Social Studies Program Pilot and Curriculum Work
I used Idea Lab time in June to meet with Jackie Beutell and pour over a new social studies program, myWorld Interactive, recommended by Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs. Jackie and I will pilot portions of the program this fall as we integrate the resources into our existing curriculum. I am excited about the prospect of having digital resources at my fingertips to enhance the history component of the current fifth grade curriculum. Each unit in the program has a PBL component; however, some projects are better than others. As per Dr. Jacobs suggestion, I will start the year with a geography unit focusing on the regions of the US, and slide into studying indigenous peoples of the Americas. This dovetails nicely with the study of California in the fourth grade curriculum. I used a portion of the Idea Lab time in August to continue to map my reader’s workshop and rethink whole class novels and independent reading. I am excited about the continuity in the upper school language arts and history curriculum-- go team! I'm looking forward to more curriculum conversations and alignment.