2022 Summer Collaborative Work

The US science faculty spent time analyzing and discussing the idea of switching the 6th grade Earth Science curriculum and 7th grade Chemistry curriculum in order to better prepare our 8th graders for a PLB-focused Physics curriculum that might make the current sequence of topics in upper school serve our students' development of lab skills more effectively. After much discussion and differentiation of the curriculum to see if it would 'work,' we soon came to the conclusion that the curriculum sequence actually works best 'as is' as long as we add key chemistry ideas within the 6th grade Earth Science curriculum where they make sense. For example, we will now have an Acids and Bases lesson sequence inside the Earth's Minerals and Rocks unit that will require the use of the Bunsen burner so that students can be more independent using this critical science lab tool early in 7th grade…

As we emerge from the pandemic, the US science faculty thought it would be worthwhile to revisit the opportunities to make our curriculum more relevant and meaningful to students by returning to a PBL-focused unit sequence in 8th grade Physics. We have created an alignment between the Physics topics and National Science Olympiad events/projects that will allow students to directly apply what they have learned theoretically to real-world projects and activities. For example, after completing the Pressure unit, students will conduct research, develop hypotheses, and use the design-thinking process to create water powered bottle rockets to launch on campus for an Olympiad-Style Bottle Rocket Competition. PD Funding Request- ID#877

The 3rd-grade team, Alice Moore, Renita Levolsi and I met for a half day to think about the current Lion dance performance and the classroom SS curriculum around Chinese-Americans in San Francisco. I was interested to learn more about what the third-grade teachers are doing in the classroom curriculum-wise and how it is also evolving to include more of a social justice lens. Renita shared a link to a trailer for a new documentary about San Francisco’s Chinatown.

All of our questions, ideas, and next steps were documented using the new form for cultural appreciation that was developed last year.

Among the "Next Steps" listed in the doc was the following (which I think was the most important area of concern for all of us): Renita will be writing an email to look for a Chinese Lion Dance consultant to work with us on reviewing our current practice and making…

After attending the TC Reading Institute in June, I used a full day on 8/16 to update my units in both reading and writing. This independent work session helped me prepare for my half day collaboration with Vanessa on 8/17, where we revamped my end-of-unit assessment projects.

This year will be the first time 6th grade uses both Units of Study Reading and Writing for Middle School. Students will do a character study deep dive, craft a personal narrative essay, as well as explore the creative and passionate side of non-fiction reading/writing during the second trimester. In the spring, 6th graders will join "social issues" book clubs and complete argumentative literary essays.