprehension and Collaboration:

● Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts , building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

● Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.

● Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles. ● Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the

discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others. ● Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information and

knowledge gained from the discussions. ● Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and

formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. ● Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons

and evidence. Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas:

● Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.

● Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.

● Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation. (See grade 5 Language standards 1 and 3 here for specific expectations.)

Standard 6: Language Conventions of Standard English:

● Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

● Explain the function of conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections in general and their function in particular sentences.

● Form and use the perfect (e.g., I had walked; I have walked; I will have walked ) verb tenses. ● Use verb tense to convey various times, sequences, states, and conditions. ● Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense.* ● Use correlative conjunctions (e.g., either/or, neither/nor ). ● Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation,

and spelling when writing. ● Use punctuation to separate items in a series.* ● Use a comma to separate an introductory element from the rest of the sentence. ● Use a comma to set off the words yes and no (e.g., Yes, thank you), to set off a tag question

from the rest of the sentence (e.g., It's true, isn't it? ), and to indicate direct address (e.g., Is that you, Steve?).

● Use underlining, quotation marks, or italics to indicate titles of works. ● Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.

Knowledge of Language:

● Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

● Expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style. ● Compare and contrast the varieties of English (e.g., dialects, registers ) used in stories,

dramas, or poems. Vocabulary Acquisition and Use:

● Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

● Use context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

● Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., photograph, photosynthesis ).

● Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.

● Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

● Interpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context. ● Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs. ● Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homographs) to

better understand each of the words. ● Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words

and phrases, including those that signal contrast, addition, and other logical relationships (e.g., however, although, nevertheless, similarly, moreover, in addition ).

To be achieved by the end of Grade 8

Standard 1: Reading Standards for Literature

● Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

● Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

● Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

● Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

● Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style.

● Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.

● Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors.

● Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new.

● By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Standard 2: Reading Standards for Informational Text

● Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

● Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.

● Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events(e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).

● Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative,and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone,including analogies or allusions to other texts.

● Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing and refining a key concept.

● Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.

● Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.

● Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

● Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide conflicting information on the same topic and identify where the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.

● By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Standard 3: Writing

● Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. ● Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and

information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. ● Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective

technique,relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. ● Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are

appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.(Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)

● With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 8 on page 53.)

● Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

● Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.

● Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

● Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

● Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Standard 4: Speaking and Listening

● Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics,texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

● Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually,quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives(e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation.

● Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

● Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

● Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.

● Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 8 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 53 for specific expectations.)

Standard 5: Language

● Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

● Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

● Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

● Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

● Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

● Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Common Core Mathematics Standards Kindergarten ⅘ - Grade 8

to be achieved by the end of Grade 5

Standard 1: Operations and Algebraic Thinking Write and interpret numerical expressions.

● Use parentheses, brackets, or braces in numerical expressions, and evaluate expressions with these symbols.

● Write simple expressions that record calculations with numbers, and interpret numerical expressions without evaluating them. For example, express the calculation "add 8 and 7, then

multiply by 2" as 2 × (8 + 7). Recognize that 3 × (18932 + 921) is three times as large as 18932 + 921, without having to calculate the indicated sum or product .

Analyze patterns and relationships. ● Generate two numerical patterns using two given rules. Identify apparent relationships

between corresponding terms. Form ordered pairs consisting of corresponding terms from the two patterns, and graph the ordered pairs on a coordinate plane. For example, given the rule "Add 3" and the starting number 0, and given the rule "Add 6" and the starting number 0, generate terms in the resulting sequences, and observe that the terms in one sequence are twice the corresponding terms in the other sequence. Explain informally why this is so .

Standard 2: Number and Operations in Base 10 Understand the place value system.

● Recognize that in a multi-digit number, a digit in one place represents 10 times as much as it represents in the place to its right and 1/10 of what it represents in the place to its left.

● Explain patterns in the number of zeros of the product when multiplying a number by powers of 10, and explain patterns in the placement of the decimal point when a decimal is multiplied or divided by a power of 10. Use whole-number exponents to denote powers of 10.

● Read, write, and compare decimals to thousandths. ● Read and write decimals to thousandths using base-ten numerals, number names, and

expanded form, e.g., 347.392 = 3 × 100 + 4 × 10 + 7 × 1 + 3 × (1/10) + 9 × (1/100) + 2 × (1/1000). ● Compare two decimals to thousandths based on meanings of the digits in each place, using

>, =, and < symbols to record the results of comparisons. ● Use place value understanding to round decimals to any place.

Perform operations with multi-digit whole numbers and with decimals to hundredths. ● Fluently multiply multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm. ● Find whole-number quotients of whole numbers with up to four-digit dividends and

two-digit divisors, using strategies based on place value, the properties of operations, and/or the relationship between multiplication and division. Illustrate and explain the calculation by using equations, rectangular arrays, and/or area models.

● Add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals to hundredths, using concrete models or drawings and strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction; relate the strategy to a written method and explain the reasoning used.

Standard 3: Number and Operations--Fractions Use equivalent fractions as a strategy to add and subtract fractions.

● Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators (including mixed numbers) by replacing given fractions with equivalent fractions in such a way as to produce an equivalent sum or difference of fractions with like denominators. For example, 2/3 + 5/4 = 8/12 + 15/12 = 23/12. (In general, a/b + c/d = (ad + bc)/bd.)

● Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions referring to the same whole, including cases of unlike denominators, e.g., by using visual fraction models or equations to represent the problem. Use benchmark fractions and number sense of fractions to estimate mentally and assess the reasonableness of answers. For example, recognize an incorrect result 2/5 + 1/2 = 3/7, by observing that 3/7 < 1/2.

● Apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication and division. ● Interpret a fraction as division of the numerator by the denominator (a /b = a ÷ b). Solve

word problems involving division of whole numbers leading to answers in the form of fractions or mixed numbers, e.g., by using visual fraction models or equations to represent

the problem. For example, interpret 3/4 as the result of dividing 3 by 4, noting that 3/4 multiplied by 4 equals 3, and that when 3 wholes are shared equally among 4 people each person has a share of size 3/4. If 9 people want to share a 50-pound sack of rice equally by weight, how many pounds of rice should each person get? Between what two whole numbers does your answer lie?

● Apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication to multiply a fraction or whole number by a fraction.

● Interpret the product ( a /b) × q as a parts of a partition of q into b equal parts; equivalently, as the result of a sequence of operations a × q ÷ b. For example, use a visual fraction model to show (2/3) × 4 = 8/3, and create a story context for this equation. Do the same with (2/3) × (4/5) = 8/15. (In general, (a/b) × (c/d) = (ac)/(bd).

● Find the area of a rectangle with fractional side lengths by tiling it with unit squares of the appropriate unit fraction side lengths, and show that the area is the same as would be found by multiplying the side lengths. Multiply fractional side lengths to find areas of rectangles, and represent fraction products as rectangular areas.

● Interpret multiplication as scaling (resizing), by: ● Comparing the size of a product to the size of one factor on the basis of the size of the

other factor, without performing the indicated multiplication. ● Explaining why multiplying a given number by a fraction greater than 1 results in a product

greater than the given number (recognizing multiplication by whole numbers greater than 1 as a familiar case); explaining why multiplying a given number by a fraction less than 1 results in a product smaller than the given number; and relating the principle of fraction equivalence a/b = (n × a)/(n × b) to the effect of multiplying a/b by 1.

● Solve real world problems involving multiplication of fractions and mixed numbers, e.g., by using visual fraction models or equations to represent the problem.

● Apply and extend previous understandings of division to divide unit fractions by whole numbers and whole numbers by unit fractions.1

● Interpret division of a unit fraction by a non-zero whole number, and compute such quotients. For example, create a story context for (1/3) ÷ 4, and use a visual fraction model to show the quotient. Use the relationship between multiplication and division to explain that (1/3) ÷ 4 = 1/12 because (1/12) × 4 = 1/3.

● Interpret division of a whole number by a unit fraction, and compute such quotients. For example, create a story context for 4 ÷ (1/5), and use a visual fraction model to show the quotient. Use the relationship between multiplication and division to explain that 4 ÷ (1/5) = 20 because 20 × (1/5) = 4 .

● Solve real world problems involving division of unit fractions by non-zero whole numbers and division of whole numbers by unit fractions, e.g., by using visual fraction models and equations to represent the problem. For example, how much chocolate will each person get if 3 people share 1/2 lb of chocolate equally? How many 1/3-cup servings are in 2 cups of raisins?

● 1 Students able to multiply fractions in general can develop strategies to divide fractions in general, by reasoning about the relationship between multiplication and division. But division of a fraction by a fraction is not a requirement at this grade.

Standard 4: Measurement and Data Convert like measurement units within a given measurement system.

● Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system (e.g., convert 5 cm to 0.05 m), and use these conversions in solving multi-step, real world problems.

Represent and interpret data.

● Make a line plot to display a data set of measurements in fractions of a unit (1/2, 1/4, 1/8). Use operations on fractions for this grade to solve problems involving information presented in line plots. For example, given different measurements of liquid in identical beakers, find the amount of liquid each beaker would contain if the total amount in all the beakers were redistributed equally .

Geometric measurement: understand concepts of volume. ● Recognize volume as an attribute of solid figures and understand concepts of volume

measurement. ● A cube with side length 1 unit, called a "unit cube," is said to have "one cubic unit" of

volume, and can be used to measure volume. ● A solid figure which can be packed without gaps or overlaps using n unit cubes is said to

have a volume of n cubic units. ● Measure volumes by counting unit cubes, using cubic cm, cubic in, cubic ft, and improvised

units. ● Relate volume to the operations of multiplication and addition and solve real world and

mathematical problems involving volume. ● Find the volume of a right rectangular prism with whole-number side lengths by packing it

with unit cubes, and show that the volume is the same as would be found by multiplying the edge lengths, equivalently by multiplying the height by the area of the base. Represent threefold whole-number products as volumes, e.g., to represent the associative property of multiplication.

● Apply the formulas V = l × w × h and V = b × h for rectangular prisms to find volumes of right rectangular prisms with whole-number edge lengths in the context of solving real world and mathematical problems.

● Recognize volume as additive. Find volumes of solid figures composed of two non-overlapping right rectangular prisms by adding the volumes of the non-overlapping parts, applying this technique to solve real world problems.

Standard 5: Geometry Graph points on the coordinate plane to solve real-world and mathematical problems.

● Use a pair of perpendicular number lines, called axes, to define a coordinate system, with the intersection of the lines (the origin) arranged to coincide with the 0 on each line and a given point in the plane located by using an ordered pair of numbers, called its coordinates. Understand that the first number indicates how far to travel from the origin in the direction of one axis, and the second number indicates how far to travel in the direction of the second axis, with the convention that the names of the two axes and the coordinates correspond (e.g., x -axis and x -coordinate, y -axis and y-coordinate).

Represent real world and mathematical problems by graphing points in the first quadrant of the coordinate plane, and interpret coordinate values of points in the context of the situation.

● Classify two-dimensional figures into categories based on their properties. ● Understand that attributes belonging to a category of two-dimensional figures also belong

to all subcategories of that category. For example, all rectangles have four right angles and squares are rectangles, so all squares have four right angles.

● Classify two-dimensional figures in a hierarchy based on properties. to be achieved by the end of Grade 7 Standard 1: Ratios and Proportional Relationships

Compute unit rates associated with ratios of fractions, including ratios of lengths, areas and other quantities measured in like or different units. For example, if a person walks 1/2 mile in each 1/4 hour, compute the unit rate as the complex fraction 1/2/1/4 miles per hour, equivalently 2 miles per hour. Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities.

● Decide whether two quantities are in a proportional relationship, e.g., by testing for equivalent ratios in a table or graphing on a coordinate plane and observing whether the graph is a straight line through the origin.

● Identify the constant of proportionality (unit rate) in tables, graphs, equations, diagrams, and verbal descriptions of proportional relationships.

● Represent proportional relationships by equations. For example, if total cost t is proportional to the number n of items purchased at a constant price p, the relationship between the total cost and the number of items can be expressed as t = pn.

● Explain what a point (x, y) on the graph of a proportional relationship means in terms of the situation, with special attention to the points (0, 0) and (1, r) where r is the unit rate.

Use proportional relationships to solve multistep ratio and percent problems. Examples: simple interest, tax, markups and markdowns, gratuities and commissions, fees, percent increase and decrease, percent error. Standard 2: The Number System Apply and extend previous understandings of addition and subtraction to add and subtract rational numbers; represent addition and subtraction on a horizontal or vertical number line diagram.

● Describe situations in which opposite quantities combine to make 0. For example, a hydrogen atom has 0 charge because its two constituents are oppositely charged.

● Understand p + q as the number located a distance |q| from p, in the positive or negative direction depending on whether q is positive or negative. Show that a number and its opposite have a sum of 0 (are additive inverses). Interpret sums of rational numbers by describing real-world contexts.

● Understand subtraction of rational numbers as adding the additive inverse, p – q = p + (–q). Show that the distance between two rational numbers on the number line is the absolute value of their difference, and apply this principle in real-world contexts.

● Apply properties of operations as strategies to add and subtract rational numbers. ● Apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication and division and of fractions

to multiply and divide rational numbers. ● Understand that multiplication is extended from fractions to rational numbers by requiring

that operations continue to satisfy the properties of operations, particularly the distributive property, leading to products such as (–1)(–1) = 1 and the rules for multiplying signed numbers. Interpret products of rational numbers by describing real-world contexts.

● Understand that integers can be divided, provided that the divisor is not zero, and every quotient of integers (with non-zero divisor) is a rational number. If p and q are integers, then –(p /q) = (–p)/q = p/(–q). Interpret quotients of rational numbers by describing real world contexts.

● Apply properties of operations as strategies to multiply and divide rational numbers. ● Convert a rational number to a decimal using long division; know how the decimal form of

a rational number terminates in 0s or eventually repeats.

Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving the four operations with rational numbers. Standard 3: Expressions and Equations Apply properties of operations as strategies to add, subtract, factor, and expand linear expressions with rational coefficients. Understand that rewriting an expression in different forms in a problem context can shed light on the problem and how the quantities in it are related. For example, a + 0.05a = 1.05a means that “increase by 5%” is the same as “multiply by 1.05.” Solve multi-step real-life and mathematical problems posed with positive and negative rational numbers in any form (whole numbers, fractions, and decimals), using tools strategically. Apply properties of operations to calculate with numbers in any form; convert between forms as appropriate; and assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies. For example: If a woman making $25 an hour gets a 10% raise, she will make an additional 1/10 of her salary an hour, or $2.50, for a new salary of $27.50. If you want to place a towel bar 9 3/4 inches long in the center of a door that is 27 1/2 inches wide, you will need to place the bar about 9 inches from each edge; this estimate can be used as a check on the exact computation. Use variables to represent quantities in a real-world or mathematical problem, and construct simple equations and inequalities to solve problems by reasoning about the quantities.

● Solve word problems leading to equations of the form px + q = r and p(x + q) = r, where p, q, and r are specific rational numbers. Solve equations of these forms fluently. Compare an algebraic solution to an arithmetic solution, identifying the sequence of the operations used in each approach. For example, the perimeter of a rectangle is 54 cm. Its length is 6 cm. What is its width?

● Solve word problems leading to inequalities of the form px + q > r or px + q < r, where p, q, and r are specific rational numbers. Graph the solution set of the inequality and interpret it in the context of the problem. For example: As a salesperson, you are paid $50 per week plus $3 per sale. This week you want your pay to be at least $100.Write an inequality for the number of sales you need to make, and describe the solutions.

Standard 4: Geometry Solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric figures, including computing actual lengths and areas from a scale drawing and reproducing a scale drawing at a different scale. Draw (freehand, with ruler and protractor, and with technology) geometric shapes with given conditions. Focus on constructing triangles from three measures of angles or sides, noticing when the conditions determine a unique triangle, more than one triangle, or no triangle. Describe the two-dimensional figures that result from slicing three dimensional figures, as in plane sections of right rectangular prisms and right rectangular pyramids. Know the formulas for the area and circumference of a circle and use them to solve problems; give an informal derivation of the relationship between the circumference and area of a circle.

Use facts about supplementary, complementary, vertical, and adjacent angles in a multi-step problem to write and solve simple equations for an unknown angle in a figure. Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving area, volume and surface area of two- and three-dimensional objects composed of triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, cubes, and right prisms. Standard 5: Statistics and Probability Understand that statistics can be used to gain information about a population by examining a sample of the population; generalizations about a population from a sample are valid only if the sample is representative of that population. Understand that random sampling tends to produce representative samples and support valid inferences. Use data from a random sample to draw inferences about a population with an unknown characteristic of interest. Generate multiple samples (or simulated samples) of the same size to gauge the variation in estimates or predictions. For example, estimate the mean word length in a book by randomly sampling words from the book; predict the winner of a school election based on randomly sampled survey data. Gauge how far off the estimate or prediction might be. Informally assess the degree of visual overlap of two numerical data distributions with similar variabilities, measuring the difference between the centers by expressing it as a multiple of a measure of variability. For example, the mean height of players on the basketball team is 10 cm greater than the mean height of players on the soccer team, about twice the variability (mean absolute deviation) on either team; on a dot plot, the separation between the two distributions of heights is noticeable. Use measures of center and measures of variability for numerical data from random samples to draw informal comparative inferences about two populations. For example, decide whether the words in a chapter of a seventh-grade science book are generally longer than the words in a chapter of a fourth-grade science book. Understand that the probability of a chance event is a number between 0 and 1 that expresses the likelihood of the event occurring. Larger numbers indicate greater likelihood. A probability near 0 indicates an unlikely event, a probability around 1/2 indicates an event that is neither unlikely nor likely, and a probability near 1 indicates a likely event. Grade 8 PreAlgebra Course Standards

Standard 1: The Number System Know that numbers that are not rational are called irrational. Understand informally that every number has a decimal expansion; for rational numbers show that the decimal expansion repeats eventually, and convert a decimal expansion which repeats eventually into a rational number. Use rational approximations of irrational numbers to compare the size of irrational numbers, locate them approximately on a number line diagram, and estimate the value of expressions (e.g., π2). For example, by truncating the decimal expansion of √2, show that √2 is between 1 and 2, then between 1.4 and 1.5, and explain how to continue on to get better approximations.

Standard 2: Expressions and Equations Know and apply the properties of integer exponents to generate equivalent numerical expressions. For example, 32 × 3–5 = 3–3 = 1/33 = 1/27. Use square root and cube root symbols to represent solutions to equations of the form x 2 = p and x 3 = p, where p is a positive rational number. Evaluate square roots of small perfect sq. Use numbers expressed in the form of a single digit times an integer power of 10 to estimate very large or very small quantities, and to express how many times as much one is than the other. For example, estimate the population of the United States as 3 × 108 and the population of the world as 7 × 109, and determine that the world population is more than 20 times larger. Perform operations with numbers expressed in scientific notation, including problems where both decimal and scientific notation are used. Use scientific notation and choose units of appropriate size for measurements of very large or very small quantities (e.g., use millimeters per year for seafloor spreading). Interpret scientific notation that has been generated by technology. Graph proportional relationships, interpreting the unit rate as the slope of the graph. Compare two different proportional relationships represented in different ways. For example, compare a distance-time graph to a distance-time equation to determine which of two moving objects has greater speed. Use similar triangles to explain why the slope m is the same between any two distinct points on a non-vertical line in the coordinate plane; derive the equation y = mx for a line through the origin and the equation y = mx + b for a line intercepting the vertical axis at b . Solve linear equations in one variable.

● Give examples of linear equations in one variable with one solution, infinitely many solutions, or no solutions. Show which of these possibilities is the case by successively transforming the given equation into simpler forms, until an equivalent equation of the form x = a, a = a, or a = b results (where a and b are different numbers)

● Solve linear equations with rational number coefficients, including equations whose solutions require expanding expressions using the distributive property and collecting like terms.

● Analyze and solve pairs of simultaneous linear equations ● Analyze and solve pairs of simultaneous linear equations. Understand that solutions to a

system of two linear equations in two variables correspond to points of intersection of their graphs, because points of intersection satisfy both equations simultaneously.

● Solve systems of two linear equations in two variables algebraically, and estimate solutions by graphing the equations. Solve simple cases by inspection. For example, 3x + 2y = 5 and 3x +2y = 6 have no solution because 3x + 2y cannot simultaneously be 5 and 6.

● Solve real-world and mathematical problems leading to two linear equations in two variables. For example, given coordinates for two pairs of points, determine whether the line through the first pair of points intersects the line through the second pair.

Standard 3: Functions Understand that a function is a rule that assigns to each input exactly one output. The graph of a function is the set of ordered pairs consisting of an input and the corresponding output.

Compare properties of two functions each represented in a different way (algebraically, graphically, numerically in tables, or by verbal descriptions). For example, given a linear function represented by a table of values and a linear function represented by an algebraic expression, determine which function has the greater rate of change. Interpret the equation y = mx + b as defining a linear function, whose graph is a straight line; give examples of functions that are not linear. For example, the function A = s2 giving the area of a square as a function of its side length is not linear because its graph contains the points (1,1), (2,4) and (3,9), which are not on a straight line. Construct a function to model a linear relationship between two quantities. Determine the rate of change and initial value of the function from a description of a relationship or from two (x, y) values, including reading these from a table or from a graph. Interpret the rate of change and initial value of a linear function in terms of the situation it models, and in terms of its graph or a table of values. Describe qualitatively the functional relationship between two quantities by analyzing a graph (e.g., where the function is increasing or decreasing, linear or nonlinear). Sketch a graph that exhibits the qualitative features of a function that has been described verbally. Standard 4: Geometry Verify experimentally the properties of rotations, reflections, and translations.

● Lines are taken to lines, and line segments to line segments of the same length. ● Angles are taken to angles of the same measure. ● Parallel lines are taken to parallel lines.

Understand that a two-dimensional figure is congruent to another if the second can be obtained from the first by a sequence of rotations, reflections, and translations; given two congruent figures, describe a sequence that exhibits the congruence between them. Describe the effect of dilations, translations, rotations, and reflections on two-dimensional figures using coordinates. Understand that a two-dimensional figure is similar to another if the second can be obtained from the first by a sequence of rotations, reflections, translations, and dilations; given two similar two dimensional figures, describe a sequence that exhibits the similarity between them. Use informal arguments to establish facts about the angle sum and exterior angle of triangles, about the angles created when parallel lines are cut by a transversal, and the angle-angle criterion for similarity of triangles. For example, arrange three copies of the same triangle so that the sum of the three angles appears to form a line, and give an argument in terms of transversals why this is so. Explain a proof of the Pythagorean Theorem and its converse. Apply the Pythagorean Theorem to determine unknown side lengths in right triangles in real-world and mathematical problems in two and three dimensions. Apply the Pythagorean Theorem to find the distance between two points in a coordinate system.

Know the formulas for the volumes of cones, cylinders, and spheres and use them to solve real-world and mathematical problems. Standard 5: Statistics and Probability Construct and interpret scatter plots for bivariate measurement data to investigate patterns of association between two quantities. Describe patterns such as clustering, outliers, positive or negative association, linear association, and nonlinear association. Know that straight lines are widely used to model relationships between two quantitative variables. For scatter plots that suggest a linear association, informally fit a straight line, and informally assess the model fit by judging the closeness of the data points to the line. Use the equation of a linear model to solve problems in the context of bivariate measurement data, interpreting the slope and intercept. For example, in a linear model for a biology experiment, interpret a slope of 1.5 cm/hr as meaning that an additional hour of sunlight each day is associated with an additional 1.5 cm in mature plant height. Understand that patterns of association can also be seen in bivariate categorical data by displaying frequencies and relative frequencies in a two-way table. Construct and interpret a two-way table summarizing data on two categorical variables collected from the same subjects. Use relative frequencies calculated for rows or columns to describe possible association between the two variables. For example, collect data from students in your class on whether or not they have a curfew on school nights and whether or not they have assigned chores at home. Is there evidence that those who have a curfew also tend to have chores?

Next Generation Science Standards Kindergarten ⅘ - Grade 8

Science and Engineering Practices Practice 1. Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering) Asking questions and defining problems in 6–8 builds on K–5 experiences and progresses to specifying relationships between variables, and clarifying arguments and models.

● Ask questions that arise from careful observation of phenomena, models, or unexpected results, to clarify and/or seek additional information.

● Ask questions to identify and/or clarify evidence and/or the premise(s) of an argument. ● Ask questions to determine relationships between independent and dependent variables

and relationships in models. ● Ask questions to clarify and/or refine a model, an explanation, or an engineering problem. ● Ask questions that require sufficient and appropriate empirical evidence to answer. ● Ask questions that can be investigated within the scope of the classroom, outdoor

environment, and museums and other public facilities with available resources and, when appropriate, frame a hypothesis based on observations and scientific principles.

● Ask questions that challenge the premise(s) of an argument or the interpretation of a data set.

Define a design problem that can be solved through the development of an object, tool, process or system and includes multiple criteria and constraints, including scientific knowledge that may limit possible solutions. Practice 2. Developing and using models Modeling in 6–8 builds on K–5 experiences and progresses to developing, using, and revising models to describe, test, and predict more abstract phenomena and design systems.

● Evaluate limitations of a model for a proposed object or tool. ● Develop or modify a model—based on evidence – to match what happens if a variable or

component of a system is changed. ● Use and/or develop a model of simple systems with uncertain and less predictable factors. ● Develop and/or revise a model to show the relationships among variables, including those

that are not observable but predict observable phenomena. ● Develop and/or use a model to predict and/or describe phenomena. ● Develop a model to describe unobservable mechanisms. ● Develop and/or use a model to generate data to test ideas about phenomena in natural or

designed systems, including those representing inputs and outputs, and those at unobservable scales.

Practice 3. Planning and carrying out investigations Planning and carrying out investigations in 6-8 builds on K-5 experiences and progresses to include investigations that use multiple variables and provide evidence to support explanations or solutions.

● Plan an investigation individually and collaboratively, and in the design: identify independent and dependent variables and controls, what tools are needed to do the gathering, how measurements will be recorded, and how many data are needed to support a claim.

● Conduct an investigation and/or evaluate and/or revise the experimental design to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence that meet the goals of the investigation.

● Evaluate the accuracy of various methods for collecting data. ● Collect data to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence to answer scientific questions

or test design solutions under a range of conditions. ● Collect data about the performance of a proposed object, tool, process or system under a

range of conditions. Practice 4. Analyzing and interpreting data Analyzing data in 6–8 builds on K–5 experiences and progresses to extending quantitative analysis to investigations, distinguishing between correlation and causation, and basic statistical techniques of data and error analysis.

● Construct, analyze, and/or interpret graphical displays of data and/or large data sets to identify linear and nonlinear relationships.

● Use graphical displays (e.g., maps, charts, graphs, and/or tables) of large data sets to identify temporal and spatial relationships.

● Distinguish between causal and correlational relationships in data. ● Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for phenomena.

● Apply concepts of statistics and probability (including mean, median, mode, and variability) to analyze and characterize data, using digital tools when feasible.

● Consider limitations of data analysis (e.g., measurement error), and/or seek to improve precision and accuracy of data with better technological tools and methods (e.g., multiple trials).

● Analyze and interpret data to determine similarities and differences in findings. ● Analyze data to define an optimal operational range for a proposed object, tool, process or

system that best meets criteria for success. Practice 5. Using mathematics and computational thinking Mathematical and computational thinking in 6–8 builds on K–5 experiences and progresses to identifying patterns in large data sets and using mathematical concepts to support explanations and arguments.

● Use digital tools (e.g., computers) to analyze very large data sets for patterns and trends. ● Use mathematical representations to describe and/or support scientific conclusions and

design solutions. ● Create algorithms (a series of ordered steps) to solve a problem. ● Apply mathematical concepts and/or processes (e.g., ratio, rate, percent, basic operations,

simple algebra) to scientific and engineering questions and problems. ● Use digital tools and/or mathematical concepts and arguments to test and compare

proposed solutions to an engineering design problem. Practice 6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering) Constructing explanations and designing solutions in 6–8 builds on K–5 experiences and progresses to include constructing explanations and designing solutions supported by multiple sources of evidence consistent with scientific ideas, principles, and theories.

● Construct an explanation that includes qualitative or quantitative relationships between variables that predict(s) and/or describe(s) phenomena.

● Construct an explanation using models or representations. ● Construct a scientific explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from

sources (including the students’ own experiments) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future.

● Apply scientific ideas, principles, and/or evidence to construct, revise and/or use an explanation for real-world phenomena, examples, or events.

● Apply scientific reasoning to show why the data or evidence is adequate for the explanation or conclusion.

● Apply scientific ideas or principles to design, construct, and/or test a design of an object, tool, process or system.

● Undertake a design project, engaging in the design cycle, to construct and/or implement a solution that meets specific design criteria and constraints.

● Optimize performance of a design by prioritizing criteria, making tradeoffs, testing, revising, and re-testing.

Practice 7. Engaging in argument from evidence Engaging in argument from evidence in 6–8 builds on K–5 experiences and progresses to constructing a convincing argument that supports or refutes claims for either explanations or solutions about the natural and designed world(s).

● Compare and critique two arguments on the same topic and analyze whether they emphasize similar or different evidence and/or interpretations of facts.

● Respectfully provide and receive critiques about one’s explanations, procedures, models, and questions by citing relevant evidence and posing and responding to questions that elicit pertinent elaboration and detail.

● Construct, use, and/or present an oral and written argument supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support or refute an explanation or a model for a phenomenon or a solution to a problem.

● Make an oral or written argument that supports or refutes the advertised performance of a device, process, or system based on empirical evidence concerning whether or not the technology meets relevant criteria and constraints.

● Evaluate competing design solutions based on jointly developed and agreed-upon design criteria.

Practice 8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information in 6–8 builds on K–5 experiences and progresses to evaluating the merit and validity of ideas and methods.

● Critically read scientific texts adapted for classroom use to determine the central ideas and/or obtain scientific and/or technical information to describe patterns in and/or evidence about the natural and designed world(s).

● Integrate qualitative and/or quantitative scientific and/or technical information in written text with that contained in media and visual displays to clarify claims and findings.

● Gather, read, and synthesize information from multiple appropriate sources and assess the credibility, accuracy, and possible bias of each publication and methods used, and describe how they are supported or not supported by evidence.

● Evaluate data, hypotheses, and/or conclusions in scientific and technical texts in light of competing information or accounts.

● Communicate scientific and/or technical information (e.g. about a proposed object, tool, process, system) in writing and/or through oral presentations.

Connections to the Nature of Science: Most Closely Associated with Practices Scientific Investigations Use a Variety of Methods

● Science investigations use a variety of methods and tools to make measurements and observations.

● Science investigations are guided by a set of values to ensure accuracy of measurements, observations, and objectivity of findings.

● Science depends on evaluating proposed explanations. ● Scientific values function as criteria in distinguishing between science and nonscience.

Scientific Knowledge is based on Empirical Evidence

● Science knowledge is based upon logical and conceptual connections between evidence and explanations.

● Science disciplines share common rules of obtaining and evaluating empirical evidence.

Scientific Knowledge is Open to Revision in Light of New Evidence ● Scientific explanations are subject to revision and improvement in light of new evidence. ● The certainty and durability of science findings varies. ● Science findings are frequently revised and/or reinterpreted based on new evidence.

Science Models, Laws, Mechanisms, and Theories Explain Natural Phenomena

● Theories are explanations for observable phenomena. ● Science theories are based on a body of evidence developed over time. ● Laws are regularities or mathematical descriptions of natural phenomena. ● A hypothesis is used by scientists as an idea that may contribute important new knowledge

for the evaluation of a scientific theory. ● The term "theory" as used in science is very different from the common use outside of

science. Next Generation Science Standards: Disciplinary Core Ideas Life Science1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes LS1.A: Structure and Function

● All living things are made up of cells, which is the smallest unit that can be said to be alive. An organism may consist of one single cell (unicellular) or many different numbers and types of cells (multicellular). (MS-LS1-1)

● Organisms reproduce, either sexually or asexually, and transfer their genetic information to their offspring. (secondary to MSLS3-2)

● Within cells, special structures are responsible for particular functions, and the cell membrane forms the boundary that controls what enters and leaves the cell. (MS-LS1-2)

● In multicellular organisms, the body is a system of multiple interacting subsystems. These subsystems are groups of cells that work together to form tissues and organs that are specialized for particular body functions. (MS-LS1-3)

LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms ● Animals engage in characteristic behaviors that increase the odds of reproduction.

(MS-LS1-4) ● Plants reproduce in a variety of ways, sometimes depending on animal behavior and

specialized features for reproduction. (MS-LS1-4) ● Genetic factors as well as local conditions affect the growth of the adult plant. (MS-LS1-5)

LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms

● Plants, algae (including phytoplankton), and many microorganisms use the energy from light to make sugars (food) from carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water through the process of photosynthesis, which also releases oxygen. These sugars can be used immediately or stored for growth or later use. (MS-LS1-6)

● Within individual organisms, food moves through a series of chemical reactions in which it is broken down and rearranged to form new molecules, to support growth, or to release energy. (MS-LS1-7)

LS1.D: Information Processing Each sense receptor responds to different inputs (electromagnetic, mechanical, chemical), transmitting them as signals that travel along nerve cells to the brain. The signals are then processed in the brain, resulting in immediate behaviors or memories. (MS-LS1-8) LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

● Organisms, and populations of organisms, are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and with nonliving factors. (MS-LS2-1)

● In any ecosystem, organisms and populations with similar requirements for food, water, oxygen, or other resources may compete with each other for limited resources, access to which consequently constrains their growth and reproduction. (MS-LS2-1)

● Growth of organisms and population increases are limited by access to resources. (MS-LS2-1)

● Similarly, predatory interactions may reduce the number of organisms or eliminate whole populations of organisms. Mutually beneficial interactions, in contrast, may become so interdependent that each organism requires the other for survival. Although the species involved in these competitive, predatory, and mutually beneficial interactions vary across ecosystems, the patterns of interactions of organisms with their environments, both living and nonliving, are shared. (MS-LS2-2)

LS2.B: Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems ● Food webs are models that demonstrate how matter and energy is transferred between

producers, consumers, and decomposers as the three groups interact within an ecosystem. Transfers of matter into and out of the physical environment occur at every level. Decomposers recycle nutrients from dead plant or animal matter back to the soil in terrestrial environments or to the water in aquatic environments. The atoms that make up the organisms in an ecosystem are cycled repeatedly between the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem. (MS-LS2-3)

LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience ● Ecosystems are dynamic in nature; their characteristics can vary over time. Disruptions to

any physical or biological component of an ecosystem can lead to shifts in all its populations. (MS-LS2-4)

● Biodiversity describes the variety of species found in Earth’s terrestrial and oceanic ecosystems. The completeness or integrity of an ecosystem’s biodiversity is often used as a measure of its health. (MS-LS2-5)

LS2.D: Social Interactions and Group Behavior ● Changes in biodiversity can influence humans’ resources, such as food, energy, and

medicines, as well as ecosystem services that humans rely on—for example, water purification and recycling. (secondary to MS-LS2-5)

LS3: Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits LS3.A: Inheritance of Traits

● Genes are located in the chromosomes of cells, with each chromosome pair containing two variants of each of many distinct genes. Each distinct gene chiefly controls the production of specific proteins, which in turn affects the traits of the individual. Changes (mutations) to genes can result in changes to proteins, which can affect the structures and functions of the organism and thereby change traits. (MS-LS3-1)

● Variations of inherited traits between parent and offspring arise from genetic differences that result from the subset of chromosomes (and therefore genes) inherited. (MS-LS3-2)

LS3.B: Variation of Traits ● In sexually reproducing organisms, each parent contributes half of the genes acquired (at

random) by the offspring. Individuals have two of each chromosome and hence two alleles of each gene, one acquired from each parent. These versions may be identical or may differ from each other. (MS-LS3-2)

● In addition to variations that arise from sexual reproduction, genetic information can be altered because of mutations. Though rare, mutations may result in changes to the structure and function of proteins. Some changes are beneficial, others harmful, and some neutral to the organism. (MS-LS3-1)

LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity

● The collection of fossils and their placement in chronological order (e.g., through the location of the sedimentary layers in which they are found or through radioactive dating) is known as the fossil record. It documents the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of many life forms throughout the history of life on Earth. (MS-LS4-1)

● Anatomical similarities and differences between various organisms living today and between them and organisms in the fossil record, enable the reconstruction of evolutionary history and the inference of lines of evolutionary descent. (MS-LS4-2)

● Comparison of the embryological development of different species also reveals similarities that show relationships not evident in the fully-formed anatomy. (MS-LS4-3)

LS4.B: Natural Selection

● Natural selection leads to the predominance of certain traits in a population, and the suppression of others. (MS-LS4-4)

● In artificial selection, humans have the capacity to influence certain characteristics of organisms by selective breeding. One can choose desired parental traits determined by genes, which are then passed onto offspring. (MS-LS4-5)

LS4.C: Adaptation ● Adaptation by natural selection acting over generations is one important process by which

species change over time in response to changes in environmental conditions. Traits that support successful survival and reproduction in the new environment become more common; those that do not become less common. Thus, the distribution of traits in a population changes. (MS-LS4-6)

Earth and Space Sciences: Earth’s Place in the Universe ESS1.A: The Universe and Its Stars

● Patterns of the apparent motion of the sun, the moon, and stars in the sky can be observed, described, predicted, and explained with models. (MS-ESS1-1)

● Earth and its solar system are part of the Milky Way galaxy, which is one of many galaxies in the universe. (MS-ESS1-2)

ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System ● The solar system consists of the sun and a collection of objects, including planets, their

moons, and asteroids that are held in orbit around the sun by its gravitational pull on them. (MS-ESS1-2),(MSESS1-3)

● This model of the solar system can explain eclipses of the sun and the moon. Earth’s spin axis is fixed in direction over the short-term but tilted relative to its orbit around the sun. The seasons are a result of that tilt and are caused by the differential intensity of sunlight on different areas of Earth across the year. (MS-ESS1-1)

● The solar system appears to have formed from a disk of dust and gas, drawn together by gravity. (MS-ESS1-2)

ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth ● The geologic time scale interpreted from rock strata provides a way to organize Earth’s

history. Analyses of rock strata and the fossil record provide only relative dates, not an absolute scale. (MS-ESS1-4)

● Tectonic processes continually generate new ocean sea floor at ridges and destroy old sea floor at trenches. (HS.ESS1.C GBE) (secondary to MS-ESS2-3)

ESS2: Earth’s Systems ESS2.A: Earth Materials and Systems

● All Earth processes are the result of energy flowing and matter cycling within and among the planet’s systems. This energy is derived from the sun and Earth’s hot interior. The energy that flows and matter that cycles produce chemical and physical changes in Earth’s materials and living organisms. (MS-ESS2-1)

● The planet’s systems interact over scales that range from microscopic to global in size, and they operate over fractions of a second to billions of years. These interactions have shaped Earth’s history and will determine its future. (MS-ESS2-2)

ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale System Interactions

● Maps of ancient land and water patterns, based on investigations of rocks and fossils, make clear how Earth’s plates have moved great distances, collided, and spread apart. (MS-ESS2-3)

ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes ● Water continually cycles among land, ocean, and atmosphere via transpiration,

evaporation, condensation and crystallization, and precipitation, as well as downhill flows on land. (MS-ESS2-4)

● The complex patterns of the changes and the movement of water in the atmosphere, determined by winds, landforms, and ocean temperatures and currents, are major determinants of local weather patterns. (MSESS2- 5)

● Global movements of water and its changes in form are propelled by sunlight and gravity. (MS-ESS2-4)

● Variations in density due to variations in temperature and salinity drive a global pattern of interconnected ocean currents. (MS-ESS2-6)

● Water’s movements—both on the land and underground—cause weathering and erosion, which change the land’s surface features and create underground formations. (MS-ESS2-2)

ESS2.D: Weather and Climate ● Weather and climate are influenced by interactions involving sunlight, the ocean, the

atmosphere, ice, landforms, and living things. These interactions vary with latitude, altitude, and local and regional geography, all of which can affect oceanic and atmospheric flow patterns. (MS-ESS2-6)

● Because these patterns are so complex, weather can only be predicted probabilistically. (MS-ESS2-5)

● The ocean exerts a major influence on weather and climate by absorbing energy from the sun, releasing it over time, and globally redistributing it through ocean currents. (MS-ESS2-6)

ESS3: Earth and Human Activity ESS3.A: Natural Resources

● Humans depend on Earth’s land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for many different resources. Minerals, fresh water, and biosphere resources are limited, and many are not renewable or replaceable over human lifetimes. These resources are distributed unevenly around the planet as a result of past geologic processes. (MS-ESS3-1)

ESS3.B: Natural Hazards ● Mapping the history of natural hazards in a region, combined with an understanding of

related geologic forces can help forecast the locations and likelihoods of future events. (MS-ESS3-2)

ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems

● Human activities have significantly altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging or destroying natural habitats and causing the extinction of other species. But changes to Earth’s environments can have different impacts (negative and positive) for different living things. (MSESS3-3)

● Typically as human populations and per-capita consumption of natural resources increase, so do the negative impacts on Earth unless the activities and technologies involved are engineered otherwise. (MSESS3-3),(MS-ESS3-4)

ESS3.D: Global Climate Change ● Human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, are

major factors in the current rise in Earth’s mean surface temperature (global warming). Reducing the level of climate change and reducing human vulnerability to whatever climate changes do occur depend on the understanding of climate science, engineering capabilities, and other kinds of knowledge, such as understanding of human behavior and on applying that knowledge wisely in decisions and activities. (MS-ESS3-5)

Physical Science1: Matter and Its Interactions PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter

● Substances are made from different types of atoms, which combine with one another in various ways. Atoms form molecules that range in size from two to thousands of atoms. (MS-PS1-1)

● Each pure substance has characteristic physical and chemical properties (for any bulk quantity under given conditions) that can be used to identify it. (MS-PS1-2), (MS-PS1-3)

● Gases and liquids are made of molecules or inert atoms that are moving about relative to each other. (MS-PS1-4)

● In a liquid, the molecules are constantly in contact with others; in a gas, they are widely spaced except when they happen to collide. In a solid, atoms are closely spaced and may vibrate in position but do not change relative locations. (MS-PS1-4)

● Solids may be formed from molecules, or they may be extended structures with repeating subunits (e.g., crystals). (MS-PS1-1)

● The changes of state that occur with variations in temperature or pressure can be described and predicted using these models of matter. (MS-PS1-4)

PS1.B: Chemical Reactions

● Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process, the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different molecules, and these new substances have different properties from those of the reactants. (MS-PS1-2),(MS-PS1-3),(MS-PS1-5)

● The total number of each type of atom is conserved, and thus the mass does not change. (MS-PS1-5)

● Some chemical reactions release energy, others store energy. (MS-PS1-6)

PS2: Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions PS2.A: Forces and Motion

● For any pair of interacting objects, the force exerted by the first object on the second object is equal in strength to the force that the second object exerts on the first, but in the opposite direction (Newton’s third law). (MS-PS2-1)

● The motion of an object is determined by the sum of the forces acting on it; if the total force on the object is not zero, its motion will change. The greater the mass of the object, the greater the force needed to achieve the same change in motion. For any given object, a larger force causes a larger change in motion. (MS-PS2-2)

● All positions of objects and the directions of forces and motions must be described in an arbitrarily chosen reference frame and arbitrarily chosen units of size. In order to share information with other people, these choices must also be shared. (MSPS2-2)

PS2.B: Types of Interactions ● Electric and magnetic (electromagnetic) forces can be attractive or repulsive, and their

sizes depend on the magnitudes of the charges, currents, or magnetic strengths involved and on the distances between the interacting objects. (MS-PS2-3)

● Gravitational forces are always attractive. There is a gravitational force between any two masses, but it is very small except when one or both of the objects have large mass—e.g., Earth and the sun. (MS-PS2-4)

● Forces that act at a distance (electric and magnetic) can be explained by fields that extend through space and can be mapped by their effect on a test object (a ball, a charged object, or a magnet, respectively). (MS-PS2-5)

PS3: Energy PS3.A: Definitions of Energy

● Motion energy is properly called kinetic energy; it is proportional to the mass of the moving object and grows with the square of its speed. (MS-PS3-1)

● A system of objects may also contain stored (potential) energy, depending on their relative positions. (MS-PS3-2)

● Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of particles of matter. The relationship between the temperature and the total energy of a system depends on the types, states, and amounts of matter present. (MS-PS3-3),(MS-PS3-4)

● The term “heat” as used in everyday language refers both to thermal motion (the motion of atoms or molecules within a substance) and radiation (particularly infrared and light). In science, heat is used only for this second meaning; it refers to energy transferred when two objects or systems are at different temperatures. (secondary to MS-PS1-4)

● Temperature is not a measure of energy; the relationship between the temperature and the total energy of a system depends on the types, states, and amounts of matter present. (secondary to MS-PS1-4)

PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer ● When the motion energy of an object changes, there is inevitably some other change in

energy at the same time. (MS-PS3-5) ● The amount of energy transfer needed to change the temperature of a matter sample by a

given amount depends on the nature of the matter, the size of the sample, and the environment. (MS-PS3-4)

● Energy is spontaneously transferred out of hotter regions or objects and into colder ones. (MS-PS3-3)

PS3.C: Relationship Between Energy and Forces ● When two objects interact, each one exerts a force on the other that can cause energy to be

transferred to or from the object. (MS-PS3-2)

PS3.D: Energy in Chemical Processes and Everyday Life ● The chemical reaction by which plants produce complex food molecules (sugars) requires

an energy input (i.e., from sunlight) to occur. In this reaction, carbon dioxide and water combine to form carbonbased organic molecules and release oxygen. (secondary to MS-LS1-6)

● Cellular respiration in plants and animals involve chemical reactions with oxygen that release stored energy. In these processes, complex molecules containing carbon react with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and other materials. (secondary to MS-LS1-7)

PS4: Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer PS4.A: Wave Properties

● A simple wave has a repeating pattern with a specific wavelength, frequency, and amplitude. (MS-PS4-1)

● A sound wave needs a medium through which it is transmitted. (MS-PS4-2) ● When light shines on an object, it is reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through the object,

depending on the object’s material and the frequency (color) of the light. (MS-PS4-2) ● The path that light travels can be traced as straight lines, except at surfaces between

different transparent materials (e.g., air and water, air and glass) where the light path bends. (MS-PS4-2)

● A wave model of light is useful for explaining brightness, color, and the frequency-dependent bending of light at a surface between media. (MS-PS4-2)

● However, because light can travel through space, it cannot be a matter wave, like sound or water waves. (MS-PS4-2)

PS4.C: Information Technologies and Instrumentation PS4.B: Electromagnetic Radiation

● Digitized signals (sent as wave pulses) are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information. (MS-PS4-3)

Engineering, Technology & Application of Science1: Engineering Design ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting an Engineering Problem

● The more precisely a design task’s criteria and constraints can be defined, the more likely it is that the designed solution will be successful. Specification of constraints includes consideration of scientific principles and other relevant knowledge that is likely to limit possible solutions. (MS-ETS1-1) (secondary to MS-PS3-3)

ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions

● A solution needs to be tested, and then modified on the basis of the test results, in order to improve it. (MS-ETS1-4) (secondary to MS-PS1-6)

● There are systematic processes for evaluating solutions with respect to how well they meet criteria and constraints of a problem. MS-ETS1-2), (MS-ETS1-3) (secondary to MS-PS3-3) (secondary to MS-LS2-5)

● Sometimes parts of different solutions can be combined to create a solution that is better than any of its predecessors. (MS-ETS1-3)

● Models of all kinds are important for testing solutions. (MS-ETS1-4) ETS1.C: Optimizing the Design Solution

● Although one design may not perform the best across all tests, identifying the characteristics of the design that performed the best in each test can provide useful information for the redesign process—that is, some of the characteristics may be incorporated into the new design. (MS-ETS1-3 (secondary to MS-PS1-6)

● The iterative process of testing the most promising solutions and modifying what is proposed on the basis of the test results leads to greater refinement and ultimately to an optimal solution. (MSETS1-4) (secondary to MS-PS1-6)

Massachusetts Standards for Preschool and Kindergarten: Social and Emotional Learning, and Approaches to Play and Learning

The following standards are the curricular framework for our Nursery program, Kindergarten ⅘ Social Studies, and the basis for character education in Grades 1-5. SELF-AWARENESS Standard SEL1: The child will be able to recognize, identify, and express his/her emotions. Standard SEL2: The child will demonstrate accurate self-perception. Standard SEL3: The child will demonstrate self-efficacy (confidence/competence). SELF-MANAGEMENT Standard SEL4: The child will demonstrate impulse control and stress management. SOCIAL AWARENESS Standard SEL5: The child will display empathetic characteristics. Standard SEL6: The child will recognize diversity and demonstrate respect for others. RELATIONSHIP SKILLS Standard SEL7: The child will demonstrate the ability to communicate with others in a variety of ways. Standard SEL8: The child will engage socially, and build relationships with other children and with adults. Standard SEL9: The child will demonstrate the ability to manage conflict. Standard SEL10: The child will demonstrate the ability to seek help and offer help.

RESPONSIBLE DECISION MAKING Standard SEL11: The child will demonstrate beginning personal, social, and ethical responsibility. Standard SEL12: The child will demonstrate the ability to reflect on and evaluate the results of his or her actions and decisions. In ASK Nursery - Kindergarten ⅘, the Standards for Approaches to Play and Learning present objectives in eight areas: Initiative, Curiosity, Persistence and Engagement, Creativity, Cooperation, Problem Solving, Organization Skills, and Memory. Approaches to Play and Learning Standards Standard APL1: The child will demonstrate initiative, self-direction, and independence. Standard APL2: The child will demonstrate eagerness and curiosity as a learner. Standard APL3: The child will be able to maintain focus and attention, and persist in efforts to complete a task. Standard APL4: The child will demonstrate creativity in thinking and use of materials. Standard APL5: The child will cooperate with others in play and learning. Standard APL6: The child will seek multiple solutions to a question, task, or problem. Standard APL7: The child will demonstrate organizational skills. Standard APL8: The child will be able to retain and recall information.

American Education Reaches Out (AERO) Standards for Social Studies Grade 1- 8

To achieve by the end of Grade 8 Time, Continuity, and Change Students will understand patterns of change and continuity, relationships between people and events through time, and various interpretations of these relationships.

● Apply key concepts such as chronology, causality, and conflict to identify patterns of historical change.

● Apply knowledge of the past to explain current events. ● Explain the causes of significant historical and current political events and issues. ● Utilize primary and secondary sources in historical research. ● Examine historical resources for a point of view, context, bias (including gender and race),

distortion, or propaganda. ● Differentiate between historical facts and historical interpretations. ● Analyze multiple interpretations of an historical or current event. ● Analyze quantitative data to answer questions about history.

Connections and Conflict Students will understand causes and effects of interaction among societies, including trade, systems of international exchange, war, and diplomacy.

● Explain forces that result in world interaction (such as those related to the environment,

belief systems, economics, geography/land, ethnicity/race/gender, culture, and balance of power).

● Explain how historical legacies have facilitated understanding or caused misunderstanding (slavery in the US, Nazi Germany, etc.).

● Explain how international trade and resource distribution can influence cooperation or conflict.

● Explain tensions between national sovereignty and global interest. ● Identify issues and standards related to human rights.

Geography Students will understand the interactions and relationship between human societies and their physical environment.

● Describe ways that human events have influenced, and been influenced by, physical and human geographic conditions in local, regional, national, and global settings.

● Analyze the structure and characteristics of different populations and population patterns. ● Explain voluntary and involuntary migration and its effects on the physical and human

characteristics of a place. Culture Students will understand cultural and intellectual developments and interactions among societies.

● Examine the interaction between people and the environment and understand how people both shape and are shaped by the environment that they live in.

● Explain behavioral norms and taboos in different cultures. ● Analyze ways that people have maintained their traditions and resisted external challenges

(e.g. wars, generational gaps, migration patterns, or globalization). ● Explain the influence different cultural or ethnic groups living in the same society have had

on one another. ● Evaluate the impact of globalization on different cultures and populations. ● Examine the major religions of the world in terms of their beliefs, rituals and sacred texts. ● Analyze how a major movement in literature, music, and the visual arts influenced social

values. Society and Identity Students will understand social systems and structures and how these influence individuals.

● Explain how cultural attitudes, values, and beliefs influence personal behavior and the development of personal identity.

● Describe how sociological circumstances (race, ethnicity, gender, class, etc.) influence an individual's perceptions of and reactions to the world.

● Recognize the foundations of one's own and others' viewpoints. ● Understand the impact of conformity, and non-conformity on individuals and groups. ● Analyze the accuracies and inaccuracies of stereotyping (race, ethnicity, gender, class, etc.). ● Examine how socialization influences choice in personal identity.

Government Students will understand why societies create and adopt systems of governance and how they address human needs, rights, responsibilities and citizenship.

● Explain and analyze strengths and weaknesses of various kinds of governance systems in terms of the purposes they are designed to serve.

● Explain how different types of government acquire, use, and justify power. ● Describe major issues involving rights, responsibilities, roles, and status of the individual in

relation to the general welfare. ● Know functions and responsibilities of government leaders and public servants. ● Explain how public agendas are set and shaped. ● Define citizenship in terms of its legal and political status and criteria used to grant

naturalized citizenship. ● Describe important documentary sources of human rights, including the English Bill of

Rights, the Declaration of Independence, the Declaration of Rights of man and Citizen, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

● Analyze effects of participation in civic and political life (boycotts, civil disobedience, etc.) ● Explain the role of judicial systems in local, national, and international contexts. ● Analyze examples of the use of various strategies to resolve conflict.

Production, Distribution & Consumption Students will understand fundamental economic principles and ways in which economies are shaped by geographic and human factors.

● Describe economic effects of environmental changes and crises resulting from natural phenomena.

● Explain economic reasons for voluntary migration. ● Evaluate conventional and alternative uses of resources. ● Describe historical and contemporary economic systems. ● Explain primary causes of world trade. ● Describe global patterns of resource distribution and use. ● Explain how governments and markets allocate limited resources among competing wants

and needs. Science, Technology & Society Students will understand how societies have influenced and been influenced by scientific developments and technological developments.

● Explain prerequisites for the adoption of a particular technology (social need, social resources, cultural attitude, etc.).

● Describe the process whereby adoption of scientific knowledge and use of technologies influence cultures, the environment, economies, and balance of power.

● Evaluate the need for laws and policies to govern technological applications. ● Describe how technologies might have effects and uses other than those intended. ● Explain the concept "pace of change."

MASHT Standards for Albanian as a First Language Kindergarten 5 - Grade 8

Standard 1: Zhvillimi I njohurive kulturore, letrare dhe gramatikore MS.A.1.1. Zhvillojnë njohuri për kulturën shqiptare, njohuri për letërsinë dhe anën gramatikore. Nxënësit i eliminojnë gabimet nga klasa e mëparshme në mënyrë që të aftësohen të shkruajnë bukur, analizojnë duke filluar nga fjala, paragrafi e teksti si edhe për nga ana sintaksore dhe morfologjike;

MS.A.1.2. Përmes këtij standardi nxënësit zhvillohen me njohuri të reja letare duke u njohur me figura të ndryshme letare si edhe të përfitojnë aftësi komunikimi në gjuhën e tyre amtare; MS.A.1.3. Zgjerohen më tepër me njohuritë e tyre duke përforcuar më shumë lidhjet garamtikore me tekstet letare, praktikave gojore dhe zhvillimin e punëve me shkrim të tipareve të ndryshme; MS.A.1.4. Bëhet përforcimi i njohurive nga njësia më e vogël e fjalës deri te pjesët e përbëra të saj përfshirë tingujt, rrokjet, morfemat, fjalët e parme dhe jo të parme etj. MS.A.1.5. Zhvillohet dhe të përforëcohet drejtshkrimi që nxënësit në të ardhmen ta shkruajnë gjuhën drejt e pa gabime; MS.A.1.6. Përmes punëve të pavaruar të bëhet kultivimi i mendimit kritik që në të ardhmen të jenë të pavarur dhe të përgaditur për jetë; Standard 2: Të dëgjuarit dhe të folurit MS.A.2.1. Përmes këtij standardi nxënësi në gjuhës shqipe dhe letërsi duhet të modelojë aftësi sa më efektive të të folurit, dëgjuarit dhe të vëzhguarit përgjatë veprimtarive mësimore të drejtpërdrejta dhe jo të drejtpërdrejta; MS.A.2.2. Zotërojnë aftësi të veçanta individuale, njohëse dhe komunikative duke punuar në punë individuale, në dyshe si edhe në grupe; MS.A.2.3. Bën dallimin përmes zhanreve të ndryshme të teksteve letrare dhe joletrare; MS.A.2.4. Zhvillon aftësi argumentuese dhe vlerësuese për përmbajtjet e zhvilluara; MS.A.2.5. Pasuron fjalorin me shprehje të ndryshme në kontekste të ndryshme; MS.A.2.6. Lexon, kupton dhe shpreh qartë idetë që burojnë nga tekste apo materiale të tjera burimore; MS.A.2.7. Shkruan dhe flet në një mënyrë të organizuar mirë dhe koherente që përshtatet me kërkesat e tij apo të tjerëve si edhe shpreh me gojë idetë, i shoqëron me shpjegime duke aftësuar të menduarit racional e kritik; MS.A.2.8. Aftësohen nxënësit për punë kërkimore të pavarur. Standard 3: Të lexuarit MS.A.3.1. Analizon në audiencë komunikimin dhe të shkëmbejë me anëtarë të të tjerë komunitetit, ide me anë të interpretimeve të ndryshme gjatë të lexuarit; MS.A.3.2. Zhvillon rritjen e shkallës së zotërimit të gjuhës amtare; MS.A.3.3. Analizon materiale që lidhen me përmbajtjen e teksteve letrare dhe jo letrare për të krijuar një të nxënë të suksesshëm të të lexuarit, të folurit, të dëgjuarit dhe të vëzhguarit;

MS.A.3.4. Nxënësit, aftësohen të komunikojnë duke lexuar tekste të ndryshme letare dhe joletare; MS.A.3.5. Përdor programe kompjuterike, moderne, për vjeljen e materialeve, në funksion të shkencës së gjuhës dhe letërsisë; MS.A.3.6. Përmes të lexuarit ngritet vetëdija e nxënësit për të qenë lexues të rregullt. MS.A.4.1. Zhvillon aftësitë e tyre për analizë kritike të teksteve të ndryshme; MS.A.4.2 Analizon tekste të ndryshme për nga përmbajta, qëllimi, mesazhi dhe detaje tjera; MS.A.4.3. Përgaditen përmes të shkruarit në mënyrë që të jenë profesional duke ushtruar të shkruarit përmes eseve dhe teknikave të ndryshme; MS.A.4.4. Përmes këtij standardi nxënësit duhet të përfitojnë për një të nxënë sa më interaktivë, ku përfshihen të shkruarit e përmbajtjeve të ndryshme, projekte të bazuara në letërsi, tregime, ngjarjesh, dramë, etj; MS.A.4.5. Me anë të të shkruarit nxënësit shfaqin ide të ndryshme, për të nxitur zhvillimin e tyre gjuhësor dhe letrar. STANDARD 5: Mjedisi i të nxënit MS.A.5.1. Krijon një mjedis, që nxit bashkëveprime sociale pozitive, një gjithëpërfshirje aktive në mësim, motivim dhe bashkëpunim të tyre; MS.A.5. 2. Ndërton situata që e bëjnë më pozitiv mjedisin e të nxënit; MS.A.5. 3. Zotëron të drejtat dhe përgjegjësitë e individëve brenda një mjedisi demokratik, për mësimin e gjuhës dhe letërsisë; MS.A.5.4. Ndërton një edukim që bazohet në teoritë e sjelljes njerëzore dhe të zhvillimit të fëmijës; MS.A.5.5. Zotëron parimet e një drejtimi dhe bashkëpunimi efektiv të klasës ku kanë mundësinë të mësojnë në mënyrë individuale dhe në grup.

European Common Framework Standards for Albanian and English as a Second Language Learning Kindergarten ⅘ - Grade 8 and French as a Foreign Language Grades 6 - 8

A1 (Beginning-Basic User of the Language) Standard 1: Understanding Listening 1.1 Can recognize familiar words and very basic phrases concerning him/herself,· his/her family and immediate concrete surroundings when people speak slowly and clearly Reading 1.2 Can understand familiar names, words and very simple sentences, for example· On notices and posters or in catalogues Standard 2: Speaking Spoken Interaction 2.1 Can interact in a simple way provided the other person is prepared to repeat or· Rephrase things at a slower rate of speech and help him formulate what he/she’s Trying to say Can ask and answer simple questions in areas of immediate need or on very· Familiar topics Spoken Production 2.1 Can use simple phrases and sentences to describe where he/she lives and people· He/she knows Standard 3: Writing Writing 3.1 Can write a short, simple postcard, for example sending holiday greetings· Can fill in forms with personal details, for example entering my name,· Nationality and address on a hotel registration form

A2 (Intermediate-Basic User of the Language) Standard 1: Understanding Listening 1.1 Can understand phrases and the highest frequency vocabulary related to areas of· Most immediate personal relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family Information, shopping, local area, employment)

Can catch the main point short, clear, simple messages and announcements Reading 1.2 Can read very short, simple texts· Can find specific, predictable information in simple everyday material such as advertisements, prospectuses, menus and timetables Can understand short simple personal letters Standard 2: Speaking Spoken Interaction 2.1 Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct· Exchange of information on familiar topics and activities Can handle very short social exchanges, even though he/she can’t usually· Understand enough to keep the conversation going him/her. Spoken Production 2.2 Can use a series of phrases and sentences to describe in simple terms his/her family and other people, living conditions, his/her educational background and his/her present or most recent job Standard 3: Writing Writing 3.1 Can write short, simple notes and messages relating to matters in areas of immediate need Can write a very simple personal letter, for example thanking someone for something

B1 (Beginning-Independent User of the Language)

Standard 1: Understanding Listening 1.1 Can understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can understand the main point of many radio or TV programmers on current affairs or topics of personal or professional interest when the delivery is relatively slow and clear Reading 1.2 Can understand texts that consist mainly of high frequency everyday or job-related language Can understand the description of events, feelings and wishes in personal letters Standard 2: Speaking Spoken Interaction 2.1 Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken Can enter unprepared into conversation on topics that are familiar, of personal interest or pertinent to everyday life (e.g. family, hobbies, work, travel and current events) Spoken Production 2.2 Can connect phrases in a simple way in order to describe experiences and events, his/her dreams, hopes and ambitions

Can briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans Can narrate a story or relate the plot of a book or film and describe my reactions Standard 3: Writing Writing 3.1 Can write simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest Can write personal letters describing experiences and impressions

Virginia Public Schools Standards for Computer Technology Kindergarten ⅘ - Grade 8

Computer Technology in Kindergarten ⅘-Grade 5 is integrated in homeroom subject level classwork. It is the result of collaborative planning and sometimes co-teaching among the homeroom teacher and CT Teacher. Computer Technology courses for Gr 6-8 are separate semester-long courses.

Grades K-2 integration Basic Operations and Concepts Demonstrate an operational knowledge of various technologies. A. Use various types of technology devices to perform learning tasks. • Use a keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, touchpad, and other input devices to interact with a computer. • Use appropriate buttons, gestures, menu choices, and commands to manipulate the computer when completing learning tasks. B. Communicate about technology with appropriate terminology. • Use basic technology vocabulary as needed. Identify and use available technologies to complete specific tasks. A. Identify the specific uses for various types of technology and digital resources. • Identify the difference between hardware and software. • Create a text document. • Open and read an electronic book. • Create a digital image. B. Use content-specific tools, software, and simulations to complete projects. • Use tools in various content areas as appropriate. Social and Ethical Issues

Make responsible decisions—grounded in knowledge of digital safety and security best practices—that pertain to various digital communication tools and methods. A. Demonstrate knowledge of school policies for using computers and other technologies. • Be able to articulate what is allowed and what is not allowed at school when using technology. B. Understand the importance of protecting personal information and passwords. • Communicate an understanding of the basic principles of online safety. • Follow procedures that protect safety and security as outlined in the

division’s acceptable use policy. C. Understand the basic principles of the ownership of ideas. • Identify digital information as being produced by people—either as individuals or as part of a group or organization. D. Identify and model responsible behaviors when using information and technology. • Identify strategies to address bullying situations involving electronic devices. Technology Research Tools Plan and apply strategies for gathering information, using a variety of tools and sources, and reflect on alternate strategies that might lead to greater successes in future projects. A. Identify information in various formats. • Recognize that information may be presented as printed text, electronic text, audio, video, or images. B. Identify available sources of information. • Be able to name and use sources of information available at school and outside the school. Thinking Skills, Problem Solving, and Decision Making Practice reasoning skills when gathering and evaluating data. A. Recognize that technology can be used to solve problems and make informed decisions. • Communicate how a decision was made based on assistance from a technology tool. B. Use technology tools to assist with problem solving. • Demonstrate how technology can be used to investigate and solve problems in various content areas. Technology Communication Tools Communicate effectively with others (e.g., peers, teachers, experts) in collaborative learning situations. A. Use technology tools for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and presentation activities. • Use word processing to practice writing skills. • Use common graphic and presentation tools when preparing and providing presentations. B. Recognize tools useful for communication. • Identify how different technologies appeal to different senses.

Grades 3-5 Integration Basic Operations and Concepts Demonstrate an operational knowledge of various technologies. A. Use various types of technology devices to perform learning tasks. • Use a keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, touchpad, and other input devices to interact with a computer. • Demonstrate the ability to perform a wide variety of basic tasks using technology, including saving, editing, printing, viewing, and graphing. B. Communicate about technology with appropriate terminology. • Use basic technology vocabulary in daily practice. Identify and use available technologies to complete specific tasks. A. Identify the specific uses for various types of technology and digital resources. • Identify the differences among local, network, and Internet resources and tools. • Create, edit, and format a document with text and graphics. • Create and present a multimedia presentation. • Create and populate a spreadsheet with data. • Capture and edit a digital image. • Demonstrate the ability to choose appropriate resources when completing assignments in various content areas. B. Use content-specific tools, software, and simulations to complete projects. • Use tools in various content areas as directed by the teacher. Social and Ethical Issues Make responsible decisions—grounded in knowledge of digital safety and security best practices—that pertain to various digital communication tools and methods. A. Demonstrate knowledge of basic practices related to online safety. • Use best practices for online safety as defined by the division’s online safety program. • Demonstrate an understanding of the division’s acceptable use policy and consequences for inappropriate use. B. Discuss and model responsible behaviors when using information and technology. • Identify reasons for taking security precautions when using any technology, especially those related to the Internet. • Demonstrate responsible behavior, such as using strong passwords and

avoiding high-risk activities. • Identify inappropriate or threatening interpersonal situations involving electronic devices and develop strategies to react to them safely. • Behave appropriately in virtual groups and be proactive in preventing bullying behavior in an environment that provides anonymity to bullies. Exhibit personal responsibility for appropriate, legal, and ethical conduct. A. Understand the need for laws and regulations regarding technology use.

• Model appropriate, legal, and ethical behavior in all technology use and technology-supported environments. B. Understand the basic principles of the ownership of ideas. • Demonstrate a basic understanding of “fair use.” Demonstrate digital citizenship by actively participating in positive activities for personal and community well-being. A. Communicate respect for people when participating in group online learning activities. • Identify ways in which online communications are different from face-to-face communications. • Demonstrate online etiquette when communicating with others. B. Explore the potential of the Internet as a means of personal learning and the respectful exchange of ideas and products. • Participate in the creation of digital projects that involve communicating with others. Technology Research Tools Plan and apply strategies for gathering information, using a variety of tools and sources, and reflect on alternate strategies that might lead to greater successes in future projects. A. Collect information from a variety of sources. • Conduct research using various types of text- and media-based information. B. Apply best practices for searching digital resources. • Apply effective search strategies that will yield targeted information. • Identify basic indicators that a digital source is likely to be reliable. Draw conclusions from research and relate these findings to real-world situations. A. Use research to support written and oral presentations. • Apply research derived from digital resources to original work. • Demonstrate how to cite digital resources when developing nonfiction reports and presentations. B. Apply knowledge when conducting research to develop accurate and balanced reports. • Use best practice guidelines for evaluating research results. Thinking Skills, Problem Solving, and Decision Making Practice reasoning skills when gathering and evaluating data. A. Determine when technology tools are appropriate to solve a problem and make a decision. • Identify technology resources and tools that can help with decision making. B. Demonstrate organization and persistence when completing personal and group assignments, activities, and projects. • Use various productivity tools that help with planning, time management, project goal setting, etc. Use models and simulations to understand complex systems and processes. A. Understand the use of simulations in learning. • Enhance understanding of concepts and skills by explaining how a simulation differs from and is similar to real life.

B. Use simulations to understand complex concepts. • Enhance understanding of concepts and skills by using simulations. Technology Communication Tools Communicate effectively with others (e.g., peers, teachers, experts) in collaborative learning situations. A. Use technology tools for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities. • Produce documents and presentations that demonstrate the ability to edit, reformat, and integrate various tools and media. B. Participate in communications among different cultures. • Understand the need to place communication in the context of culture. C. Assume different roles (e.g., leader/follower, orator/listener) on teams in various situations. • Recognize that different people on a team bring different technical skills, and understand how that can influence team responsibilities. • Demonstrate the ability to share technology tools as needed. Apply knowledge and skills to generate innovative ideas, products, processes, and solutions. A. Organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that others can view, use, and assess. • Understand the various ways in which digital products can be shared. B. Use technology tools to share original work. • Use presentation tools to organize and present stories, poems, songs, and other original work.

Grades 6-8 semester course Basic Operations and Concepts Demonstrate an operational knowledge of various technologies. A. Use various types of technology devices to perform learning tasks. • Demonstrate the ability to perform specific tasks using technology, including organizing, analyzing, and presenting data; formatting and presenting text and graphic information; and capturing and manipulating images. B. Communicate about technology with appropriate terminology. • Use technology vocabulary in daily practice. Identify and use available technologies to complete specific tasks. A. Identify the specific uses for various types of technology and digital resources. • Select and use local, network, and Internet resources and tools. • Capture and edit video. • Explain how various careers incorporate technology. B. Use content-specific tools, software, and simulations to complete projects. • Use tools in various content areas, such as graphing calculators, science simulations, story diagramming applications, image processing applications, and history timeline applications.

Social and Ethical Issues Make responsible decisions—grounded in knowledge of digital safety and security best practices—that pertain to various digital communication tools and methods. A. Demonstrate knowledge of basic practices related to online safety. • Use best practices for online safety as defined by the division’s online safety program. • Apply the division’s acceptable use policy to everyday situations. • Model appropriate, legal, and ethical behavior in all technology use and technology-supported environments. B. Discuss and model responsible behaviors when using information and technology. • Identify reasons for taking security precautions when using any technology, especially those related to the Internet. • Demonstrate responsible behavior, such as using strong passwords and avoiding high-risk activities. • Identify examples of inappropriate or bullying online behavior and demonstrate an understanding of the reasons why such behavior is inappropriate in a civil society. • Identify differences between healthy and unhealthy virtual relationships such as bullying and practice positive responses to problems. • Demonstrate personal responsibility for online behavior, especially in social media settings. • Demonstrate awareness of the potential social, economic, and legal consequences of inappropriate online behavior. Exhibit personal responsibility for appropriate, legal, and ethical conduct. A. Demonstrate an understanding of “fair use.” • Apply knowledge of copyright and “fair use” when developing presentations, products, and papers. B. Demonstrate an understanding of current copyright laws. • Identify copyright laws that impact student work. Demonstrate digital citizenship by actively participating in positive activities for personal and community well-being. A. Communicate respect for people when participating in group online learning activities. • Demonstrate online etiquette when communicating with others. • Demonstrate an understanding of cyberbullying and strategies for stopping a cyberbully. B. Explore the potential of the Internet as a means of personal learning and the respectful exchange of ideas and products. • Participate in the creation of digital projects that involve others working together toward a common goal. • Demonstrate the ability to identify diverse perspectives on issues. Understand the nature of information in a global society and how the characteristics of various media may influence others. A. Identify the various uses of media based on intent and audience. • Investigate media messages in various contexts. B. Be able to construct and deconstruct media messages.

• Connect media messages to various writing techniques, logic models, and outcomes. • Develop communication projects using various types of media. Technology Research Tools Plan and apply strategies for gathering information, using a variety of tools and sources, and reflect on alternate strategies that might lead to greater successes in future projects. A. Use various technology and digital resources to collect information. • Conduct research using various types of text- and media-based information. • Use various types of content-specific technology to gather data and information. B. Use search strategies to retrieve information. • Apply effective search strategies that will yield targeted information. • Identify indicators that a digital source is likely to be reliable. Draw conclusions from research and relate these findings to real-world situations—investigating further, if necessary. A. Use digital research to support written and oral presentations. • Apply research derived from digital resources to original work, as appropriate. B. Apply knowledge when conducting research to develop accurate and balanced reports. • Determine when further research is needed based on original search results and first drafts. • Demonstrate how to cite digital resources when developing nonfiction reports and presentations. • Apply strategies that help avoid plagiarism when clipping and storing digital notes. C. Interpret digital primary sources within historical and contemporary contexts. • Follow procedures to interpret various primary sources for a variety of content areas. Analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information based on source validity and the appropriateness to specific tasks. A. Evaluate the accuracy, relevance, and appropriateness of electronic information sources. • Use a variety of strategies to evaluate the accuracy of digital resources. • Use various digital tools, such as graphic organizers, to analyze and synthesize data for learning tasks. B. Use various digital tools to organize, analyze, and synthesize data for learning tasks. • Use digital tools, such as graphic organizers, spreadsheets, and databases. Thinking Skills, Problem Solving, and Decision Making Practice reasoning skills when gathering and evaluating data. A. Employ technology in developing strategies for solving problems. • Identify and use technology resources and tools that can help with problem solving. • Use a variety of technologies to identify and provide possible solutions to real-world problems. B. Select resources that extend one’s own capability to solve problems and make informed decisions. • Understand how certain technologies can extend human capabilities to understand complex situations.

Demonstrate organization and persistence when completing personal and group assignments, activities, and projects. A. Use digital resources to assist with project planning. • Use various productivity tools that help with planning and time management. B. Use digital resources to assist with project management. • Use productivity tools to assist in tracking and meeting goals. Use models and simulations to understand complex systems and processes. A. Use simulations to understand complex concepts. • Enhance understanding of concepts and skills by using simulations. B. Use various digital resources to produce graphical representations of data. • Complete assignments involving data by using data graphing or imaging tools. Technology Communication Tools Communicate effectively with others (e.g., peers, teachers, experts) in collaborative learning situations. A. Use technology tools for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities. • Use various technology resources to develop written and media-based reports and projects, integrating technologies as appropriate. • Collaborate with others using digital communication tools. B. Participate in communications among different cultures. • Understand the need to place communication in the context of culture. C. Assume different roles (e.g., leader/follower, orator/listener) on teams in various situations. • Use technology to complete a wide variety of tasks when working in teams, depending on the individual’s group role. Apply knowledge and skills to generate innovative ideas, products, processes, and solutions. A. Organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that others can view, use, and assess. • Choose the appropriate tool, format, and style to communicate information for specific purposes. • Independently use technology tools to create and communicate for individual and/or collaborative projects. B. Add meaning to individual and group ideas and products through creative work. • Use digital resources and technology to enhance original oral and written presentations. C. Produce resources in a variety of formats. • Demonstrate the ability to determine proper formats for delivering products digitally so others may use them.

National Core Standards for Visual Arts Grade 3 - 8 Integrated Arts Standards Kindergarten ⅘ - Grade 2

to achieve by the end of Grade 8 Creating Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.

● Document early stages of the creative process visually and/or verbally in traditional or new media

● Collaboratively shape an artistic investigation of an aspect of present day life using a contemporary practice of art and design.

Standard 2: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.

● Demonstrate willingness to experiment, innovate, and take risks to pursue ideas, forms, and meanings that emerge in the process of artmaking or designing.

● Demonstrate awareness of practices, issues, and ethics of appropriation, fair use, copyright, open source, and creative commons as they apply to creating works of art and design.

● Select, organize, and design images and words to make visually clear and compelling presentations.

Standard 3: Refine and complete artistic work

● Apply relevant criteria to examine, reflect on, and plan revisions for a work of art or design in progress.

Presenting Standard 4: Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation.

● Develop and apply criteria for evaluating a collection of artwork for presentation Standard 5: Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation.

● Collaboratively prepare and present selected theme based artwork for display, and formulate exhibition narratives for the viewer.

Standard 6: Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.

● Analyze why and how an exhibition or collection may influence ideas, beliefs, and experiences.

Responding Standard 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work

● Explain how a person’s aesthetic choices are influenced by culture and environment and impact the visual image that one conveys to others.

● Compare and contrast contexts and media in which viewers encounter images that influence ideas, emotions, and actions.

Standard 8: Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.

● Interpret art by analyzing how the interaction of subject matter, characteristics of form and structure, use of media, artmaking approaches, and relevant contextual information contributes to understanding messages or ideas and mood conveyed.

Standard 9: Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work

● Create a convincing and logical argument to support an evaluation of art. Connecting Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.

● Make art collaboratively to reflect on and reinforce positive aspects of group identity. Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding

● Distinguish different ways art is used to represent, establish, reinforce, and reflect group identity.

National Core Standards for Performing Arts Grades 6 - 8

Standard 1: Create ● Character development in improvised and scripted works

Technical design and application of technical elements ● Ideas and creative concepts in improvisation and play building ● Creation, appreciation, and interpretation of scripted works ● Creative process in character development and script improvisation ● Technical elements of theatre in improvised and scripted works ● Expression, imagination, and appreciation in group dynamics ● Interpretation of drama using scripted material

Standard 2: Perform

● Drama and theatre techniques, dramatic forms, performance styles, and theatrical conventions that engage audiences

● Technology reinforces, enhances, and/or alters a theatrical performance ● Direction or design of a theatrical performance for an intended audience ● Communicate meaning to engage an audience ● Technology reinforces, enhances, and/or alters a theatrical performance ● Directing as an art form

Standard 3: Critically Respond

● Contemporary and historical context of drama ● Elements of drama, dramatic forms, performance styles, dramatic techniques, and

conventions

● Respect for theatre professions, cultural relationships, and legal responsibilities ● Analysis and evaluation of theatrical works ● Evaluation of elements of drama, dramatic techniques, and theatrical conventions

Respect for theatre, its practitioners, and conventions

National Association for Sport and Physical Education Standards Kindergarten ⅘ - Grade 8

to achieve by the end of Grade 8

Standard 1 Demonstrates competency in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns

● Exhibits command of rhythm and timing by creating a movement sequence to music as an individual or in a group

● Throws with a mature pattern for distance or power appropriate to the activity during small-sided game play

● Catches using an implement in a dynamic environment or modified game play ● Passes and receives with an implement in combination with locomotor patterns of running

and change of direction, speed and/or level, with competency, in invasion games such as lacrosse or hockey (floor, field, ice).

● Throws a lead pass to a moving partner off a dribble or pass ● Executes at least 2 of the following to create open space during modified game play:

pivots, fakes, jab steps, screens. ● Executes the following offensive skills during small-sided game play: pivot, give and go,

and fakes ● Dribbles with dominant and nondominant hands using a change of speed and direction in

small-sided game play ● Foot-dribbles or dribbles with an implement with control, changing speed and direction

during small-sided game play ● Shots on goal with a long-handled implement for power and accuracy in modified invasion

games such as hockey (floor, field, ice) or lacrosse. ● Drop-steps in the direction of the pass during player-to-player defense ● Executes consistently (at least 70 percent of the time) a legal underhand serve for distance

and accuracy for net and wall games such as badminton, volleyball or pickleball ● Strikes with a mature overhand pattern in a modified net or wall game such as volleyball,

handball, badminton or tennis ● Demonstrates the mature form of forehand and backhand strokes with a short- or

long-handled implement with power and accuracy in net games such as pickleball, tennis, badminton or paddle ball

● Transfers weight with correct timing using low to high striking pattern with a long-handled implement on the forehand and backhand sides.

● Forehand- and backhand-volleys with a mature form and control using a short-handled implement during modified game play

● Two-hand-volleys with control in a small-sided game ● Performs consistently (70 percent or more of the time) a mature throwing pattern, with

accuracy and control, for target games such as bowling, bocce or horseshoes. ● Strikes, with an implement, a stationary object for accuracy and power in activities such as

croquet, shuffleboard and golf ● Strikes a pitched ball with an implement for power to open space in a variety of

small-sided games ● Catches, using an implement, from different trajectories and speeds in a dynamic

environment or modified game play ● Demonstrates correct technique for basic skills in at least 2 self-selected outdoor activities. ● Preferably taught at elementary or secondary levels. However, availability of facilities

might dictate when swimming and water safety are offered in the curriculum. ● Demonstrates correct technique for basic skills in at least 2 self-selected

individual-performance activities Standard 2: The physically individual applies knowledge of concepts, principles, strategies and tactics related to movement and performance

● Opens and closes space during small-sided game play by combining locomotor movements with movement concepts

● Executes at least 3 of the following offensive tactics to create open space: moves to create open space on and off the ball; uses a variety of passes, fakes and pathways; give and go

● Creates open space by staying spread on offense, cutting and passing quickly, and using fakes off the ball

● Reduces open space on defense by staying on the goal side of the offensive player and reducing the distance to him/ her (third-party perspective

● Reduces open space by not allowing the catch (denial) and anticipating the speed of the object and person for the purpose of interception or deflection

● Transitions from offense to defense or defense to offense by recovering quickly, communicating with teammates and capitalizing on an advantage

● Creates open space in net or wall games with either a long- or short handled implement by varying force or direction, or by moving opponent from side to side and/or forward and back

● Varies placement, force and timing of return to prevent anticipation by opponent ● Varies the speed, force and trajectory of the shot based on location of the object in relation

to the target ● Identifies sacrifice situations and attempt to advance a teammate ● Reduces open spaces in the field by working with teammates to maximize coverage ● Describes and applies mechanical advantage(s) for a variety of movement patterns ● Implements safe protocols in self-selected outdoor activities

Standard 3: The physically individual demonstrates the knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness

● Develops a plan to address one of the barriers within one’s family, school or community to maintaining a physically active lifestyle.

● Participates in a physical activity 3 times a week outside of physical education class. ● Participates in a variety of self-selected aerobic fitness activities outside of school such as

walking, jogging, biking, skating, dancing and swimming ● Plans and implements a program of cross-training to include aerobic, strength and

endurance, and flexibility training. ● Participates in a self-selected lifetime sport, dance, aquatic or outdoor activity outside of

the school day ● Participates in moderate to vigorous aerobic and/or muscle- and bone strengthening

physical activity for at least 60 minutes per day at least 5 times a week. ● Compares and contrasts health related fitness components ● Uses available technology to self-monitor quantity of exercise needed for a minimal health

standard and/or optimal functioning based on current fitness level ● Employs a variety of appropriate static stretching techniques for all major muscle groups ● Describes the role of flexibility in injury prevention ● Uses the overload principle (FITT formula) in preparing a personal workout. ● Designs and implements a warm-up and cool-down regimen for a self-selected physical

activity. ● Defines how the RPE scale can be used to adjust workout intensity during physical

activity ● Explains how body systems interact with one another (e.g., blood transports nutrients from

the digestive system, oxygen from the respiratory system) during physical activity.1 ● Designs and implements a program of remediation for 3 areas of weakness based on the

results of health-related fitness assessment ● Designs and implements a program to improve levels of health-related fitness and

nutrition ● Describes the. relationship between poor nutrition and health risk factors ● Demonstrates basic movements used in other stress-reducing activities such as yoga and

tai chi Standard 4. The physically literate individual exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others

● Accepts responsibility for improving one’s own levels of physical activity and fitness. ● Uses effective self-monitoring skills to incorporate opportunities for physical activity in

and outside of school. ● Provides encouragement and feedback to peers without prompting from the teacher ● Responds appropriately to participants’ ethical and unethical behavior during physical

activity by using rules and guidelines for resolving conflicts. ● Cooperates with multiple classmates on problem-solving initiatives including adventure

activities, large-group initiatives and game play

● Applies rules and etiquette by acting as an official for modified physical activities and games and creating dance routines within a given set of parameters.

● Independently uses physical activity and fitness equipment appropriately, and identifies specific safety concerns associated with the activity.

STANDARD 5 The individual recognizes the value of physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression and/or social interaction.

● Identifies the five components of health-related fitness (muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, cardiorespiratory endurance and body composition) and explains the connections between fitness and overall physical and mental health.

● Analyzes the empowering consequences of being physically active. ● Develops a plan of action and makes appropriate decisions based on that plan when faced

with an individual challenge ● Discusses how enjoyment could be increased in self-selected physical activities ● Identifies and participates in an enjoyable activity that prompts individual self-expression. ● Demonstrates respect for self by asking for help and helping others in various physical

activities

Appendix Kindergarten ⅘ - Grade 2, 6+1 Writing Traits

Grade 3-12, 6+1 Writing Traits

Upper School Class Participation Rubric

A+, A, A- B+, B, B- C+, C, C- D+, D, D-, F

Attitude Maintains a positive and supportive attitude even when it is difficult. Actively supports the group and other individuals

Asks appropriate questions to understand work and approaches task with confidence, creativity and enthusiasm

Participates most of the time but may not be enthusiastic

Student sabotages the work of others and isn’t willing to try new things

Time Management

Stays on task and focused even without external reminding

Stays on task and focused with little teacher intervention

is not able to focus or stay on task without direct teacher attention

Even with teacher interventions, the student does not complete tasks

Behavior

Self-directed, respectful to everyone, asks questions to improve understanding

Works quietly or cooperatively with others in a focused manner, is not distracted by others

Sometimes “side-talks” during lesson and distracts others during the lesson or activity

Talks excessively when teacher is talking and can be too physical with other students

MS Participation Rubric (optional)

Readiness Commitment to Learning

Responsibility Behavior

A on time, prepared with agenda, prepared with all class materials, completed homework, seated, and beginning the warm-up independently

asking/answering questions on topic; taking note of key ideas or vocabulary; following all directions; respecting listener/speaker roles; collaborating well with other students

always excited to complete work, on task and focused, contributing to group environment, asking for help when it is needed.

Staying seated when needed Drinking only water Using an inside voice Helping others stay focused Using academic language

B on time, prepared with agenda, maybe missing some class materials, completed homework, seated, and beginning the warm-up independently

asking/answering questions on topic; taking note of key ideas independently most of the time; following all directions; respecting listener/speaker roles; collaborating well with other students most of the time

motivated to complete work, on task and focused most of the time, contributing to group environment, asking for help when it is needed.

Staying seated when needed most all of the time Drinking only water Using an inside voice Helping others stay focused Using academic language most all of the time

C maybe late, maybe

with agenda sometimes, missing some class materials, incomplete homework that is due; beginning the warm-up after some reminders

asking/answering questions off topic; sometimes distracting others during note taking; ignoring instructions, incomplete tasks sometimes; talking while another speaker is talking occasionally; contaminating group during group work sometimes

sometimes Unmotivated, disrupting the learning environment, avoiding help from teachers or classmates when needed most of the time

Moving around the room without permission Eating snacks sometimes shouting/calling out Distracting to others

D late, without agenda, missing class materials, incomplete homework; not seated, distracting others, unfinished warm-up

asking/answering questions off topic; distracting others during note taking; ignoring instructions, incomplete tasks; talking while another speaker is talking; contaminating group during group work

unmotivated, disrupting the learning environment, avoiding help from teachers or classmates when needed

Moving around the room Eating snacks Using an outside voice Very distracting to others Using non-academic language

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