ISKL Curriculum
Discover more about our curriculum and the major concepts and skills students explore and develop during their time at ISKL.
You can view the information by grade or discipline. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our admissions team to support you.
Our Curriculum by Subject
Elementary School
- English and Language Arts
- Mathematics
- Performing Arts
- Physical Education
- Social Studies / Science
- Visual Arts
- World Language
English and Language Arts
PREP SENIOR
We Are Readers
Students develop fundamental reading skills using familiar texts and environmental print. They learn the importance of asking and answering questions about the text, and practice these skills through shared, partner, and independent reading experiences.
Reading Super Powers
Through reading familiar texts, students begin to use one-to-one matching of letters and sounds, and further develop decoding skills. As they work to improve their fluency, they learn that end punctuation determines when to pause during reading.
Bigger Books, Bigger Reading Muscles
As students learn the difference between narrative and informational texts, they develop strategies to identify and use patterns to improve fluency, comprehension, and accuracy when reading. There is an emphasis on retelling, asking and answering questions, and making predictions about text.
Becoming Avid Readers
As they explore the genre of informational books, students learn to identify the topic, use expert words, and compare and contrast texts.
Talking, Drawing, Writing
Through storytelling, students acquire tools that help them transition to becoming writers. They orally rehearse stories and transfer their stories to drawings, before finally adding words using phonemic awareness, word walls, and high frequency word lists.
Launching Writing Workshop
As students are introduced to Writing Workshop, they develop a topic, draw the topic, and then do their best approximation of writing. Students learn to move through the writing process of drafting, revising, and editing as they work towards publishing their writing.
Opinion Writing
Students develop understanding of the power of persuasive writing as a way to convince readers of something. They learn the difference between fact and opinion, how to research to find facts, and how to use facts to persuade.
Informational Writing
Through an inquiry into mentor texts that teach the reader how to do something, students write step-by-step "how-to" books that include diagrams and labels. There is a continued focus on readability, using spelling strategies and tools, capitalization, and revising.
Making Friends with Letters
Students begin phonics study using the letters in their names as they are immersed in sounds, rhyme, and word play.
Word Part Power
A students move from writing labels to writing sentences, they learn to use word-part power to grasp the power of phonograms. The word wall is introduced to support students in learning a growing number of high-frequency words. There is a focus on learning digraphs (sh, th, wh, ch) and using them with word parts to make words.
Word Scientists
Through a focus on letter knowledge and letter-sound correspondence, phonological awareness, and high-frequency words, students study the alphabet chart and use high-frequency words to read and write. Songs, games, poems, and nursery rhymes are introduced and revisited again and again to support phonemic awareness and early reading concepts.
Vowel Power
To further their study of short a and short i, students are introduced to the high-frequency words, am and did. They study vowels in words that are longer than CVC words, and learn how knowledge of CVC words is foundational to writing other words.
GRADE 1
Readers Build Good Habits
As they become more familiar with the Reading Workshop model, students develop strategies to use before, during, and after reading. They learn tools for decoding, and engage in conversations about their reading.
Learning About the World
Students review self-monitoring strategies and apply those strategies to nonfiction reading as they learn the importance of previewing a text,. As the read informational text, they work towards becoming vocabulary experts by using word detective strategies and context clues to solve tricky words.
Readers Have Big Jobs
As they strengthen their strategies for self-monitoring, students further develop problem-solving skills for when they encounter difficulties with decoding and comprehension. They enhance their abilities when retelling, use images to help determine meaning and importance, and continue to strengthen their vocabulary.
Meeting and Tracking Characters
With a focus on character, students learn to cite evidence from the text as they describe characters by referencing their actions and feelings, compare and contrast them, and ask and answer questions about them. Students continue to develop fluency and accuracy when reading aloud.
Small Moments
As they review the roles and responsibilities of Writing Workshop, students focus on small moments from their lives. With an emphasis on increasing writing stamina and generating ideas, they acquire strategies and learn to elaborate and add details to their writing.
Non-Fiction Chapter Books
Students share and engage in conversations to discover whether or not they need to add or change details from their work as they write informational books. They learn different ways to elaborate through the use of comparisons, examples, and elements of persuasion. Additionally, there is a greater emphasis on editing for punctuation as they get ready to select a book for publishing.
Opinion Writing
Writing opinion pieces helps students begin to understand that evidence must be provided to support an opinion. There is an emphasis on the idea of collecting good evidence and working through the process of writing a claim, a reason, and an explanation or details about the reason.
Scenes to Series
Through the realistic fiction genre, students create a character, give that character adventures in a series of booklets, and create a “boxed set” of the stories. As they extend previously learned narrative skills, students create a series of events and bring characters to life by describing what they do, say, and think. They showcase their work by adding illustrations, a “meet the author” page, and editing and revising in meaningful ways to make their work publication-ready.
Talking and Thinking About Letters
This unit provides cumulative review and reinforcement for key concepts in phonics that students encountered in Prep Senior. These include letter names and sounds, short vowels in CVC words, phonograms, blends, and digraphs, and a short list of approximately fifty high-frequency and high-utility words.
They Mystery of Silent e
Through Phonics Workshop, a place to study words closely and make discoveries, students gain more insight into understanding how language works. They investigate CVCe words with a different vowel, and look closely at words and word parts to decode difficult words by breaking them into parts and putting those parts back together.
From Tip to Tail - Reading Across Words
As students read nonfiction closely and thoughtfully, they learn that doing so involves looking all the way across words. They learn phonograms that contain blends and digraphs and continue acquiring new high-frequency words.
Word Builders - Using Vowel Teams to Build Words
Students construct words, and challenge themselves to build longer, bigger words. As they learn vowel teams, they are also introduced to a new set of high-frequency words.
Marvelous Bloopers - Learning Through Mistakes
As students investigate analyze word structures and learn new snap words, they study r-controlled vowels: ar, or, ur, ir, and er. They learn that words can be combined to make larger words and continue to develop their concept of compound words.
GRADE 2
Series Book Clubs
As they follow characters across different books within a series, students develop an understanding of the main character’s interactions and motivations. They work towards becoming experts on a particular series by collecting information about a character and studying the plot. Through this study across a series, students understand how authors use literary language to convey meaning.
Narrative Reading & Writing
(integrated Reading & Writing) As students explore the features of narrative texts, they read stories, fables, and folktales, becoming familiar with the structure and purpose of a narrative. As they identify the message or moral in a story, they practice reading with expression to convey the feelings and perspectives of different characters.
Students ask questions and use illustrations to deepen their understanding of the details of a story. They notice how characters respond to the challenges they are presented with, and compare stories that appear across different cultures. Students apply this in their own written narrative, in which they use structure, details, and transition words to engage their reader in a story.
Poetry
(integrated Reading & Writing) Students read, listen to, and perform a variety of poems and use what they learn to develop their decoding skills and fluency when reading. As they experiment with the structures of different types of poems, they begin to identify poetry features such as rhythm, rhyme, and alliteration.
Students practice applying these to poems of their own, creating audio recordings and visuals that expand upon their poetry. By using strategies to define new words, they expand their vocabularies and develop understanding of word nuances to begin making intentional language choices in their writing.
Informational Reading & Writing
(integrated Reading & Writing) As students become familiar with the purpose and structure of informative texts, they understand how text features such as glossaries, tables of contents, and images can support a reader’s understanding of a topic. Students learn to identify the topic of a paragraph or text, and participate in shared research in order to become experts in an area of their choosing.
As they use academic terms in their writing, they further hone their ability in determining the meaning of unknown words. Focusing on how to employ text structure, facts, and details to create a text that is informative and engaging for the reader, students publish both written and digital texts.
Opinion Reading & Writing
Students learn how to express their opinion in a way that is persuasive to their reader as they read opinion texts and begin to notice how authors support their reasons with examples and detail. Students compare and contrast texts to determine which are more effective, and practice expressing their opinion through writing. They employ the appropriate structure, transition words, and language to craft effective persuasive texts.
Students discuss their opinions on texts with others, and participate in collaborative conversations where they ask questions of their peers to learn more about their point of view. They reflect on the different genres of text explored throughout the year to identify how texts vary depending on the author’s purpose.
GRADE 3
Building a Reading Life
As students transition to more complex texts, they revisit the roles and responsibilities of Reading Workshop. There is an emphasis on routines, book selection, and reading in the company of partners. Students build and refine reading strategies for comprehension, such as self-monitoring, predicting, and retelling stories. They continue to work on strategies for tackling tricky words, enhance their knowledge of literary language, and begin to unpack author’s purpose.
Reading Informational Texts
Students work to increase their stamina by reading longer stretches of nonfiction texts as they learn to construct a mental summary of what they read, complete with big ideas and supporting details. There is an emphasis on the skills of main idea and supporting details, synthesizing across texts, summarizing, and questioning the text.
Character Book Clubs
As students are challenged to consider how stories are put together in deliberate ways and begin to debate ideas about texts, they learn to closely observe characters, make predictions, and sharpen their skills of interpretation. There is an emphasis on making inferences and noting patterns in the behaviors of characters based on actions, words, and thoughts.
Changing the World
(integrated Reading & Writing) Through the lens of the Sustainable Development Goals, students learn to research, synthesize information, and compare and contrast information across multiple texts. They use this information as the basis for their Persuasive Writing pieces.
Crafting True Stories
Using real experiences or events from their own lives, students develop personal narratives with a clear event sequence that unfolds naturally and includes exact details and specific words. They incorporate dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, feelings, and responses to further develop their writing.
The Art of Informational Writing
Using information found while working in the Informational Reading unit, students write booklets on topics they select that include well-structured paragraphs packed with details, examples, anecdotes, and expert vocabulary. There is focus on concrete strategies, such as elaboration and the intentional use of grammar to enhance meaning.
Adapting & Writing Fairy Tales
As students further develop narrative writing skills, they adapt a familiar fairytale or myth. As they become more comfortable with the genre, they work through the writing process independently, generating ideas, drafting, and revising. There is a continued focus on enhancing details and editing for conventions.
GRADE 4
Reading Foundations
Students begin to challenge themselves to read with increasing stamina and fluency as they learn how to choose books that are just right in level and interest, to carry books between home and school, and to collect and study data about their reading rates and volume. In reading partnerships, students learn to retell and summarize texts and to share ideas that are grounded in the specifics of their books.
Nonfiction Books
As students look at the nonfiction genre, they learn how to deconstruct nonfiction texts and take notes according to the structure the author uses. There is an emphasis on summarizing and paraphrasing as students develop skills to synthesize information.
Interpreting Characters
Students begin to think more deeply about characters as they learn to make inferences, build theories, and uncover life lessons in texts. They further develop strategies to read with fluency, and participate in collaborative discussions about what they read.
Research Reading
As students work to further their understanding of content knowledge, they learn multiple strategies to identify main idea and supporting details, and develop self-monitoring skills and the ability to decipher important vs. interesting information. They then work to transfer their understanding of main ideas, details, craft, and structure to the research process, integrating and synthesizing the information they collect.
Historical Fiction
As they analyze how history affects the actions, words, and thoughts characters, students learn to read passages closely. During this close reading, they determine themes, investigate symbolism, and revise their interpretations as needed.
Personal Essay
Through the lens of the personal essay, students generate ideas, a thesis, and claims. As they move into creating paragraphs, they learn to develop their elaboration skills and craft moves. There is a focus on the writing process as students work to revise, edit, and publish their work.
Realistic Fiction
Using small moments from their lives, students create a realistic fiction story. They learn to develop the main character's wants and needs, motivations and struggles, and external versus internal character traits. Students spend time understanding the plot of a narrative through a story arc by focusing on a few specific scenes. With guidance, students work through the writing process to make their stories audience ready.
Informational Writing
Students strengthen their information writing skills by first writing about areas of personal expertise, and later writing a feature article connected to science content. They study mentor texts to review text structure, and plan the content of each chapter of an information book before focusing on elaboration and structure while working through the writing process,
Choice Writing
This unit empowers fourth-grade students to harness their unique voices and make informed choices about the genres they write in. Through exploration, practice, and reflection, students deepen their understanding of different writing genres, develop their individual writing styles, and enhance their ability to transfer and apply their skills across various contexts.
By the end of this unit, students create a polished piece of writing in a genre of their choice, showcasing their personal voice and creativity.
GRADE 5
Fantasy
(integrated Reading and Writing): Taking a closer look at author craft moves, particularly the use of symbolism and allegory, students track characters' problems, and identify internal and external character conflicts and themes that run through fantasy books. They use what they learn from authors, to create fantasy stories of their own.
Literary Analysis
(integrated Reading and Writing): Through a study of interpretation, students work together in Book Clubs to identify themes.They look closely at author’s craft to compare and contrast the ways in which themes are developed across texts, and how and why an author created a character or developed a plot line. They then choose a piece of narrative text that has impacted them, amd use it to generate ideas about the literature, and develop a thesis statement and supporting details.
Journalism
(integrated Reading and Writing): Through an inquiry into mentor texts, students develop their understanding of ethical journalism. Applying a variety of writing tools and techniques that help working journalists, students craft a news article from start to finish as they strive to include the specifics in their articles by observing something; an event, a location, or a person. They understand that specific details make a tremendous difference in journalistic writing.
Research & Community Action
(Integrated Reading & Writing) Through an integrated reading and writing inquiry, students explore more complex texts. They research topics related to the Sustainable Development Goals, collect information, take notes, and produce a report on a topic.
Students inquire into the multimodal ways authors present information, investigating the characteristics of each mode before choosing the best mode to share their information, adding visuals, sound, and other media to best convey their ideas.
Mathematics
PREP SENIOR
First Week of Math
At the start of the year, time is devoted to setting up the mathematics classroom culture and creating routines that support the development of the Standards for Mathematical Practice.
Numbers to 10
As students focus on counting to 10, they work with number names and symbols, and attach a quantity to each number. Students compare numbers to 10 using the mathematical language of more than, less than and equal to. Using number bonds, ten frames, real objects, and drawings, students learn to compose and decompose the numbers 1-10. This is foundational learning for addition and subtraction.
Playing with Shapes
Through exploration and discovery, students begin to learn to name, describe, and sort 2- and 3-D shapes. There is a focus on foundational work with position words.
Addition and Addition Situations
As students are introduced to the concept of addition, they learn that it can be seen as putting-together and adding-to through concrete situations. Students work with objects and drawings to develop conceptual understanding of addition.
Describe and Compose 2D Shapes
Further developing their understanding of shape, students describe and classify basic 2-D shapes by their attributes. They learn to model and compose 2D shapes, and join simple 2-D shapes to form larger more complex 2-D shapes.
Subtraction and Subtraction Situations
As students model subtraction with manipulatives, they acquire a repertoire of strategies for solving subtraction stories. Students write their own subtraction story situations and solve them in multiple ways.
Describe and Compose 3D Shapes
Through hands-on inquiries, students further develop their understanding of shape as they learn to describe and classify basic 3D shapes by their attributes. Students model and compose 3D shapes, and join simple 3-D shapes to form larger more complex 3D shapes.
Numbers to 20
In order to develop an understanding of the numbers 11-19 (teen numbers), students connect ten frame representations with numerals. They compare quantities and numbers to determine which is greater and which is less.
Using counters, math drawings, ten frames, and equations, students describe, explore, and explain how the counting numbers from 11 through 19 are ten ones and some more ones. They compose and decompose the numbers 11 through 19 by telling how many tens and ones are in the number, and connect composition and decomposition with number stories and represent numbers in various ways.
Length, Weight, and Capacity
Working with measurable attributes, students compare and sort objects. They revisit the idea of sorting by attribute as a way to differentiate between attributes that are measurable and those that are not.
Mastering Addition and Subtraction to 5
Fluency to 5 means that students recognize, understand, and can use a variety of representations for addition and subtraction and can solve addition and subtraction problems within 5. The focus is building fluency for addition and subtraction within 5 and continuing to develop students' understanding of addition and subtraction, in context, up to 10.
GRADE 1
First Week of Math
At the start of the year, time is devoted to setting up the mathematics classroom culture and creating routines that support the development of the Standards for Mathematical Practice.
Ten as a Unit
As students review and build upon addition and subtraction concepts learned in Prep Senior, they use visual models to gain a better understanding of addition and subtraction to 10, and learn how addition and subtraction are connected to each other.
Attributes of 2D Shapes
As students work to describe shapes based on defining attributes, they learn that color, size, and orientation are non-defining attributes. Students begin to learn about parts of a whole as they explore into halves and fourths of circles.
Addition to 20
As students acquire different strategies for solving addition problems, they also learn that knowing some facts, such as the Doubles and Double +1 facts, makes it easier to solve addition problems.
Subtraction to 20
Using a variety of strategies and models and what they know about addition, students begin to make sense of subtraction.
Measuring Length & Time
Using non-standard measurement tools, students compare and order lengths and heights. Building on the concepts from their work with circles, they continue to tell time to the hour and half hour.
Problems with Unknowns
Working towards greater fluency with problem solving, students begin to consider what operation works best for what situation and why.
Attributes of 3D Shapes
As students reason about 3D shapes, they extend their understanding of defining and non-defining attributes from their work with 2D shapes.
Challenging Problems
As students continue to extend their addition and subtraction skills, they begin to work with different kinds of problems that involve more complex situations and more difficult combinations of numbers.
Numbers Greater than 20
As students examine how two-digit numbers are composed of tens and ones, they build numbers up to 100 using concrete models and representations. Students add and subtract numbers within 100 and compare numbers by analyzing the amount of tens and ones in each number.
GRADE 2
First Week of Math
At the start of the year, time is devoted to setting up the mathematics classroom culture and creating routines that support the development of the Standards for Mathematical Practice.
Measuring Length
Working with standard units of measurement, students build upon the work in first grade to estimate, measure, compare, and reason about lengths.
Addition & Subtraction within 100
Extending their work with addition into the hundreds place, students solve word problems using a variety of strategies. Applying what they have already learned about addition to their work with subtraction, students use a variety of strategies to solve real-world problems.
Problems with Unknowns
As students encounter more complex problems with unknowns, they consider what operation works best for different kinds of situations and why.
Numbers Greater than 100
As students continue to work with numbers into the hundreds place, they use their previous experiences with place value, grouping, and skip counting to make numbers greater than than 100 in many ways.
Calculating with Three-Digit Numbers
Building on their knowledge of addition and subtraction, students work with more complex problems. They add and subtract 3-digit numbers with manipulatives, and they add as many as four 2-digit numbers within the same problem.
Working with Figures & Equal Groups
Using previous learning about shapes from Prep Senior and Grade 1, students formalize definitions and ways of composing and decomposing shapes. As students continue to build addition and subtraction fluency, they learn new strategies such as doubling and grouping. Grouping objects prepares students for multiplication in future mathematics.
Two-Step Problems with Unknowns
Using strategies from 1-step word problems, students work with 2-step problems where they often have to add and subtract within the same problem.
Data, Graphs, and Time
Building on their knowledge of data and graphs from Prep Senior and Grade 1, students generate data, organize it on a variety of graphs, and learn to ask and answer questions about the data. Using real-world situations, students learn to tell time to the nearest minute and work on distinguishing notations for morning and afternoon, as well as other conventions for reading and describing time.
GRADE 3
First Week of Math
At the start of the year, time is devoted to setting up the mathematics classroom culture and creating routines that support the development of the Standards for Mathematical Practice.
Place Value, Number, and Reasoning
Building upon their experiences with numbers and the base-ten system, students extend that work with addition and subtraction to the hundreds place.
Time
As students work with telling time to the minute, they also compute elapsed time and think about why that matters.
Exploring & Expanding Multiplication
The foundational work with multiplication in Grade 3 sets students up for success with fractions in elementary school and ratios in middle school. For this reason, much time in Grade 3 is devoted to multiplication. Through the multiplication of the numbers 2-9 by the numbers 2-9, students begin to gain conceptual understanding as well as fluency and accuracy.
2D Figures
Building on the reasoning students have been doing with shapes since they entered school, they work with shapes in different categories, focusing on different types of quadrilaterals (also known as four-sided figures). They also extend their work with shapes to include perimeter.
Multiplication & Area
Having now worked with factors 2 - 9, students move on to seeing patterns in multiples of 10, and how the digit zero holds place value. They continue to build their fluency with multiplication.
Using real-world contexts, students learn how area and perimeter are related and how they are different. Rather than working with formulas, Third Graders build conceptual understanding by working with concrete models.
Division
As students begin to work with division, they learn that division can be seen as separating into groups. They learn that this can be done in two ways: quotative division/grouping (making groups of the same size over and over) or partitive division/sharing (make a fixed number of groups).
Fractions
As students build on the work they did in Grade 2 with recognizing and naming fractions, they practice many strategies to understand, show, and compare fractions.
Volume, Weight, and Data
Using standard units of measurement, students estimate, measure, compare and reason about volume and mass. Continuing to use the tally table, picture graphs, and bar graphs that they learned in Grade 2, students extend their understanding by drawing scaled graphs to show data in multiples.
Word Problems with Unknowns
Using their understanding of the four mathematical operations, students make sense of real-world problems involving two-steps by modeling with diagrams and equations and by using a letter for the unknown.
GRADE 4
First Week of Math
At the start of the year, time is devoted to setting up the mathematics classroom culture and creating routines that support the development of the Standards for Mathematical Practice.
Structure of Whole Numbers
Building upon their experiences with the base-ten number systems, students work with the understanding that any digit in a multi-digit number represents a number that is ten times greater than what it would represent one place to the right. This critical understanding is important to all future mathematics.
Whole Number Multiplication
As they practice multiplication facts learned in Grade 3, students also work with larger numbers. They learn to compare using multiplication and to multiply using an area model.
Learning the area model before an algorithm builds the conceptual understanding needed for algebra in middle school. Extending their practice with multiplication, students analyze the patterns of scaling up a number with its multiples and understand that the factors of a whole number are the numbers that divide it evenly with no remainder.
Division of Whole Numbers
Applying what they have learned about multiplication to division, students begin to develop a deep understanding about what division is and how to use it. Learning partial quotients division before an algorithm builds conceptual understanding needed for future mathematics.
Decimal Numbers
As students continue to focus on the important ideas about place value, they extend their thinking to decimal numbers and learn that any digit in a multi-digit number is ten times greater than what it would represent one place to the right.
Fractions
Using visual models to build conceptual understanding, students compare, add, and subtract fractions.
Measurement
Using standard units of measurement, students solve real-world problems involving area and perimeter, and convert between units of the same system.
Polygons
Building upon previous work with two- and three-dimensional shapes, students classify and categorize polygons based on sides and angles.
Number & Shape Patterns
Extending their understanding of patterns, students describe them with words, tables, and numbers.
GRADE 5
First Week of Math
At the start of the year, time is devoted to setting up the mathematics classroom culture and creating routines that support the development of the Standards for Mathematical Practice.
Whole Number Multiplication & Division
Building on and extending the work they did in Grade 4 with multi-digit multiplication and division, students make connections between different kinds of representations and become fluent with a standard algorithm for multiplication.
Decimal Number System
Building upon base-ten understanding from Grade 4, students work with decimals to the thousandths place.
Addition and Subtraction of Decimals & Fractions
Through exposure to and practice with a variety of strategies, students learn to add and subtract decimals and fractions.
Multiplying and Dividing Whole Numbers by Decimals
Shifting their thinking about multiplication and division, students learn an important new concept, which is scaling: the idea that multiplying and dividing can magnify or shrink a number. This understanding is critical for their work in middle school with ratios and proportions.
Multiplying and Dividing Decimals by Decimals
Continuing to work with the structure of the base-10 number system, students now extend that work to multiplying and dividing decimals by decimals.
Multiplying Fractions
Students build on the skills and understandings they have developed about fractions, multiplication, the areas of rectangles, and scaling as they explore multiplication of fractions (including mixed numbers) by whole numbers and fractions.
Dividing Fractions
Students build on their knowledge of division by learning to express a whole number divided by a whole number as a fraction, increasing their understanding of how division and fractions are connected and how they both connect to multiplication.
Students build on their understanding of re-partitioning fractions into smaller fractional parts, and use this knowledge to solve problems involving division of unit fractions by whole numbers.
Units & Volume
Using concrete models, students recognize volume as an attribute of three-dimensional figures and understand that volume can be measured by finding the total number of the same-size units required to fill the space without gaps or overlaps. They then use that understanding when working with the formula for finding volume.
Number Patterns and the Coordinate Plane
While continuing to build on pattern work, students begin to learn to use the coordinate plane as they graph and analyze number patterns.
Classifying 2D Shapes
Having worked with shapes throughout elementary school, students now formalize the distinctions between different types of polygons, focusing on nested (hierarchical) groups of quadrilaterals.
Performing Arts
PREP SENIOR
Welcome to Music
Students receive a welcome to the world of music with a focus on who a musician is. They learn correct singing posture, beat, and high/low pitch, and begin to associate music with movement to make connections with lyrics, beats, and the sounds of music.
Music and Celebrations
Through celebrations of Malaysia, students listen to cultural songs and learn proper technique for singing in unison. They practice simple rhythm and beats with high/low pitch, and are introduced to non-pitched percussion instruments.
Musical Instrument Museum
Using common household items, students build a specific instrument from a particular culture. They study the culture and learn or create a song using their instrument. Students investigate the classification of instruments in order to display their instrument in the museum.
Classical & World Music as Expression
Through listening to a variety of styles of music, students review overall concepts of how the elements of music create feelings and thoughts in a musical piece.
GRADE 1
So(l), This is Music
Through simple rhythms, students are introduced to solfege. They begin to explore rhythm and beat, and develop awareness for types of sounds and music using non-pitched percussion instruments.
Music and MI
Extending their knowledge of solfege and simple rhythms, students develop an awareness for types of sounds in music using non-pitched or pitched percussion instruments.
Musical Instrument Museum
Using common household items, students build a specific instrument from a particular culture. They study the culture and learn or create a song using their instrument. Students investigate the classification of instruments in order to display their instrument in the museum.
Composers and Performers
Celebrating their learning, students compose their own selection of music that is performed by their peers.
GRADE 2
Getting to Know You
Through review and reinforcement of good habits, students learn dynamics with musical terms.
Musical Notation and Expression
As students continue to work on good singing habits, they apply dynamics to performances and receive an introduction to the music staff/stave.
Musical Instrument Museum
Using common household items, students build a specific instrument from a particular culture. They study the culture and learn or create a song using their instrument. Students investigate the classification of instruments in order to display their instrument in the museum.
Bring it Together
As students learn about whole note, whole rest, ¾ meter, and pentatonic patterns, as well as form (binary), they continue developing their understanding of dynamics. Students compose a short 8-beat rhythmic selection.
GRADE 3
Dynamics and Tempo
As students work with the musical concepts of dynamics, rhythms in simple meter, and tempo, cultural celebrations with traditional songsare incorporated. Students review proper singing technique and compose basic rhythmic patterns.
Melodies and Notations
Using their knowledge of basic rhythms, students create musical compositions. They develop understanding of how melodies move, and further their understanding of dynamics, timbre, and tempo.
Musical Instrument Museum
Using common household items, students build a specific instrument from a particular culture. They study the culture and learn or create a song using their instrument. Students investigate the classification of instruments in order to display their instrument in the museum.
Final Connection
Using their knowledge of basic rhythms, students create musical compositions. They develop understanding of how melodies move, and further their understanding of dynamics, timbre, and tempo.
GRADE 4
Moving Forward Musically
With a focus on reinforcing good posture and technique habits when singing, students review the elements of music including rhythm, beat, dynamics, pitch, and phrasing.
Notation and Traditional Celebrations
Applying their knowledge of the elements of music, students further develop notation reading skills and their cultural repertoire.
Musical Instrument Museum
Using common household items, students build a specific instrument from a particular culture. They study the culture and learn or create a song using their instrument. Students investigate the classification of instruments in order to display their instrument in the museum.
Composition and Performance
As students deepen their understanding of instrument families within the orchestra and band in order to prepare them for Grade 5 Band, they draft, compose, and perform their individual compositions with traditional music notation on their chosen instrument.
GRADE 5
Introduction to Band and Strings
As students review their knowledge of pitch and rhythm from Grade 4, they begin to work with their chosen instrument and learn maintenance, tone production, articulation, and how to play 5 pitches.
All Together Now!
As students continue working with their instrument, they begin to perform music with multiple parts, performing their first full band piece. Students also compose short, rhythmic ideas to perform on one to two pitches on their instrument.
The Growth of Musicality
As students continue working with their instrument, they add new rhythms and musical symbols, and discuss musicality. Students compose short, rhythmic and melodic ideas for their instrument and perform in smaller groups for the class. They listen and respond to recordings of experts on their instruments.
Setting the Stage
As students focus on their instrument for the May performance, they challenge their musical abilities, expand on their ensemble skills, and look towards the culmination of their elementary music learning Students continue developing their ear through listening to recordings of themselves and others.
Physical Education
PREP SENIOR
Aquatics
Students learn both the front and back float, the slide-in water entry, exiting the water, putting on a life jacket, and the seated dive during the Water Safety lessons.
In Stroke Development, lessons include freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke. Students demonstrate arm and leg movement and breathing techniques for each stroke with a flotation device, and complete a five-meter swim.
Hand-Eye Coordination
As students develop hand-eye coordination, they demonstrate self toss, bounce and catch, underhand throw with form, and throwing at a target with some accuracy.
Gymnastics and Parkour
Students work on four main areas in Gymnastics and Parkour: tumbling, balances and supports, vaulting, and ropes. Balance, coordination, strength, and spatial awareness are the predominant physical skills focused on as students learn body management skills while static, moving, and inverted.
Track & Field
Students participate in activities that enhance their skills in jogging, sprinting, sliding, jumping from one foot to two feet, jumping from two to two feet, jumping over low objects, jumping for distance, and throwing various objects for distance and accuracy. They learn the correct technique for all activities and then take part in a school-wide Track & Field Day.
Dance and Jump Rope
As students take part in Dance and Jump Rope, they develop movement and collaborative skills, as well as learn to synchronize body movements, follow visual and verbal clues, and perform a variety of basic patterns.
Striking
Students take part in a variety of games, such as football, floor hockey, badminton, and pickleball, to promote the development of striking skills. Students learn to use long and short handled implements, as well as their feet and hands.
All of the sports and skills are modified to meet both the students' age and ability level. This allows for learning of new games while developing age-appropriate skills.
Fun with Fitness
At the beginning of Semester 1, students complete a variety of strength and cardiovascular fitness activities and The Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) test to assess their fitness level.
Throughout the year, students continue to build their strength and cardiovascular fitness through various activities and complete the PACER test again in Semester 2 to assess progress.
GRADE 1
Aquatics
Students learn both the front and back float, the slide-in water entry, exiting the water, putting on a life jacket, and the seated dive during the Water Safety lessons.
In Stroke Development, lessons include freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke. Students demonstrate arm and leg movement and breathing techniques for each stroke with a flotation device, and complete a five-meter swim.
Hand-Eye Coordination
As students develop hand-eye coordination, they demonstrate self toss, bounce and catch, underhand throw with form, and throwing at a target with some accuracy.
Gymnastics and Parkour
Students work on four main areas in Gymnastics and Parkour: tumbling, balances and supports, vaulting, and ropes. Balance, coordination, strength, and spatial awareness are the predominant physical skills focused on as students learn body management skills while static, moving, and inverted.
Track & Field
Students participate in activities that enhance their skills in jogging, sprinting, sliding, jumping from one foot to two feet, jumping from two to two feet, jumping over low objects, jumping for distance, and throwing various objects for distance and accuracy. They learn the correct technique for all activities and then take part in a school-wide Track & Field Day.
Dance and Jump Rope
As students take part in Dance and Jump Rope, they develop movement and collaborative skills. They learn to synchronize body movements, follow visual and verbal clues, and perform a variety of basic patterns.
Striking
Students take part in a variety of games, such as football, floor hockey, badminton, and pickleball, to promote the development of striking skills. Students learn to use long and short handled implements, as well as their feet and hands.
All of the sports and skills are modified to meet both the students' age and ability level. This allows for learning of new games while developing age-appropriate skills.
Fun with Fitness
At the beginning of Semester 1, students complete a variety of strength and cardiovascular fitness activities and The Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) test to assess their fitness level.
Throughout the year, students continue to build their strength and cardiovascular fitness through various activities and complete the PACER test again in Semester 2 to assess progress.
GRADE 2
Aquatics
Students learn both the front and back float without teacher support, step-in water entry, exiting the water, life jacket mobility (front/back), survival backstroke introduction, and dive from the side of the swimming pool during the Water Safety lessons.
In Stroke Development, lessons include freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke. Students demonstrate arm and leg movement and breathing techniques for each stroke without a flotation device, and complete a 25-meter swim.
Hand-Eye Coordination
As students develop hand-eye coordination, they demonstrate self toss, bounce and catch, underhand throw with form, and throwing at a target with some accuracy.
Gymnastics and Parkour
Students work on four main areas in Gymnastics and Parkour: tumbling, balances and supports, vaulting, and ropes. Balance, coordination, strength, and spatial awareness are the predominant physical skills focused on as students learn body management skills while static, moving, and inverted.
Track & Field
Students participate in activities that enhance their skills in jogging, sprinting, sliding, jumping from one foot to two feet, jumping from two to two feet, jumping over low objects, jumping for distance, and throwing various objects for distance and accuracy. They learn the correct technique for all activities and then take part in a school-wide Track & Field Day.
Dance and Jump Rope
As students take part in Dance and Jump Rope, they develop movement and collaborative skills, as well as learn to synchronize body movements, follow visual and verbal clues, and perform a variety of basic patterns.
Striking
Students take part in a variety of games, such as football, floor hockey, badminton, and pickleball, to promote the development of striking skills. Students learn to use long and short handled implements, as well as their feet and hands.
All of the sports and skills are modified to meet both the students' age and ability level. This allows for learning of new games while developing age-appropriate skills.
Fun with Fitness
At the beginning of Semester 1, students complete a variety of strength and cardiovascular fitness activities and The Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) test to assess their fitness level.
Throughout the year, students continue to build their strength and cardiovascular fitness through various activities and complete the PACER test again in Semester 2 to assess progress.
GRADE 3
Aquatics
Students learn both the front and back float, recovery, step-in water entry, exiting the water, compact jump with life jacket mobility, survival backstroke, survival breaststroke, duck dive, and rescue skills in the Water Safety lessons.
In Stroke Development, lessons include freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke. Students demonstrate arm and leg movement and breathing techniques for each stroke without a flotation device, and complete a 25-meter swim.
Hand-Eye Coordination
As students further develop hand-eye coordination, they work to improve accuracy and ability to send and receive objects. They have opportunities to build and refine their skills in under/over hand throwing and catching of different objects, as well as through participation in game play.
Gymnastics and Parkour
Students work on four main areas in Gymnastics and Parkour: tumbling, balance and supports, vaulting, and ropes. They learn body management skills while static, moving, and inverted.
Track & Field
A focus on track and field activities helps to prepare students for a whole school Track & Field Day. The Track portion includes running events from 50 to 800 meters, and the Field portion includes a variety of jumping events, as well as discus and modified javelin throwing. Students learn the correct technique for each of the events, record their best times and distances, and set personal goals.
Dance and Jump Rope
As students take part in Dance and Jump Rope, they develop movement and collaborative skills, as well as learn to synchronize body movements, follow visual and verbal clues, and perform a variety of basic patterns.
Striking
Students take part in a variety of games, such as Australian football, kickball, field hockey, and baseball, to promote the development of striking skills. Students learn to use long and short handled implements, as well as their feet and hands.
All of the sports and skills are modified to meet both the students' age and ability level. This allows for learning of new games while developing age-appropriate skills.
Fun with Fitness
At the beginning of Semester 1, students complete a variety of strength and cardiovascular fitness activities and The Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) test to assess their fitness level.
Throughout the year, students continue to build their strength and cardiovascular fitness through various activities and complete the PACER test again in Semester 2 to assess progress.
GRADE 4
Aquatics
Students learn both the front and back float, the slide-in water entry, exiting the water, putting on a life jacket, and the seated dive during the Water Safety lessons.
In Stroke Development, lessons include diving, freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke. Students demonstrate arm and leg movement and breathing techniques for each, and complete a 25-meter swim.
Hand-Eye Coordination
As students further develop hand-eye coordination, they work to improve accuracy and ability to send and receive objects. They have opportunities to build and refine their skills in under/over hand throwing and catching of different objects, as well as through participation in game play.
Gymnastics and Parkour
Students work on four main areas in Gymnastics and Parkour: tumbling, balance and supports, vaulting, and ropes. They learn body management skills while static, moving, and inverted.
Track & Field
A focus on track and field activities helps to prepare students for a whole school Track & Field Day. The Track portion includes running events from 50 to 800 meters, and the Field portion includes a variety of jumping events, as well as discus and modified javelin throwing. Students learn the correct technique for each of the events, record their best times and distances, and set personal goals.
Dance and Jump Rope
As students take part in Dance and Jump Rope, they develop movement and collaborative skills, as well as learn to synchronize body movements, follow visual and verbal clues, and perform a variety of basic patterns.
Striking
Students take part in a variety of games, such as Australian football, kickball, field hockey, and baseball, to promote the development of striking skills. Students learn to use long and short handled implements, as well as their feet and hands.
All of the sports and skills are modified to meet both the students' age and ability level. This allows for learning of new games while developing age-appropriate skills.
Fun with Fitness
At the beginning of Semester 1, students complete a variety of strength and cardiovascular fitness activities and The Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) test to assess their fitness level.
Throughout the year, students continue to build their strength and cardiovascular fitness through various activities and complete the PACER test again in Semester 2 to assess progress.
GRADE 5
Aquatics
Students learn both the front and back float, the slide-in water entry, exiting the water, putting on a life jacket, and the seated dive during the Water Safety lessons.
In Stroke Development, lessons include diving, freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke. Students demonstrate arm and leg movement and breathing techniques for each, and complete a 25-meter swim.
Hand-Eye Coordination
As students further develop hand-eye coordination, they work to improve accuracy and ability to send and receive objects. They have opportunities to build and refine their skills in under/over hand throwing and catching of different objects, as well as through participation in game play.
Gymnastics and Parkour
Students work on four main areas in Gymnastics and Parkour: tumbling, balance and supports, vaulting, and ropes. They learn body management skills while static, moving, and inverted.
Track & Field
A focus on track and field activities helps to prepare students for a whole school Track & Field Day. The Track portion includes running events from 50 to 800 meters, and the Field portion includes a variety of jumping events, as well as discus and modified javelin throwing. Students learn the correct technique for each of the events, record their best times and distances, and set personal goals.
Dance and Jump Rope
As students take part in Dance and Jump Rope, they develop movement and collaborative skills, as well as learn to synchronize body movements, follow visual and verbal clues, and perform a variety of basic patterns.
Striking
Students take part in a variety of games, such as Australian football, kickball, field hockey, and baseball, to promote the development of striking skills. Students learn to use long and short handled implements, as well as their feet and hands.
All of the sports and skills are modified to meet both the students' age and ability level. This allows for learning of new games while developing age-appropriate skills.
Fun with Fitness
At the beginning of Semester 1, students complete a variety of strength and cardiovascular fitness activities and The Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) test to assess their fitness level.
Throughout the year, students continue to build their strength and cardiovascular fitness through various activities and complete the PACER test again in Semester 2 to assess progress.
Social Studies / Science
PREP SENIOR
The Melawati Way
Through role-play and storytelling, students learn about their rights and responsibilities as members of a community, and how the choices they make impact their peers and environment. They also develop strategies for ensuring personal safety.
Pushes and Pulls
Taking on the role of engineers, students explore the effects of forces on the motion of an object. They conduct tests on their own prototypes of a pinball machine, and use what they learn to contribute to the design of the class pinball machine. Students learn how engineers design and test solutions to problems.
Sunlight and Weather
In the role of scientists, students solve the problem of why students at one fictional school are too cold during morning recess, while students at another school are too hot during afternoon recess.
Through hands-on investigations and the use of physical models, students explore the warming effect of sunlight, and figure out how to solve the schools’ problems. Students extend their understanding of weather with an exploration of severe weather within the context of the schools.
Let Me Take You on a Journey!
Students investigate maps and globes as tools that represent the physical world in different ways, describe environmental characteristics of places and regions, and make connections to human activities in various parts of the world.
Through learning about the countries they are from and describing the similarities and differences in weather, climate, and human activities, students begin to understand how and why people interact with geography.
GRADE 1
Our Family Stories
In this unit, students are engaged in expanding their understanding of families in general and the idea that families can be both similar and different. Much of family life may be shared - language, religion, culture, and traditions - there are important differences across these elements. Students will see how their family and their classmates’ families share commonalities and differences.
Animal and Plant Defenses
In the role of scientists advising an aquarium director, students answer visitors’ questions about a sea turtle who will soon be released back into the ocean. They investigate how the turtle and its offspring can survive in the ocean, particularly since sharks live in the area. Students create multiple models throughout the unit to explain their ideas about how defenses function.
Light and Sound
Taking on the role of engineers who need to design, build, and then project a scene for a puppet show, students tackle the questions of how to make a surface brighter or darker. They investigate and then apply new knowledge to create a background scene for a puppet theater, using patterns of light to create the effects they want.
Students also take on the role of sound engineers to create sound sources for their puppet-show scene. Throughout the investigations, students engage in engineering design cycles in which they plan, make, and test different solutions to a problem.
Economic Choices
This unit investigates economic decision making through the context of how families manage their money. In examining the costs and benefits associated with making decisions about spending and saving money.
GRADE 2
Properties of Materials
Taking on the role of engineers, students use engineering design practices to create a glue for use at their school. They conduct hands-on investigations to observe properties of a variety of possible glue ingredients and learn how certain materials respond to heating and cooling.
Students apply their understanding of how properties of ingredients affect properties of mixtures, and search for useful information about each ingredient in reference books. They conduct tests, graph data, analyze and interpret results, and then use that evidence to iteratively design a series of glue mixtures, each one better than the one before.
Plant and Animal Relationships
Assuming the role of scientists, students explain why no new Chalta trees are growing in a fictional Bengal tiger reserve. Along with firsthand experiences, students read informational texts, focus on how to plan and carry out investigations about plant needs, and engage in student-to-student discussions as they come to understand some challenging life science concepts.
Identity
In this unit, students explore their individual and group identities. They recognize the different components of their cultures and the cultures of others. Students compare different cultural practices and will interact respectfully when discussing the similarities and differences in their identities.
Students also develop an understanding of stereotypes, and why these are harmful. They discuss what it means to be inclusive, culminating in a book review that explores the topics and themes covered in the unit.
Food Waste
As students investigate how communities work together to create change, they collect information from different sources and discover how much food waste is produced in Grade 2. They then explore how the roles and responsibilities of different people contribute to how communities are managed.
Students recognize their own roles in a community and identify ways they can take action to improve the world around them. They construct an argument on how to improve food waste management at home and school, and communicate their findings in order to contribute to a more sustainable world.
GRADE 3
Mapping
Through a guided inquiry, students explore how landforms impact the lives of people in an area. They learn about map features, types of maps, and how to read them, and apply their understanding throughout the inquiry.
Weather and Climate
In the role of meteorologists working for a fictional wildlife protection organization, students investigate weather patterns as they solve the problem of where to establish an orangutan reserve. They figure out how meteorologists collect, analyze, and represent weather data for one day, then for one month, and finally for an entire year.
Students use digital modeling tools and support from texts to figure out that weather follows patterns over time and across space.
Balancing Forces
Taking on the role of engineers, students work to investigate and then explain how floating trains seem to defy logic.
Through firsthand experiences, discourse, and reading and writing informational text, students come to understand how magnetic force can be used to counterbalance the force of gravity. They diagram, write, and present scientific explanations detailing how the maglev train appears to defy gravity by floating.
Inventors & Inventions
Inventions have had a large impact on people and what life is like in the world today. Students will ask questions and investigate what life was like in the past, and how it changed with new inventions. They will look for sources to answer their questions and communicate what they learn.
GRADE 4
Cultural Identity
Through guided inquiry, students explore the characteristics that make up a culture, and appreciate how these characteristics reflect people’s identity, beliefs, values, rituals, and traditions. They examine belief systems from various places to understand how people and communities are shaped and defined by cultural beliefs, values, traditions, and customs.
Energy Conversions
In the role of systems engineers, for a fictional town that experiences frequent blackouts, students explore reasons why an electrical system may fail.
Through firsthand design-thinking experiences, discourse, reading, writing, and engaging with digital simulations, students make discoveries about the way electrical systems work. They apply what learn as they choose new energy sources and energy converters for the town, using evidence to explain why their choices will make the electrical system more reliable.
Earth's Features
Assuming the role of geologists, students investigate how a dinosaur fossil found in a fictional national park formed, and make inferences about the history of the park based on the fossil itself and the rock layers in which it is embedded.
Students use books, hands-on investigations, and simulations to figure out how fossils and sedimentary rock form and how a variety of sediments build up in different environments, forming different rocks.
Conscious Consumers
Through an exploration of the concept of trade, students learn how natural resources from around the world create products with the help of human and capital resources. They investigate a (fair trade) product and track its export and import.
Students generate inferences as to why countries trade, and work to answer the question, “What would happen if trade stopped or countries were banned from trading?” Finally, students learn that the purchasing decisions we make impacts trade, the environment, and the economy.
GRADE 5
Red Hat Leadership
Through the lens of their roles as Red Hat leaders, students research and discover the characteristics of strong leaders to collectively build a list of attributes, such as honesty, responsibility, integrity, cooperation, and problem-solving. Many characteristics are introduced during the beginning of the school year as classes establish the expectations for their classroom and grade-level community.
Connections are made to our School-wide Learning Results (SLRs). During this unit, students take action to make a positive difference within the grade level, ISKL, and local communities.
The Earth System
In the role of engineers, students investigate what makes a fictional city on one side of an island prone to water shortages while a city on the other side is not. They use books, hands-on investigations, and simulations to figure out how water is distributed within the hydrosphere, how water moves between the hydrosphere and the atmosphere to cause rain, how the geosphere can interact with the hydrosphere and atmosphere to create patterns of rain, and how life forms in the biosphere depend on the hydrosphere.
Students also design freshwater collection systems as a possible solution for a water shortage problem.
Ecosystems Restoration
In this unit, students take on the role of ecologists to investigate and figure out what can be done to return an rainforest ecosystem to its original healthy state.
As ecologists working with Natural Resources Rescue, a fictional organization dedicated to protecting Earth’s fragile ecosystems, students work to explain the anchor phenomenon: that jaguars, sloths, and cecropia trees in a reforested section of a Costa Rican rainforest are not growing and thriving. Students investigate animals, plants, and decomposers through texts, digital simulations, and terrariums they build and maintain.
Visual Arts
PREP SENIOR
Art Basics
Using a variety of materials, students explore the elements of line, shape, and pattern and learn how line is used in art.
Art of Seasons
Through the context of seasons of the year and their characteristics, students explore and create artwork using lines and color.
Art and Inspiration
Through an exploration of how artists are inspired, students create musical instruments using found objects and papier-mâché.
Understanding Color
Developing an understanding that color gives visual dimensions, students are introduced to the primary and secondary colors on the color wheel. They explore mixing and creating new colors based on their observations of the world around them.
GRADE 1
Expression in Art
Through an exploration of basic elements of art, students learn how artists use elements in different ways. They discover how art elements are components that can be isolated and defined.
Creating and Communicating - Seasons
Through an exploration of seasons and weather, students learn a variety of techniques and processes for creating art as they make use of lines and shapes to create textural appearances. They experiment with lines to show movement, change, and color variations throughout the seasons.
Art and Drama: Wayang Kulit Silhouette Puppets
As students learn how artists tell stories and communicate culture through their art, they create the shadow puppets of Malaysia, Wayang Kulit.
Changes in our World
Through a study of office buildings and living spaces, students explore what futuristic dwellings may look like. Using the art elements of lines and shapes, students design and draw a “City of Buildings”.
GRADE 2
Exploring Repetition & Rhythm in Everyday Life
Thinking and working like artists, students learn to create rhythm and rhythmic expression through the use of patterns in art.
Colors in Art - Georgia O'Keeffe
Gaining an understanding of the rhythmic expression of color through value - using white and black to create light and dark values of color, students learn to use primary and secondary colors to create related colors.
Seeing Patterns and Textures in Nature
As students observe the connection between patterns and textures which are present in our surroundings, they learn to imprint these textures on ceramic.
Colors in Art and Traditions - Batik
As students explore and examine the art of Southeast Asia, they complete a butterfly design in batik.
GRADE 3
Moody Landscapes
Through the lens of nature, students learn to use basic art elements and structures to create a landscape. They incorporate colors to convey the mood of the place or a mood that generates an emotion to the viewer.
Art and Culture - Rangoli
Through an exploration of how art is used as a symbol in many cultures, students create designs of a particular culture, using bright or light color values and lines to create a variety of shapes.
Art and Awareness - 3D Sculpture
Expressing creativity and a connection to nature, students create three-dimensional art. They learn modeling techniques to communicate the likeness and expression of an animal through three-dimensional form.
Form, Function, and Materials - Clay
Artists design and depict objects seen in daily life. Student learn about ceramics, from functional to abstract pottery. They create pottery using simple techniques and develop their creativity by shaping and hand building with coils.
GRADE 4
Communicating Through Design
As students learn about the elements of art and structures and ideas behind cultural designs, they gain an understanding and learn about creating artwork based on radial symmetry.
Cultural Masks
As students learn to design and create masks that have a purpose, they gain an understanding as to why masks are made and how they are used in some cultures.
Art and the Environment
Through an exploration of Batik from different cultures, students learn the technique of Batik using design elements seen in their own personal environments.
Looking at Our World
As students gain an insight into how artists use observation of a subject matter at a specific time as a basis for their work, they compose forms representing the unique features of their neighborhoods.
GRADE 5
Art and Movement
Through a study of the posture, movement, and proportion of human figures, student learn to create three-dimensional clay sculptures from preliminary studies and sketches of people.
Art and Architecture
As students explore prominent influences in architecture and heritage conservation, linking originality and historical importance to the people, culture, and times, they design and craft a building facade using clay.
Art and Symbols
Through an exploration of symbolism in art, students develop an understanding of how symbols can be used to communicate ideas and thoughts.
Art and Imagination
Using still life objects, students formally study composition and proportion, and explore the style and techniques involved. They design, draw, and paint still life.
World Language
BAHASA MELAYU
PREP SENIOR
Unit Overview
Bahasa Melayu is offered for our Malaysian students. Others are welcome if their Bahasa Melayu ability is aligned with the course offering.
The units of study focus on three modes of communication:
- Interpersonal: learners interact and negotiate meaning to share information
- Interpretive: learners understand, interpret, and analyse language in a variety of contexts
- Presentational: learners present information, concepts, and ideas to inform, explain, persuade, and narrate
Life in My Classroom
Through interactive activities and practical applications, students will become comfortable with classroom routines and practices, fostering a supportive community of learners.
Students will learn to recognise and accurately pronounce the Malay alphabet. They will also demonstrate proficiency in basic greetings and introductions in Bahasa Melayu, laying the foundation for effective communication skills in everyday situations.
Students will develop basic proficiency in numbers and counting from 1 to 10, and learn basic colours and shapes. They will learn to identify and describe colours and shapes through simple activities to reinforce their understanding and vocabulary.
Animals and Their Sounds
Students will be introduced to common animals and their corresponding sounds in Bahasa Melayu. The unit will expand their vocabulary on animals and nature, enabling them to identify and name various animals and plants.
Family Members
This unit focuses on teaching vocabulary for family members in Bahasa Melayu. Students will learn the names of different family members and how to describe them, enhancing their ability to talk about their families.
Parts of the Body
Students will expand their vocabulary related to body parts in this unit. They will learn to describe body parts, which will be essential for everyday conversation.
Food and Drinks
In this unit, students will learn the vocabulary related to food and drinks. They will practice naming and describing common food items, which will help them navigate meals and discuss preferences.
GRADE 1
Unit Overview
Bahasa Melayu is offered for our Malaysian students. Others are welcome if their Bahasa Melayu ability is aligned with the course offering.
The units of study focus on three modes of communication:
- Interpersonal: learners interact and negotiate meaning to share information
- Interpretive: learners understand, interpret, and analyse language in a variety of contexts
- Presentational: learners present information, concepts, and ideas to inform, explain, persuade, and narrate
Life in My Classroom
Students will be introduced to vocabulary related to daily activities and routines. This unit will cover time expressions and their usage in sentences, helping students describe their daily routines and activities. Through engaging activities and repetition, students will become familiar with the terminology needed to talk about their day-to-day experiences, enhancing their ability to communicate effectively about time and daily events.
Daily Activities and Time Expressions
Students will be introduced to vocabulary related to daily activities and routines. This unit will cover time expressions and their usage in sentences, helping students describe their daily routines and activities.
Through engaging activities and repetition, students will become familiar with the terminology needed to talk about their day-to-day experiences, enhancing their ability to communicate effectively about time and daily events.
Describing People and Places
In this unit, students will learn adjectives to describe people's physical appearance and personality traits. They will be introduced to vocabulary related to common places in the community, such as schools, markets, and parks.
Through descriptive activities, students will practice using adjectives to describe people and places, developing their ability to create vivid and accurate descriptions in both speaking and writing.
Festivals and Celebrations
This unit will introduce students to vocabulary related to major Malaysian festivals, such as Hari Raya, Deepavali, and Chinese New Year.
They will learn about cultural practices, customs, and traditional foods associated with these celebrations. The unit aims to foster cultural awareness and appreciation, encouraging students to respect and understand the diverse cultural heritage of Malaysia.
Food and Drinks
Students will learn vocabulary related to food and drinks, focusing on naming and describing common food items.
They will engage in activities that teach them how to order food, enhancing their practical language skills. This unit will not only expand their vocabulary but also provide them with the necessary language tools to navigate everyday situations involving food and drinks.
GRADE 2
Unit Overview
Bahasa Melayu is offered for our Malaysian students. Others are welcome if their Bahasa Melayu ability is aligned with the course offering.
The units of study focus on three modes of communication:
- Interpersonal: learners interact and negotiate meaning to share information
- Interpretive: learners understand, interpret, and analyse language in a variety of contexts
- Presentational: learners present information, concepts, and ideas to inform, explain, persuade, and narrate
My Family and I
Using the context of the classroom, students introduce themselves and provide a detailed description of their attributes and characteristics. They discuss and talk about the basic family members, their relationships, and their roles within the family.
Students will learn to narrate and describe family activities using appropriate vocabulary and tenses, enhancing their ability to communicate about their home lives.
My Friends
Students will engage in conversations about friends, discussing their characteristics and the qualities of a good friend. They narrate activities and experiences they have had with their friends, learning to articulate their thoughts and feelings.
This unit helps students develop social skills and build a sense of camaraderie within the classroom.
My Hobby
Students talk about their hobbies using their own words, exploring different interests and passions. They state the advantages of having a hobby and discuss which hobbies are beneficial to students. This topic encourages children to pursue interests outside of the academic curriculum, fostering a well-rounded development.
My Home
In this unit, students discuss their home and residence. They talk about the types of houses and describe the parts of the house, both exterior and interior.
Through these discussions, students gain vocabulary related to their living environment and learn to appreciate different living arrangements.
My School and Classroom
Students talk about their school using their own words, describing various activities that take place there. They discuss the location of the school, as well as the teachers and classrooms.
This unit helps students feel more connected to their school environment and understand the importance of education and community.
GRADE 3
Unit Overview
Bahasa Melayu is offered for our Malaysian students. Others are welcome if their Bahasa Melayu ability is aligned with the course offering.
The units of study focus on three modes of communication:
- Interpersonal: learners interact and negotiate meaning to share information
- Interpretive: learners understand, interpret, and analyse language in a variety of contexts
- Presentational: learners present information, concepts, and ideas to inform, explain, persuade, and narrate
Daily Routines
In the context of the classroom, students discuss their daily routines as students, helping them develop a sense of structure and time management. They share and compare their weekend activities, enhancing their ability to articulate personal experiences.
Students practice writing by composing essays about their daily routines and weekend activities, which fosters their narrative skills. Completing a daily schedule helps them understand and manage their time effectively, reinforcing the concepts of sequencing and planning.
Activities at Home - Helping at Home
Students engage in discussions about activities they do with their families, emphasising the importance of helping at home. They make sentences about specific activities, such as setting the table or cleaning their rooms, to build their vocabulary and sentence structure skills.
Reading and understanding passages about joint family activities further enhances their comprehension abilities and encourages them to value family cooperation and support.
My Pet
Through conversations about different types of animals that can be kept as pets, students learn about the diversity of animals and the responsibilities of pet ownership. They explore the advantages of having a pet, such as companionship and learning responsibility.
Lessons on how to take care of pets teach them empathy and practical skills. Writing essays about their pets allows students to express their thoughts and experiences, fostering creativity and descriptive writing skills.
Food
Students give their opinions on nutritious food, which helps them understand the importance of a balanced diet. Discussions on the food pyramid and food plate introduce them to the basics of nutrition. They explore local, international, and festive foods, broadening their cultural awareness and appreciation.
Writing essays about food, creating menus, and writing recipes provide practical applications of their knowledge and enhance their writing and organisational skills.
My Neighbourhood
Students talk about their neighbours, using their own words to describe the people and activities in their neighbourhood. They discuss the importance of neighbourly etiquette and the activities they do with their neighbours, promoting community spirit and social skills.
Writing about their neighbours helps them practice descriptive writing and fosters a sense of community and belonging.
Malay Literature and Culture
Students are introduced to traditional Malay stories, poems, and folktales, which helps them appreciate the rich cultural heritage of Malaysia.
They learn about the cultural significance of Malay literature and explore myths and legends such as Hang Tuah, Puteri Gunung Ledang, and Mahsuri. Understanding Malaysian traditions and customs enriches their cultural knowledge and fosters respect and appreciation for their heritage.
GRADE 4
Unit Overview
Bahasa Melayu is offered for our Malaysian students. Others are welcome if their Bahasa Melayu ability is aligned with the course offering.
The units of study focus on three modes of communication:
- Interpersonal: learners interact and negotiate meaning to share information
- Interpretive: learners understand, interpret, and analyse language in a variety of contexts
- Presentational: learners present information, concepts, and ideas to inform, explain, persuade, and narrate
Holidays
In this unit, students engage in discussions about their personal experiences of going on vacations with their families. They share stories and learn about various interesting places to visit, both locally and internationally.
Preparation for a vacation is also a key topic, where students discuss what to pack and how to plan for a trip. Additionally, students will create travel posters to illustrate and share their dream vacations, integrating their artistic and descriptive writing skills.
Festivals
Students explore the rich tapestry of festivals celebrated in Malaysia. They will discuss various national celebrations and share their experiences and knowledge about these events.
Each student will write about a specific celebration, detailing the customs, traditions, and significance of the festival. This section aims to deepen their understanding of cultural diversity and heritage.
My Country
Focusing on Malaysia, students will learn about the regional differences within the country. They will discuss their personal experiences and knowledge about the regions.
The history of Malaysia, with a special emphasis on the history of Melaka, will be explored through stories and discussions. This will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of their nation's past and its cultural evolution.
Health and Cleanliness
Students will discuss the importance of health and cleanliness, emphasising the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. They will explore various aspects of healthy living, including diet, exercise, and hygiene. The class will engage in discussions about healthy activities they can do with their families, particularly sports.
To reinforce these concepts, students will create posters on healthy living, promoting awareness and practical tips for maintaining good health.
Transport
This unit covers the various types of transportation and their histories. Students will learn about the evolution of transportation from ancient to modern times.
They will also have the opportunity to dream about the future by writing and designing their own futuristic vehicles or dream cars. This activity encourages creativity and innovation, as well as an understanding of technological advancements in transportation.
Malaysian Culture - Wayang Kulit
Students will delve into the traditional art of Wayang Kulit, learning about its history and cultural significance in Malaysia. They will have the chance to create their own Wayang Kulit puppets and develop original stories.
This hands-on activity will culminate in a performance, allowing students to practice and showcase their storytelling and artistic skills while appreciating this unique cultural heritage.
GRADE 5
Unit Overview
Bahasa Melayu is offered for our Malaysian students. Others are welcome if their Bahasa Melayu ability is aligned with the course offering.
The units of study focus on three modes of communication:
- Interpersonal: learners interact and negotiate meaning to share information
- Interpretive: learners understand, interpret, and analyse language in a variety of contexts
- Presentational: learners present information, concepts, and ideas to inform, explain, persuade, and narrate
Ambition
In the context of discussing ambitions, students will explore different occupations and share their dreams and aspirations. They will talk about various professions, learning the vocabulary associated with each occupation.
Through reading passages, students will gain a deeper understanding of different career paths. They will also write an essay titled "When I grow up, I want to be", allowing them to articulate their future ambitions and goals.
Weather and the Environment
Students will engage in conversations about different types of weather and the importance of recycling to keep the environment clean. They will create posters highlighting recycling practices and the dos and don'ts of environmental conservation.
Additionally, students will write about how to adapt to different weather conditions, enhancing their understanding of both meteorology and environmental stewardship.
Towns and Cities
The unit includes discussions about cities, with a focus on Kuala Lumpur. Students will learn about various places within a city and how to give directions. They will write directions for different locations, and research an interesting or historical place in Kuala Lumpur, culminating in a written report about their chosen site.
This unit aims to improve their geographical knowledge and practical navigation skills.
Shopping
In this unit, students will discuss shopping, including where they shop and the types of items they purchase. They will write about their favourite shop and describe their shopping experiences. This will help them develop descriptive writing skills and expand their vocabulary related to commerce and daily activities.
Road Safety
Students will learn about the importance of road safety through discussions and writing activities. They will compose sentences about road safety and read and understand quotes related to safe practices on the road. This unit aims to instill a sense of responsibility and awareness regarding traffic rules and safety measures.
Traditional Games
This unit introduces students to traditional games such as congkak, batu seremban, guli, and baling selipar. They will learn about the historical origins of these games and engage in playing them, which will foster a sense of cultural heritage.
Students will also create a simple instructional booklet for a chosen game, enhancing their ability to communicate instructions clearly and effectively.
CHINESE
PREP SENIOR
What Happens in the Classroom?
Using the context of the classroom, students learn how to greet someone, how to thank someone, and how say goodbye. They identify and name colors, shapes, and. the numbers from 1 to 10. Students learn how to respond to basic classroom instructions.
Farm Animals
As students increase their vocabulary, they learn the names of farm animals and ways to describe them. They participate in a variety of learning opportunities that allow them to build their conversational skills using the context of farm animals.
My Family
Making the connection between home and school, students learn how to say their name and age, and those of their immediate family members. They learn to introduce themselves and use short sentences to talk about the likes and dislikes of family members.
Body Parts
Through various activities, students learn how to identify and name body parts. As they take part in the learning experiences, they begin to become familiar with using simple adjectives to describe body parts.
GRADE 1
What Happens in the Classroom?
Using the context of the classroom, students learn to count from 1 to 20 and read and write the Chinese characters for numbers, as well as classroom objects and commands. As their skills with Chinese further develop, they put together sentences using verbs, adjectives, and nouns.
My Favorite Pets
As students work to construct sentences to have a conversation about a pet they would like to have, they learn to name domestic animals and use colors to describe them. Students explore adjectives, adverbs, and vocabulary related to actions and sound words associated with pets.
My Favorite Fruits
Over the course of this unit, students learn the names of common fruits. They describe the size and color of fruits, and learn to express what they like/dislike and what they want/do not want. Students put sentences together in order to have a conversation about what fruit they like to eat when they are hungry.
Meet My Family
As students further develop vocabulary pertaining to family members, they learn different words for older or younger siblings, and for maternal/paternal grandparents. Students learn sentence patterns and create conversations about someone in their family.
GRADE 2
What's in the Classroom?
Building on first grade skills, students begin by reviewing classroom objects and adding new vocabulary as they increase their ability to describe their environment. They practice responding to classroom commands, and develop and use more sophisticated sentence patterns.
Me and My World
In order to introduce themselves and ask and answer questions, students acquire and use new vocabulary and sentence patterns. They practice the character components of radicals, strokes, and basic characters in a familiar context.
Our Body Parts
As students explore descriptive words and sentences about body parts, they learn to describe body parts with number, color, and single adjective. They continue to practice character components and basic characters, and develop and use various sentence patterns.
Our Animal Friends
Through the context of animals who live in zoos, farms, and homes, students learn to describe them using colors, sizes, and actions. They develop and use new sentence patterns, and learn to ask questions related animals. Chinese zodiac animals are investigated as a cultural focus.
GRADE 3
Calendar and Birthday
As students learn to name the months and days of the week, they develop dialogue to ask and answer, “What is the date?” and “What day of the week is it?”. Students learn how to use the question word “ji” and the structure word “de”.
My Family
As they prepare to speak in complete sentences about their families, students learn how to describe family members using simple adjectives. They further develop their conversational skills by learning to use use the adverb ”hen” and the structure “hen+adjective” in the correct order.
What Do We Eat?
In the context of a restaurant, students learn the names for both Chinese and western food, how to express their preferences, and how to give feedback on the taste of the food. They develop dialogue for ordering and to asking for the total of the bill.
Weather and Seasons Around the World
As students talk about world weather, they learn to name and describe the four seasons and various weather conditions. In order to have conversations about the weather on a world map, they learn how to insert adverbs of place and time.
GRADE 4
Healthy Lifestyle
As students continue their study of Pinyin, they further develop their knowledge of tones, strokes, radicals, and characters, and learn to change the third tone in different situations. A cultural focus is on the Chinese celebration of a Mid-Autumn Festival.
What Do We Wear?
In order to be able speak about what they wear, students learn to name and describe different types of clothing using adjectives. They also learn the specific verbs tied to clothing and accessories, as well how to use verbs and words of measurement when referring to clothing.
What's in the Room?
As students continue to increase their conversational skills, they learn vocabulary for rooms, objects in the rooms, and how to describe the rooms. They also learn the sentence patterns of “What is in the room?” and “Who is in the room?”
My Community
As they prepare for conversations about people in the community, students learn vocabulary and characters for various jobs and where those jobs take place. They also learn sentence patterns for “What do you do?” and “My job is…”
GRADE 5
How Do We Get Around?
Students learn to name and describe different types of transportation and the connected verbs. In order to prepare students to speak in complete sentences about how they get to school or how their parent get to work, they learn to use a series of verbs and prepositions in sentences such as, “I go to school by school bus every day,” or “My dad drives the car to work.”
Daily Routines
In the context of daily routines, students learn vocabulary, how to describe their daily routine, and how to tell time. In order to prepare them to speak in complete sentences about their daily routine, students learn to make an appointment and ask for the time.
School Life
As they prepare for conversations about their school lives, students learn vocabulary for various school subjects and activities. They learn how to use a series of prediction patterns and connectors to explain how they feel about a subject or activity such as, “I found Chinese is hard but fun,” or “ We have 8 subjects this year.”
Celebrations and Traditions
As students investigate and explore Chinese traditional culture and festivals, they learn to apply previously acquired language skills. They also compare Chinese festivals with those from their own cultures.
SPANISH
PREP SENIOR
My School
As students begin to develop an understanding of what a language is and different ways animals and people communicate with each other, they learn high frequency words related to greetings, introductions, courtesy expressions, and school vocabulary.
Endangered Animals
Students begin to develop an understanding of the importance of language learning and how this allows us to share with other people information about our lives. Within the context of endangered animals, students learn high-frequency words and adjectives.
My Family
Students begin to develop an understanding of the importance of family across languages and cultures. Within the context of family, students learn high frequency words and practice how to identify and introduce and talk about their family.
My Body
Students learn basic vocabulary for body parts, high frequency words related to the body, and practice how to identify and describe their body parts to another speaker. They also learn to respond to commands that involve their bodies.
GRADE 1
My School
As students develop an understanding of the importance of learning a new language and exploring a new culture, they learn high frequency words related to greetings, introductions, courtesy expressions, and school vocabulary.
My Pets
Students develop further understanding of the importance of language learning and how this allows us to share information about our lives with other people. Within a familiar context, students learn high-frequency words, adjectives, and action words related to pets.
My Favorites
As they learn high-frequency words related to preferences, students identify important personal belongings and activities that they enjoy participating in. They practice how to identify and describe their favorite things, and how to ask and respond to questions about possession and wishes.
My Family
Within a family context, students learn high-frequency words, and practice how to identify and describe their family and talk about activities that they do together. Students learn to ask and respond to questions about possession and age.
GRADE 2
My School
Students continue to develop an understanding of the importance of learning a new language and exploring a new culture. Within a school context, students learn high-frequency words related to greetings, introductions, courtesy expressions, and school vocabulary.
My World
In a family context, students learn high-frequency words, action words, and daily activities. They also review and learn vocabulary to express preferences and needs.
My Body
Students learn high-frequency words related to their bodies and learn how to ask for help during a medical emergency. They practice identifying and describing their bodies, and talk about a particular pain or discomfort. Students also learn to ask and respond to questions about wellbeing.
My Animal Friends
Through the context of animals, students learn high frequency words, and vocabulary for habitats and characteristics. They practice how to identify and describe their favorite animals, and work with words that describe groups and quantities.
GRADE 3
My School
Students develop an understanding of the importance of learning a new language and exploring a new culture. Within a school context, they learn high-frequency words related to greetings, introductions, courtesy expressions, and school vocabulary.
My Family
Through the context of family, students learn high frequency-words related to family, body parts, and daily activities. They acquire new vocabulary in order to describe a person's personality, as well as their physical appearance.
What Do We Eat?
Within the context of a restaurant, students learn high-frequency words related to food, and practice how to identify foods that they find appealing and how to express themselves when hungry or thirsty. Additionally, students learn to order from a menu and how to follow a recipe.
Weather and Seasons
As students acquire new vocabulary related to the weather, they practice expressing weather conditions at a particular time and place. Students engage in conversations about what they do and need based on weather patterns.
GRADE 4
My Clothes
As students further develop an understanding of the importance of learning a new language and exploring a new culture, they learn high-frequency words related to weather, traveling, clothing, and shopping. They engage in conversations as they ask and answer questions.
My House
As students review and acquire new vocabulary to communicate basic needs, they learn high-frequency words related to finding appropriate shelter in a Spanish-speaking country. Students engage in conversations as they ask and answer questions.
My Hobbies
As students acquire high-frequency words related to hobbies, they practice expressing what they do at a particular time and invite others to join them. Students learn how to share their their opinion about certain activities, and how compare their own hobbies with those of Spanish-speakers.
Out for a Walk
Students learn high-frequency words related to travel and transportation. They practice using a map to find places of interest within a city, abd learn how to read schedules and purchase a ticket to travel around a city.
GRADE 5
My Daily Routine
As students extend their understanding of the importance of learning a new language and exploring a new culture, they become aware of world language diversity and make comparisons between their native languages and Spanish. Within a familiar context, students learn high-frequency words related to daily activities.
My Feelings and Emotions
Within a familiar context, students learn high-frequency words related to feelings, and emotions, as well as vocabulary to communicate basic needs.
Essential Spanish
Students identify useful high-frequency language for a variety of topics of interest to create a digital or paper phrase book. This personalized language resource is then used for role plays, story-telling sessions, and cultural projects.
Research Project
Through guided inquiry, students choose and research cultural facts about a Spanish-speaking nation. Using their findings, students create a game or language activity to teach other students what they discovered.
Middle School
Humanities
GRADE 6
Their Choices
Students explore and think critically about the rise of ancient civilizations and examine Mesopotamia as a case study.
They develop their narrative writing skills by writing short stories, focusing on techniques such as descriptive language, plot structure, and building tension through conflict. They analyze historical fiction books through collaborative book clubs.
Our Choice
Students analyze the many roles that citizens play within a society.
Students develop their explanatory writing skills through writing informational human interest articles.
Students practice identifying the main idea and details in a nonfiction text as well as summarizing and build understanding of characterization in literature, focusing on how characters change throughout the fiction text.
Students explore government systems and roles of citizens through inquiry and experiential learning.
My Choices
Students build fictional reading skills surrounding theme through poetry and short narrative texts. Identifying author's purpose in nonfiction reading is also practiced.
Students build conceptual knowledge surrounding economic issues and their impacts on individuals, businesses, and the world. They use that knowledge to evaluate solutions to these issues.
Students write argumentative works relating to the economic learning done earlier in the unit. Speaking and Listening skills focus on presenting information to small groups and larger audiences.
GRADE 7
Individual Identity
Students explore their identity in different ways and learn about aspects of culture that are seen and unseen. They analyze the impact place has on human culture and individual identity, including important places that have shaped their own personal identity.
Societal Identity
Students learn of the complexities of group identity. The concept of 'We and They' is explored through a variety of case studies examining people who were historically, or are now, marginalized and discriminated against based on their identity. Students consider how they are empowered to take action and to recognize themselves as allies.
Global Identity
Students scope of understanding is broadened to a global level. Students explore the ways that economic decision-making shapes societies and global interactions. They examine diverse case studies to connect economic principles to values they hold.
GRADE 8
Independent Reading
Reading is a foundational skill for leading a literate life, a central goal of Humanities is to build strong reading habits and foster an appreciation for reading. Students choose books to read, up to 100 minutes per week, track and reflect on their progress throughout the school year.
Reading provides a rehearsal of life’s events and builds our capacity to empathize with others, it also serves as a tool to become a proficient reader, writer, and communicator.
Writers Workshop
Through exploration and examination of a writer's process and techniques, students writing improves.
Writing is a process in which abstract thinking is captured on paper. Cultivating confidence and craft, students learn to read like writers.
Students study mentor texts and experiment with myriad literary techniques in different forms in their writer's notebooks to find and shape their writing style and craft.
Revealing the Truth: Narrative Writing
Students learn that storytelling is an essential form of communication, a way in which humans connect with each other and preserve their thoughts, emotions, and values for posterity. They engage in a series of creative and collaborative narrative writing activities.
From their collection of ideas, they select one response and develop it into a narrative that contains all of the basic elements of a story. Students “stretch a scene” to create a short story that utilizes a full range of narrative structures and techniques.
Escaping the Truth: Migration
Students explore the many causes and effects of migration.
People migrate for many reasons; some are involuntarily pushed from their homelands as casualties of war, crime, poverty and climate disasters, and others make a decision to leave, hoping to obtain better lives for themselves and their families.
Students develop understanding of relevant concepts through news articles and case studies from around the world. They read examples in literature, participate in book club discussions, and analyze the decisions and consequences that migrants in these stories face.
Nonfiction texts will be emphasized, along with statistical data that can be used as evidence to support their claims.
Shades of Truth Book Clubs
Students explore the year-long theme of Truth using engaging texts. Students choose from a set of Shades of Truth books to read and discuss with a same-text group.
Groups track how truth is being manipulated or changed based on dynamics such as power, culture, perspective, or bias. The group's collaboration and discussion skills are also emphasized.
The Ugly Truth: Colonization in Africa
Students learn how Colonialism has shaped the modern world in ways that continue to impact us today. They engage in a case study of colonialism in Africa to understand the historical forces that have shaped the continent and its people.
Beginning with an inquiry into the early history of African kingdoms, students explore the colonial and post-colonial experiences of Kenya, Algeria, the Congo, and Ghana. They analyze historical sources and are assessed on how colonial policies impacted the social, political, and economic systems of African societies.
Power and Truth in Literature
What is the relationship between Power and Truth? Students explore this essential question using two different forms of literature.
Using a Shakespearean drama (like The Tempest or Julius Caesar) as a full-class, model text, students select a young adult novel to read and discuss in book club discussions. They focus on exploring the concept of "Power" and literary analysis, including annotating difficult texts, literary devices such as allusion and metaphor, and character analysis, using passages from their books.
Uncovering the Truth: Action in a Globalized World
Students, living in an increasingly globalized world, examine the costs and benefits of global interdependence from an economic, political, cultural, and environmental perspective. Their analysis is guided and informed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Mathematics
GRADE 6
Number System
Sudents learn through inquiry about factors, greatest common factors, and division of fractions utilising manipulatives, modeling, and grapple with real world problems to develop conceptual understanding of properties and processes.
Rate, Ratio and Proportional Reasoning
Using modeling as a strategy for building understanding and collecting data to explore real-world applications, students learn about proportional relationships includingratios, rates and percents.
Integers and Coordinate Plane
Learning about integers, absolute value, coordinate planes and the distributive property through connections to real-world contexts and hand on activites, students expand their understanding of the number line and what the position of numbers tell us about their value.
Geometry Grade
Students learn about areas of triangles and composite shapes and the volume and surface area of right rectangular prisms through discovery labs, explorations with concrete models, measurement tasks and a design challenge.
Expressions, Equations & Inequalities Grade
Students learn how to model real-world situations using expressions and equations by analyzing tables, patterns, and graphs and construct equations that generalize relationships.
Data & Graphing Stats
Students learn how to collect data, represent data in multiple ways, calculate measures of central tendency (mean, median and mode), and interpret data sets. They will collect, represent, and analyze data sets in relation to a topic of their choice through inquiry.
GRADE 7
Statistics & Probability
The concept of probability is explored along with key ideas of statistics through mathematical investigations. Students discover the concept of simple probability and express probability in the various forms of rational numbers (e.g., fractions, decimals, and percent) and are introduced to the concept of compound probability.
The key skills of statistics that are covered include using random sampling and comparing two populations with numerical data.
Restaurant
Students apply skills learnt in a real-life situation of creating and running a restaurant. The students build fluency in key skills including working with rates and unit rates, proportional relationships, scale drawings, area of complex shapes, and operations with integers, fractions, and decimals.
Expressions and Equations
Students engage in mathematical inquiry to explore the concepts of equality and balance as a necessary component to manipulating the algebraic representation of problems. They build fluency in the key skills of solving and representing multi-step equations and inequalities.
Music Festival
The focus is to apply skills learnt in a real-life situation of creating and running a music festival. The students build fluency in key skills including proportional relationships and geometric concepts relating to angles, triangles, and solid figures.
GRADE 8
Exponents, Scientific Notation, & Pyth Thm
Students create models to explore the relationship between squares and square roots and cubes and cube roots. These understandings will be used to prove the Pythagorean Theorem. How math notation can be used to communicate complex ideas clearly, including how to represent the same value in different ways, and learn the properties of integer exponents will be reviewed.
Linear Models
Students examine the key characteristics of proportional relationships and learn how to represent these relationships in different ways: table, graph, story, and equation.
Using knowledge of similar triangles to examine slope and determine methods for identifying the slope using different methods (from a table, graph, two points, etc), they derive the slope-intercept (y=mx+b) and standard forms (Ax+By=C) of a line and understand how they relate to a graph and how to choose the best form for the task at hand.
Students solve one-variable equations with the variables being on both sides of the equal sign, including equations with rational numbers, the distributive property, and combining like terms. Students also solve problems involving systems of linear equations, including those with one, no, and infinite solutions.
Transformations, Congruence & Similarity
Students physically and digitally manipulate objects to discover the properties of similar and congruent figures and will describe different types of transformations with both words and numbers. They investigate different types of transformations and the effect that each type of transformation has on a figure.
Using their knowledge of properties of angles and triangles to deduce the measures of angles formed by parallel lines and transversals, students find the measures of exterior angles of triangles, and informally prove congruence and similarity.
Inequalities, Exponential Growth, & Quad.
Students explore the properties of inequalities in one and two variables (linear) and how these relationships can be represented using notation, graphs, and words. Using systems of linear inequalities to find possible solutions to real-world problems, students solve problems involving exponential growth and decay and quadratic relationships.
Volume
Students use hands-on activities to understand π and derive the formulas for the area of a circle and the volume of a cylinder, sphere, and cone. They solve real-world problems about the volume of these objects (including composite figures and truncated cones) using these formulas and test their solutions with both hand-drawn and physical models.
Data and Statistics
Students construct and interpret scatterplots for bivariate data. They review examples of different types of correlation and explore the differences between correlation and causation and understand the effect of outliers.
Students estimate (or computer generate) the line of best fit and interpret what the line might suggest about the relationship shown in the data.
Students model bivariate data using two-way frequency tables. They explore methods of communicating univariate data (dot plots, histograms, boxplots) and how to compare the centers (mean, median) and spread (IQR, standard deviation) of a data set.
Students will use their understandings of these topics to solve a real-world problem in which they must choose what tools and methods to use to analyze a data set.
Performing Arts
DRAMA
GRADE 6
Understanding the Origin of Drama
Students are introduced to the origins of Western Theatre in Ancient Greece. They identify, describe, and analyse the three elements of theatre as well as the common conventions of Greek theatre.
They demonstrate their understanding of these elements and conventions through a devised performance which will be showcased to an audience of their peers.
Studying the Role of the Greek Chorus
Students analyse the role of the Greek chorus in a play. They progress to practically apply their analysis through a choral verse performance which is presented to an audience of their peers.
Creating a Modern Chorus
Students identify and study a social issue of their own preference. Drawing on the conventions of Greek theatre as well the those of the chorus, students need to devise a short, modern choral performance to be presented in the form of a "social conscious" urging the audience to take action against their self-identified social issue.
This is then showcased to an audience of their peers and community members.
GRADE 7
Understanding the Origin of Comedy
Students are introduced to the origins of comedy rooted in Commedia dell'Arte (CDA). They identify, describe, and analyse the conventions CDA which have influenced and popularised modern comedy.
Understanding of these conventions is demonstrated through an improvisational performance which will be showcased to an audience of their peers.
Studying CDA Archetypes in aText
Students study the common character archetypes and their acting conventions found in the works of Commedia dell'Arte (CDA). They progress to practically apply their understanding by performing an extract from a CDA-play which is presented to an audience of their peers.
Constructing Modern CDA Archetypes
Students identify Commedia dell'Arte (CDA) archetypes of their own preference. Drawing on the conventions of these archetypes students construct a modern comedic character which is then be further developed alongside other character types in small groups to create a modern comedic group skit. Finally, it is showcased to an audience of their peers and community members.
GRADE 8
Understanding Stanislavski's System
Students are introduced to the life and work of acting theorist, Konstantin Stanislavski. They identify, describe, and analyse 6 elements (emotional memory, given circumstances, magic if, objectives, super-objective, through-line-of-action) from his acting system and showcase their understanding through a series of short acting exercises.
Stanislavski & Text Analysis
Students analyse a modern play-text using the studied elements of Stanislavski's system as set out in unit 1. They progress to practically apply the identified elements within the context of believable character-building. Their work is presented to an audience of their peers.
Applying Stanislavski in Performance
Drawing on Stanislavski's acting system, students need to present a devised piece in small groups. These pieces need to draw and comment on current social challenges. It is presented to an audience of their peers and community members.
JUNIOR BAND
GRADE 6
Music Literacy and Instrument Technique
Students learn about written musical concepts such as rhythms in common time, Italian musical terminology, new instrumental techniques for their respective instruments, and they practice these concepts to continue their musical growth.
Students continue in "Sound Innovations book 1" from the point that they finished in grade 5 and eventually move into "Sound Innovations book 2" mid-way through the year. Key assessment opportunities for this unit include a variety of personal recordings and written quizzes.
Ensemble Repertoire
From the beginning of the year until the December break, parts of the music classes are dedicated to preparing for a summative concert usually held in December. This process teaches students about what it takes to prepare a piece of music for public consumption.
Because this repertoire is rehearsed for a long period of time, it really allows students to master many aspects of technique and musicianship for the given pieces. Key assessment opportunities for this unit include the actual performance, a variety of personal recordings, and concert reflection.
Notation and Composition
Students learn how to interpret and use musical symbols. They study rhythmic notation and develop an understanding of how these symbols relate to time and beat. Students study, create, and interpret melodic phrases.
Key assessment opportunities in this unit are a variety of exercises, compositions, and quizzes using notation and recording software.
Ensemble Repertoire
From January until May, parts of the music classes are dedicated to preparing for a summative concert usually held in the month of May. This process teaches students about what it takes to prepare a piece of music for public consumption.
Because this repertoire is rehearsed for a long period of time, it really allows students to master many aspects of technique and musicianship for the given pieces. Key assessment opportunities for this unit include the actual performance, a variety of personal recordings, and concert reflection.
Small Ensembles
In the months of January to February, students are provided with the opportunity to create small chamber ensembles. Throughout this time period, students choose music, learn about and practice leadership skills, work on their collaboration skills, and reflect on the entire process.
The goal of the unit is to help develop agency and independence, and they perform an in-class concert for their classmates and another concert outside of the classroom.
INTERMEDIATE BAND
GRADE 7
Music Literacy and Instrument Technique
Students learn about written musical concepts such as rhythms in common time, Italian musical terminology, new instrumental techniques for their respective instruments, and they practice these concepts to continue their musical growth.
Students continue in "Sound Innovations book 2" from the point that they finished in grade 6 with the goal of completing the book by the end of the year. Key assessment opportunities for this unit include a variety of personal recordings and written quizzes.
Ensemble Repertoire
From the beginning of the year until the December break, parts of the music classes are dedicated to preparing for a summative concert usually held in December. This process teaches students about what it takes to prepare a piece of music for public consumption.
Because this repertoire is rehearsed for a long period of time, it really allows students to master many aspects of technique and musicianship for the given pieces. Key assessment opportunities for this unit include the actual performance, a variety of personal recordings, and concert reflection.
Ensemble Repertoire
From January until May, parts of the music classes are dedicated to preparing for a summative concert usually held in the month of May. This process teaches students about what it takes to prepare a piece of music for public consumption.
Because this repertoire is rehearsed for a long period of time, it really allows students to master many aspects of technique and musicianship for the given pieces. Key assessment opportunities for this unit include the actual performance, a variety of personal recordings, and concert reflection.
Notation and Composition
Students learn how to interpret and use musical symbols. They study rhythmic notation and develop an understanding of how these symbols relate to time and beat. Students learn about a variety of melodic and harmonic intervals and are able to incorporate them into their compositions.
Key assessment opportunities in this unit are a variety of exercises, compositions, and quizzes using notation and recording software.
Small Ensembles
In the months of January to February, students are provided with the opportunity to create small chamber ensembles. Throughout this time period, students choose music, learn about and practice leadership skills, work on their collaboration skills, and reflect on the entire process.
The goal of the unit is to help develop agency and independence, and they perform an in-class concert for their classmates and another concert outside of the classroom.
ADVANCED BAND
GRADE 8
Music Literacy and Instrument Technique
Students learn about written musical concepts such as rhythms in simple and compound meters, scales in major and minor modes, intonation and ensemble musicianship, more advanced technique for their respective instruments, and they practice these concepts to continue their musical growth.
Students move to "Sound Innovations book 3" but supplement their learning with many full-band arrangements. Key assessment opportunities for this unit include a variety of personal recordings, written quizzes, and compositions.
Ensemble Repertoire
From the beginning of the year until the December break, parts of the music classes are dedicated to preparing for a summative concert usually held in December. This process teaches students about what it takes to prepare a piece of music for public consumption.
Because this repertoire is rehearsed for a long period of time, it really allows students to master many aspects of technique and musicianship for the given pieces. Key assessment opportunities for this unit include the actual performance, a variety of personal recordings, and concert reflection.
Ensemble Repertoire
From January until May, parts of the music classes are dedicated to preparing for a summative concert usually held in the month of May. This process teaches students about what it takes to prepare a piece of music for public consumption.
Because this repertoire is rehearsed for a long period of time, it really allows students to master many aspects of technique and musicianship for the given pieces. Key assessment opportunities for this unit include the actual performance, a variety of personal recordings, and concert reflection.
Composition and Arranging
This unit reinforces knowledge of key musical notation concepts covered in previous grades and introduces the idea of harmony, chords, and arranging. As students learn new concepts, they compose short pieces with specific parameters. Students then record the composition individually or with other musicians in their class.
Key assessment opportunities in this unit are a variety of exercises, compositions, and quizzes using notation and recording software.
Small Ensembles
In the months of January to February, students are provided with the opportunity to create small chamber ensembles. Throughout this time period, students choose music, learn about and practice leadership skills, work on their collaboration skills, and reflect on the entire process.
The goal of the unit is to help develop agency and independence, and they perform an in-class concert for their classmates and another concert outside of the classroom.
Physical Education
GRADE 6
Invasion Games - Court
Students explore the concept of space through fast-paced games focusing on teamwork, keeping possession, scoring, and defending.
Invasion games are the term used for any game where the aim is to attack an opponent's territory and score a goal or point in a target area or end zone areas such as basketball, European handball or endzone, and floor hockey.
Invasion Games - Field
Students explore the concept of space through fast-paced games focusing on teamwork, keeping possession, scoring, and defending.
Invasion games are the term used for any game where the aim is to attack an opponent's territory and score a goal or point in a target area or end zones areas such as soccer, ultimate frisbee, or touch rugby.
Gymnastics
Students develop body control and balance through various movement patterns, positions and apparatus. A partner or small group performance is also a key piece where students design their own routine with music, showcasing their development.
Aquatics
Students focus on learning and becoming more proficient in the following strokes: freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke, culminating in an endurance swim challenge. Teamwork and communication skills are developed through various pool games and activities.
Climbing
Students learn several aspects of climbing: technique (long arms, toes on the wall, step throughs, knee turns, shifting balance, smears, stem, crimp grips, etc.), the use of climbing equipment and associated safety procedures (8-knots and belaying with grigri and other devices), important climbing terminology and essential communication between climber and belayer.
Personal Fitness
Students are orientated with the weight room and fitness room facility. Gym etiquette and safety are key in lessons as students are able to explore with various equipment. Students are led through a series of individual & group workouts in various environments.
Track & Field
Students perform all run, jump and throw events. Students race against each other in relay races and participate in a two lesson mini-meet. Data is collected and students are graded according to grade averages.
Striking & Fielding
Students explore a number of different activities such as softball, cricket, and rounders, in which players score points by striking an object and running to designated playing areas or prevent opponents from scoring by retrieving the object and returning it to stop the play. Students develop throwing, catching & batting skills as well as conceptual understanding through rules.
Badminton
Students learn how to use a variety of offensive and defensive shots played in drill and game situations. Students become more proficient at moving their opponents around the court selecting spaces which are open & difficult to return. Students are introduced to different tournament styles and the pros and cons they bring.
Volleyball / Net Games
Students learn how to hit an object towards a court or target area such as badminton, volleyball or smashball with a net or wall in between that an opponent is defending. The aim is to cause the object to land in the target area while making it difficult for the opponent to return the object.
Students learn the basics of volleyball through the modified game smashball. They can learn the same with alternative net games such as table tennis and pickleball.
Target Games
Students explore various self-defense techniques and whole-body movement patterns. Students are given the opportunity to develop skills in archery and golf.
Swim Safety
Students experience a range of aquatic sports which may include water polo, water volleyball, water basketball, water baseball, endzone, triathlon, and various teacher-created games. By playing these sports/games students are focusing on aquatic fitness, communication as well as gameplay concepts.
GRADE 7
Invasion Games - Court
Students explore the concept of space through fast-paced games focusing on teamwork, keeping possession, scoring, and defending.
Invasion games are the term used for any game where the aim is to attack an opponent's territory and score a goal or point in a target area or end zone areas such as basketball, European handball or endzone, and floor hockey.
Invasion Games - Field
Students explore the concept of space through fast-paced games focusing on teamwork, keeping possession, scoring, and defending.
Invasion games are the term used for any game where the aim is to attack an opponent's territory and score a goal or point in a target area or end zones areas such as soccer, ultimate frisbee, or touch rugby.
Gymnastics
Students develop body control and balance through various movement patterns, positions and apparatus. A partner or small group performance is also a key piece where students design their own routine with music, showcasing their development.
Aquatics
Students focus on learning and becoming more proficient in the following strokes: freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke, culminating in an endurance swim challenge. Teamwork and communication skills are developed through various pool games and activities.
Climbing
Students learn several aspects of climbing: technique (long arms, toes on the wall, step throughs, knee turns, shifting balance, smears, stem, grips, etc.), the use of climbing equipment and associated safety procedures (8-knots and belaying with grigri and other devices), important climbing terminology and essential communication between climber and belayer.
Personal Fitness
Students are orientated with the weight room and fitness room facility. Gym etiquette and safety are key in lessons as students are able to explore with various equipment. Students are led through a series of individual & group workouts in various environments.
Track & Field
Students perform all run, jump and throw events. Students race against each other in relay races and participate in a two lesson mini-meet. Data is collected and students are graded according to grade averages.
Striking & Fielding
Students explore a number of different activities such as softball, cricket, and rounders, in which players score points by striking an object and running to designated playing areas or prevent opponents from scoring by retrieving the object and returning it to stop the play. Students develop throwing, catching & batting skills as well as conceptual understanding through rules.
Badminton
Students learn how to use a variety of offensive and defensive shots played in drill and game situations. Students become more proficient at moving their opponents around the court selecting spaces which are open & difficult to return. Students are introduced to different tournament styles and the pros and cons they bring.
Volleyball / Net Games
Students learn how to hit an object towards a court or target area such as badminton, volleyball or smashball with a net or wall in between that an opponent is defending. The aim is to cause the object to land in the target area while making it difficult for the opponent to return the object.
Students learn the basics of volleyball through the modified game smashball. They can learn the same with alternative net games such as table tennis and pickleball.
Target Games
Students explore various self-defense techniques and whole-body movement patterns. Students are given the opportunity to develop skills in archery & golf.
Swim Safety
Students experience a range of aquatic sports which may include water polo, water volleyball, water basketball, water baseball, endzone, triathlon, and various teacher-created games. By playing these sports/games students are focusing on aquatic fitness, communication as well as gameplay concepts.
GRADE 8
Invasion Games - Court
Students explore the concept of space through fast-paced games focusing on teamwork, keeping possession, scoring, and defending.
Invasion games are the term used for any game where the aim is to attack an opponent's territory and score a goal or point in a target area or end zone areas such as basketball, European handball or endzone, and floor hockey.
Invasion Games - Field
Students explore the concept of space through fast-paced games focusing on teamwork, keeping possession, scoring, and defending.
Invasion games are the term used for any game where the aim is to attack an opponent's territory and score a goal or point in a target area or end zones areas such as soccer, ultimate frisbee, or touch rugby.
Gymnastics
Students develop body control and balance through various movement patterns, positions and apparatus. A partner or small group performance is also a key piece where students design their own routine with music, showcasing their development.
Aquatics
Students focus on learning and becoming more proficient in competitive strokes. Water safety and entries is a feature and differentiation is key with a variety of ability levels. Streamlining is the main concept & assessed in class & through an assignment.
Climbing
Students learn safety aspects of climbing, the use and maintenance of climbing equipment, the important climbing terminology and safety procedures and essential communication between climber and belayer. Learning climbing-specific moves and more efficient body positioning on the wall.
Personal Fitness
Students are orientated with the weight room and fitness room facility. Gym etiquette and safety are key in lessons as students are able to explore with various equipment. Students are led through a series of individual & group workouts in various environments.
Track & Field
Students perform all run, jump and throw events. Students race against each other in relay races and participate in a two lesson mini-meet. Data is collected and students are graded according to grade averages.
Striking & Fielding
Students explore a number of different activities such as softball, cricket, and rounders, in which players score points by striking an object and running to designated playing areas or prevent opponents from scoring by retrieving the object and returning it to stop the play. Students develop throwing, catching & batting skills as well as conceptual understanding through rules.
Badminton
Students learn how to use a variety of offensive and defensive shots played in drill and game situations. Students become more proficient at moving their opponents around the court selecting spaces which are open and difficult to return. Students are introduced to different tournament styles and the pros and cons they bring.
Volleyball / Net Games
Students learn how to hit an object towards a court or target area such as badminton, volleyball or smashball with a net or wall in between that an opponent is defending. The aim is to cause the object to land in the target area while making it difficult for the opponent to return the object.
Students learn the basics of volleyball through the modified game smashball. They can learn the same with alternative net games such as table tennis and pickleball.
Target Games
Students explore various self-defense techniques and whole-body movement patterns. Students are given the opportunity to develop skills in archery & golf.
Swim Safety
Students experience a range of aquatic sports which may include water polo, water volleyball, water basketball, water baseball, endzone, triathlon, and various teacher-created games. By playing these sports/games students are focusing on aquatic fitness, communication as well as gameplay concepts.
Science
GRADE 6
Earth Systems
Focusing on the cycling of matter and the transfer of energy within Earth systems, students learn about these concepts through inquiry, experiments and modeling.
Students demonstrate their learning through the scientific practices of developing and using models, and engaging arguments from evidence.
Natural Hazards
Students learn about the creation and impact of natural disasters caused by plate tectonics and the transfer of energy in other Earth systems through observations, explorations, and data collection.
Students demonstrate their learning through the scientific practice of developing and using models and analyzing and interpreting data..
Weather Systems
Students learn about how the unequal heating of the Earth’s surface impacts weather systems through observations, explorations, and data collection. Students demonstrate their learning through the scientific practice of developing and using models, and analyzing and interpreting data.
Body Systems
Students learn about the body as a system of interactive subsystems, composed of groups of cells through inquiry, experiments, and modeling.
Students demonstrate their learning through the scientific practices of developing and using models and engaging in arguments from evidence.
Cell Theory, Respiration & Photosynth
Students learn about cell theory, basic structures and functions of cells, photosynthesis, and cellular respiration through cell investigations and a yeast lab inquiry.
Students demonstrate their learning through the scientific practices of developing and using models, conducting investigations, and engaging in arguments from evidence.
GRADE 7
Ecosystems
Focusing on the flow of energy and matter through natural and designed systems, students learn about these concepts through inquiry, experiments, and modeling. Students demonstrate their learning through developing a model.
Biodiversity
Focusing on the interdependence of species and population dynamics, students learn about these concepts through inquiry, observation, and data collection. Students demonstrate their learning by writing a research based article about maintaining biodiversity.
Earth's Resources & Human Impact
Focusing on the choices humans make and how those choices affect Earth’s natural resources, students learn about these concepts through inquiry, research, and data analysis. Students demonstrate their learning by constructing an explanation about how humans can consume natural resources more sustainably.
Genetics
Focusing on heredity, students learn about it through labs, simulations, and modeling. Students demonstrate their learning by creating models of how traits are inherited and how DNA codes for specific traits.
Natural Selection & Common Ancestry
Focusing on heredity, students learn about it through labs, simulations, and modeling. Students demonstrate their learning by creating models of how traits are inherited and how DNA codes for specific traits.
Science & Society
Focusing on how science and engineering can impact society, students learn about this concept through experiments, research and inquiry. Students demonstrate their learning by creating a presentation about a specific advancement in science that synthesizes multiple sources of information.
GRADE 8
Earth and its Place in the Universe
Students learn about the earth, sun and moon systems. Focused on developing students’ abilities in the scientific practices of creating, using and analyzing models, analyzing data and applying basic math.
Students develop understanding of cross-cutting concepts like recognizing patterns, cause and effect relationships and understanding the scaling of various quantities.
Motion and Stability
Students learn about the transfer of energy, and how forces affect motion. Developing students abilities in the scientific practices of creating, using and analyzing models, analyzing data and applying basic math.
Students build understanding of cross-cutting concepts like recognizing patterns, cause and effect relationships and understanding the scaling of various quantities.
Energy (Waves & EMR)
Students learn about electric and magnetic forces and waves and their applications in technologies for information transfer. They develop abilities in the scientific practices of creating, using and analyzing models, analyzing data and applying basic math. This builds understanding of cross-cutting concepts like recognizing patterns, cause and effect relationships and understanding the scaling of various quantities.
Matter and Interactions (Chem)
Students learn about energy transfer in the light of chemical reactions and the basics of chemistry. They develop students abilities in the scientific practices of creating, using and analyzing models, analyzing data and applying basic math.
Students build understanding of cross-cutting concepts like recognizing patterns, cause and effect relationships and understanding the scaling of various quantities.
Visual Arts
GRADE 6
Exploring Line
Students explore line as an element of art and complete a variety of mark-making exercises. Students should be able to identify vocabulary describing lines and identify them in everyday objects.
Students will learn about how different kinds of line can express a variety of moods, and can also be used to imply direction and form and give drawings the illusion of three dimensions.
Monochromatic Painting
Students create a painting based on ideas and sketches that they have developed. They learn to mix acrylic paint to create shades and tints and painting a monochromatic colour scheme.
Clay Creatures
In this studio unit, students learn to design and make a three-dimensional sculptural form using clay. Students research and develop their own ideas and sketches around a theme.
Students attach pieces of clay and manipulate it using hand-building techniques.
Students may wish to combine decoration and function in different ways and use glaze.
Mixed-Media Collage
Students create a mixed-media collage based on the artist Romare Bearden. Students arrange and compose imagery around the theme of 'community' and explore different kinds of collage such as painted paper, decoupage and photo-montage.
GRADE 7
Mark Making and Impressions
Students explore actual and implied textures through found objects in a technique called frottage. Students look at the work of artist Max Ernst and explore how using different kinds of art media can create different results.
Printmaking
Students learn the process of Relief printing in this unit. They will make many prints from a single drawing and get familiar with the use of printmaking terms.
In Relief printing, they cut away or recess negative space in order to make a block print. The print is made from what is left of the original surface.
Students learn to transfer the image by placing the fully inked block face down along surface of the paper. A variety of techniques and tools for printmaking are introduced as they learn to block print.
Art Advocacy
Students use their Art as a visual representation that communicates something that is important to them.
Students use their artwork to create a poster for an advocacy publication that can be shared in the community.
Students learn about how different artists have responded to social issues and use their artwork to advocate a cause or injustice.
Students may also explore the theme through printmaking and the work of art in the age of reproduction.
Shapes and Shades
Students explore the use of shapes and shades in an artwork by observing an object of their choice, and translating the real and abstracted shapes .
Students paint to mix a variety of different tones and consider other appropriate colour schemes for their piece.
Clay Pinchpot Creature
Students design and make their own ‘creature’ from clay that is inspired by real or imagined creatures from land, sea, or mythology.
Students explore their own subject matter through drawn designs and investigations may cover gargoyles, monsters, animals, popular culture, cartoons, or depictions of the human head or body.
Students learn to use the ‘pinch pot’ method of clay construction and adapt it to their design.
Students are introduced to the properties of clay and its possibilities and limitations. They begin by making two hollowed pinch pots and attaching them together to create a hollow ball that forms the basic starting point of their design. Newspaper can be stuffed inside to strengthen and support forms. Different forms and textures are then added to the work to make their intended design or outcome.
When finished, pots are left to go ‘bone dry’ and then ‘bisque’ fired at 1100 degrees Celsius. Students will next use colour and paint their work with glaze and the pots are then fired once more.
Cubist Creation
Students explore an art movement called Cubism. They create a mixed media artwork based on observational drawings of objects from different viewpoints.
Students employ Cubist techniques such as abstracting, overlapping, reassembling and experiment with a different media including collage, pencil, oil pastel and/or monoprint.
Group Installation
Students create a large-scale dynamic group artwork. Using the work of other artists such as Okuda to inform their style, students collaborate constructively and think creatively to assemble an artwork.
GRADE 8
Two Point Perspective Drawing
Students apply the principles of two-point perspective in a drawing.
Students are introduced the different ways of showing the illusion of space in a two-dimensional artwork by using techniques including size/scale, overlapping, shading, placement, and linear perspective.
Students learn key concepts in perspective drawing, including vanishing point, horizon and parallel lines.
Mini Masterpieces
In this short studio unit, students choose an artwork of their choice using the Google Arts & Culture website and analyse and reinterpret it using a media of their choice.
Drypoint Etching
Students learn about intaglio printmaking and drypoint etching.
Students explore line and different shading techniques such as cross-hatching, stippling and random lines to create a gradation from light to dark.
Students plan and create an image that is then etched and printed on to paper.
Clay Slab Sculpture
Students learn to design and make a three-dimensional sculptural form using the slab method of clay construction.
Students research and develop their own ideas around a theme or guiding question, resulting in a final design cut out and template that forms the basis for the construction of their sculpture. They learn to attach pieces of clay and manipulate it using hand-building techniques.
Students may wish to combine decoration and function in different ways. Optional surface decoration treatments include sgraffito or the application of glaze or underglaze are offered to enhance their sculptures.
World Language
CHINESE
GRADE 6
Chinese 6
Introduction to Chinese
Students study the basics of the Chinese language including Pinyin Initials and Pinyin Vowels and Basic Strokes. They learn about the Pinyin system, its tones, eight basic strokes and the structure of Chinese characters. Basic greetings are introduced for students to engage in speaking skills.
Numbers
This unit enables students to verbally and in written form use the Chinese numbers correctly in various forms including date, time, telling age and counting.
My Family and Occupation
This unit enables students to verbally and in written form introduce their family members expressing details such as including information about nationality, occupation, age, etc.
Color, Clothing and Body Parts
This unit enables students to verbally and in written form describe and inform others about one's preferences on color and clothing. Students are able to describe one's physical appearance using appropriate Chinese vocabulary.
Country and Language
This unit enables students to verbally and in written form talk about nationality and the languages they have learned and/or used in school and at home. Student develop fluency and proficiency of language and are able to ask related questions.
My Daily LifeTime, Daily Routine and Transportation
This unit enables students to verbally and in written form introduce their daily life expressing details such as including daily routines as well as transportations they use and schedules they follow.
Chinese 6 Plus
Welcome to my family
Students become more familiar with Chinese language and cultures developing an understanding of the Pinyin system, its tones, Chinese character strokes and stroke orders for writing and the structure of Chinese characters.
Students learn to greet people, introduce themselves, introduce their family's basic information such as nationalities, languages, and occupation in both spoken and written forms. They also read characters in longer paragraphs with the support of some Pinyin.
Winter, seasons, and health
Students describe the weather and use related vocabulary to introduce a city about its four season's climate. They give advice according to a variety of weather and temperature to other.
They also learn to communicate about health problems and give advice for health problems.
Healthy lifestyle
Students are continuously introduced to the Chinese language and cultures to build their interactive oral skills, their presentational writing, speaking skills, and their interpretative skills for listening and reading. They use Chinese to describe what is a healthier life style, including hobbies activities, food, and daily routines.
World around us
Students are continuously introduced to the Chinese language and cultures to build their interactive oral skills, their presentational writing, speaking skills, and their interpretative skills for listening and reading. They learn about China as a country and its unique characteristics.
Students learn to describe the months of the year and the different seasons, the most important means of transportation, its geographical area and discuss the weather in Chinese.
GRADE 7
Chinese 7
School and subjects of study
Students explore school-related topics in the domains of reading, writing, speaking, listening and presenting on such topics as subjects, school facilities, preferences, exams, schedules, school activities, etc. They become comfortable developing reading comprehension and use school related vocabulary.
Winter, seasons, and health
Students learn in this unit to describe the weather, introduce four seasons climate of a city, give clothes advice according to different types of weather and temperature. They also give advice for health problems using content specific vocabulary and grammatical structure.
A balanced lifestyle
Students continue to become familiar with the Chinese language and cultures to build their interactive oral skills, their presentational writing, speaking skills, and their interpretative skills for listening and reading.
They become comfortable using Chinese to describe what is a healthier lifestyle and including conversational topics such as hobbies, sports, and daily routines.
Food and Diet
Students in this unit learn to express verbally and in written form a description and present an opinion about a variety of foods. They expand their vocabulary related to food, eating and diet.
Students explore the structures of the language and how it functions when discussing food and diet.
My house and my community
Students learn key phrases and vocabulary for talking about their home and community. In addition, they explore the cultural differences about living in China compared to their lives in Malaysia or their home countries.
Becoming more conversant in Chinese, students develop fluency and flow to their verbal and written expression.
Chinese 7 Plus
Seeing a doctor
In this unit addressing health and seeing a doctor, students verbally and in written form describe one's symptoms and understand simple instructions given by doctors. They are able to ask questions regarding how to take medication, express the impact of symptoms and how the doctor can help.
Country and weather
Students continue to improve their Chinese language skills and understanding of cultures to build their interactive oral skills, their presentational writing, speaking skills, and their interpretative skills of listening and reading.
With a specific focus on China, students learn to describe the months of the year and the different seasons experienced in the country, the most important means of transportation, the geographical characteristics of China, as well as discuss its weather.
Subject and School Facility
Students explore school-related topics in the domains of reading, writing, speaking, listening and presenting on such topics as subjects, school facilities, preferences, exams, schedules, school activities, etc. They become comfortable developing reading comprehension and use school related vocabulary through various learning activities.
Food and Diet
Students in this unit learn to express verbally and in written form a description and present an opinion about a variety of foods. They expand their vocabulary related to food, eating and diet.
This unit includes tasks on food-related words and a lot of activities for talking about food. Students will also watch videos about Chinese dishes from different places and discuss their eating preferences.
GRADE 8
Chinese 8
Seeing a doctor
In this unit addressing health and seeing a doctor, students verbally and in written form describe one's symptoms and understand simple instructions given by doctors. They are able to ask questions regarding how to take medication, express the impact of symptoms and how the doctor can help.
Country and weather
Students continue to improve their Chinese language skills and understanding of cultures to build their interactive oral skills, their presentational writing, speaking skills, and their interpretative skills of listening and reading.
With a specific focus on China, students learn to describe the months of the year and the different seasons experienced in the country, the most important means of transportation, the geographical characteristics of China, as well as discuss its weather.
Subject and School Facility
Students explore school-related topics in the domains of reading, writing, speaking, listening and presenting on such topics as subjects, school facilities, preferences, exams, schedules, school activities, etc. They become comfortable developing reading comprehension and use school related vocabulary through various learning activities.
Food and Diet
Students learn to express verbally and in written form a description and present an opinion about a variety of foods. They expand their vocabulary related to food, eating and diet.
This unit includes tasks on food-related words and a lot of activities for talking about food. Students will also watch videos about Chinese dishes from different places and discuss their eating preferences.
Chinese 8 Plus
Festivals and Food
Students continue to develop comfort with the Chinese languages and cultures to build their interactive oral skills, their presentational writing, speaking skills, and their interpretative skills for listening and reading. They learn to communicate in more sophisticated language and vocabulary about important festivals, including Chinese New year, Mid Autumn festival, Dragon Boat festival and Christmas in different countries.
This unit has a specific focus on the comparative language use to talk about the similarities and difference for each festival's food in China, Malaysia and possibly in their home countries.
Traveling
Students continue to develop comfort with the Chinese languages and cultures to build their interactive oral skills, their presentational writing, speaking skills, and their interpretative skills for listening and reading.
Students learn to communicate about their travelling itinerary in Chinese. They learn how to maintain conversation about travel such as flights, hotels and ticketing.
They also review and extend their persuasive writing and speaking skills using specific word choice to share opinions about the "Best place for vacation" to persuade people to try out a specific vacation spot.
Identity-who I am
Students continue to develop comfort with the Chinese language and cultures to build their interactive oral skills, their presentational writing, speaking skills, and their interpretative skills for listening and reading. They learn to communicate about their own and other people's appearances, share personality traits, hobbies as well as express their hopes and dreams for future career choices.
My School Life
Students continue to develop comfort with the Chinese language and culture to build their interactive oral skills, their presentational writing, speaking skills, and their interpretative skills for listening and reading.
Students communicate about what makes a successful school, sharing and debating topics such as teenage life, the use of technology, social media and screen time.
They are introduced to persuasive writing and speaking skills through a range of debate topics including: "Why a particular school is a successful or unsuccessful school?"; "What makes a good teacher or parents?" and "Advantages and disadvantages of using technology or social media."
FRENCH
GRADE 6
French 6 Beginner
En classe! / In class!
This first unit introduces students to French written accents, the quirks of oral pronunciation as well as provides them with basic sentence patterns and vocabulary of the classroom.
Students use greetings and courtesy expressions in basic conversation, as well as introduce themselves. They follow and use basic classroom commands, as well as useful questions and vocabulary of the class.
Students use numbers in functions such as telling the date and the time. They also learn to tell the weather.
Moi et mon monde! / Me and my World!
In this second unit, students discuss and describe their immediate world: family, clothes and their house. They describe themselves and their family, share background information, and talk about their character and physical appearance. They share color and clothing preferences.
Students describe the layout of their house, as well as their family routines at home.
Ma vie après l'école! / My life after School!
This third unit touches on the world around them, their hobbies as well as work and life in a city like Kuala Lumpur. Students share their after-school routine as well as their parents’ and friends’. They debate the importance of sports and music from a variety of points of view.
Students discuss different professions, the layout of the city as well as getting around using a variety of urban transports.
Animaux et nourriture / Animals and Food
This fourth and final unit expands the students’ linguistic skills to include a broader world. Students learn about weather and seasons, as well as various wild animal habitats.
They also familiarize themselves with the categories and glossary of food. Students share their favorite meal and a national dish.
GRADE 7
French 7 Beginner
En classe! / In class!
This first unit introduces the students to French written accents, the quirks of oral pronunciation as well as provides them with basic sentence patterns and vocabulary of the school.
Students use greetings and courtesy expressions in basic conversation, as well as introduce themselves. They follow and use basic classroom commands, as well as useful questions and vocabulary of the school. They share general information such as the date, the weather, and the seasons.
Students describe their school routine with time and locations.
Le monde de chez nous! / Those close to me!
In this second unit, students to discuss and describe their immediate world: family and pets and personal preferences in clothes.
Students describe themselves and their families, share background information, and talk about their character and physical appearance. They share color and clothing preferences for different weather and occasions.
Students discuss how and why their family spends time together, and their choice to have or not pets at home.
Autour de nous! / Around us!
This third unit touches on the world around them, their house, and food.
Students share the layout of their house, the family routine at home, as well as inviting house guests. They discuss hosting a party, inclusive of the food preparation.
Students describe the differences between daily and holiday meals along with their favorite food and a national dish.
Partout autour de nous! / Everywhere around us!
This fourth and final unit expands the students’ linguistic skills to include a broader world.
Students share their after-school routine as well as their parents’ and friends’. They debate the importance of sports and music from a variety of points of view.
Students discuss different professions, the layout of the city as well as getting around using a variety of urban transports.
French 7 Plus
Tous à bord! / All aboard!
This first review unit reacquaints students with concepts and vocabulary learned the previous year.
Students introduce themselves and their families by sharing the common points of interest of an international school crowd. They use the topic of school to discuss the importance of a positive scholastic climate.
Students compare individual and team sports while assessing the potential danger for injury of different disciplines.
Faire la fête! / Let's celebrate!
In this second unit, students focus on a variety of celebrations and all the activities that they entail.
Students talk about party planning, special guest arrangements, traditions, and the activities surrounding the event. They discuss hosting a party, inclusive of the food preparation.
Students describe the differences between daily and holiday meals along with their favorite food and a national dish.
A qui cette planète? / Whose planet is it?
This third unit highlights the environment and living sustainably and ethically on planet earth.
Students look at various professions closely involved in environmental domains. They study natural disasters as well as the humanistic organizations that spring in action to help out those affected.
Students also address the harsh reality of endangered animal species and advocate their preservation.
Bon voyage! / Have a good trip!
This fourth and final unit expands the students’ linguistic skills while appropriately featuring the topic of the upcoming “summer” holidays (June/July).
Students share their travel preparations, travel habits, and “expert” opinions in the matter of air travel. They describe their favorite destinations and what they plan to do. They also compare their parents’ ideal holidays with theirs and explain the compromises made.
Students also reflect on the mixed feelings of going on holidays but leaving their friends.
GRADE 8
French 8
A propos de moi! / All about me!
This first unit re-acquaints students with concepts and vocabulary learned the previous school year.
Students introduce themselves and their family, describing what makes them unique. They assess the makings of a good day or a bad one, analyzing the effects of uncontrollable circumstances on their moods.
Students share their favorite sports, and look at the benefits and potential for injuries of different disciples.
Moi et les autres! / Others around me!
In this second unit, students focus on their school life and long school holidays.
Students compare the demands and styles of their classes, while discussing their struggles and successes. They look at their relationship with the various “authority figures” in their life, and explain how they reach consensus or compromises. They also discuss their travel habits, plans and destinations.
Students also muse over the mixed feelings generated by holidays: sadness to leave their friends but joy at the freedom ahead.
Moi et mon image! / Me and my swag!
This third unit touches on shopping and the possible ensuing activities of eating and grooming!
Students discuss their shopping habits seeing it as a life necessity or pure hobby. They reflect on reflect on their eating habits and the repercussions on their health. They talk about the importance of grooming and clothes for boys and girls. They look at the different hobbies available to them outside of school.
Students share some traditions or customs such as the role of music and food in their family life or country.
Moi et mon quotidien! / My daily life!
This fourth and final unit expands the students’ linguistic skills as they talk about their daily life.
Students compare their daily routine during a school day to that of a weekend. They discuss differences in priorities between parents and children, as well as the compromises made. They also talk about the positive and negative aspects of having a maid at home.
Students discuss the benefits and disadvantages of living in a city like Kuala Lumpur.
French 8 Plus
A propos de moi! / All about me!
This first unit reacquaints students with concepts and vocabulary learned the previous school year.
Students introduce themselves and their family, describing what makes them unique. They discuss the various degrees in which pets are parts of family life, as well as the positive and negative aspects of owning an animal.
Students assess the makings of a good day or a bad one, analyzing the effects of uncontrollable circumstances on their moods.
Moi et les autres! / Others around me!
In this second unit, students focus on their school life.
Students compare the demands and styles of their classes while discussing their struggles and successes. They look at their relationship with the various “authority figures” in their life.
Students explain why they choose a particular sport and discuss the benefits and the pressure of playing one.
Moi et mon image! / Me and my swag!
This third unit touches on shopping and the possible ensuing activities of eating and grooming!
Students discuss their shopping habits seeing it as a life necessity or pure hobby. They reflect on their eating habits and the repercussions on their health. They also talk about the importance of grooming and clothes for boys and girls.
Students look at the different hobbies available to them outside of school.
Moi et mon quotidien! / My daily life!
This fourth and final unit expands the students’ linguistic skills as they talk about their daily life.
Students compare their daily routine during a school day to that of a weekend. They discuss differences of priorities between parents and children, as well as the compromises made. They also talk about the positive and negative aspects of having a maid at home.
Students discuss the benefits and disadvantages of living in a city like Kuala Lumpur.
SPANISH
GRADE 6
Spanish 6
¿Quién soy? / Who Am I? Spanish 6 2022/23 (Week 1, 6 Weeks)
¿Quién soy yo? is an introduction to the study of another language and culture.
Students learn to have basic interaction in class and communicate with their teacher and classmates. They develop interpretive skills (listening and responding to basic questions from the teacher). Once they have internalized high frequency questions, they start to respond verbally in the target language when asked personal questions.
By the end of the unit students will be able to communicate to introduce themselves, talk about their hobbies and introduce their parents.
Mi rutina / My Routine Spanish 6 2022/23 (Week 22, 8 Weeks)
Students talk about their daily routine, expressing what they enjoy about it and what they do not like. The also compare their routine with kids in Spanish speaking countries.
Mi ciudad / My city Spanish 6 2022/23 (Week 30, 9 Weeks)
Students reflect on the pros and cons of living in a big city. They reflect on what they like and dislike about living in Kuala Lumpur and make comparisons with the place they come from.
GRADE 7
Spanish 7
Mi personalidad / My Personality
Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions while talking about their personality. They are challenged to think about their personality by being confronted with different real life situations.
They also reflect on the personality difference they might have with their peers or their family members.
La ropa y yo / Me and clothes
Students describe their clothing attire, critique outfits at a fashion show by giving their opinions on the attire and what specifically they like or dislike about it.
Students acquire the vocabulary and grammatical structure to bargain for clothing at a local market.
Mis hábitos alimenticios / My eating habits
Students learn food vocabulary, reflect on their own diet and think about the things they should change in their diet.
Students acquire the vocabulary and grammatical structures to order food in simple sentences and give their opinion about what they are eating.
¿Hacer deporte...por qué? / Play sports..what for?
Students discuss the positive aspects of playing sports and the benefits of staying active.
Students share with the class what is their favorite sports and give reasons for that choice. They also express whether they prefer to play in team or individual sports and why.
Students reflect on what is a healthy diet.
GRADE 8
Spanish 8
las vacaciones ? My holidays
In "Mis vacaciones” students learn how to discuss the places they have visited and the things they have done while traveling. They use authentic materials such as videos, personal photos and souvenirs, maps, and websites.
Students strengthen their interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational skills through a variety of structured and scaffolded activities.
Las redes sociales / Social Media
"Las redes sociales" gives students basic information that they need to talk about their social media habits using the target language.
Students discuss the consequences that irresponsible social media usage can have on their educational, athletic, and well-being. They also discuss the positive aspects of using social media.
Students reflect on their use of social media and how they can benefit from it.
Mi ciudad / My city
Living as an expat and attending an international school can bring its challenges. "Vivir en otro país" allows students to reflect on the challenges of living abroad as an international student. They discuss the positive aspects as well as the downside of living far away from their home country.
El futuro / My future
Students reflect on their future or the future of the world surrounding them.
Students discuss a wide range of themes such as the environment, poverty or education at a basic level. After transitioning to high school, these themes are discussed more elaborately.
El mundo hispanohablante / The Hispano World
Students focus on hispanic culture. A wide variety of topics are tackled such as the linguistic differences between countries, the different dishes and traditions.
High School
- Design & Innovation
- English and Language Arts
- Health
- Mathematics
- Music
- Performing Arts
- Physical Education
- Social Studies / Science
- Visual Arts
- World Language
Design & Innovation
Web Design
Basic Design
Students are introduced to the principles of design and why it plays a role in the success of a front-end web page design.
Activities are conducted to explore brand identity through role-play scenarios and analysing websites as case studies to ensure the design is fulfilling the design brief. The essential tools that are found across the Adobe Creative Suite programmes are the keys to creating a successful digital product.
Website #1: You are the brand
The first web page design incorporates the knowledge we learned in Unit 1 with the Adobe Xd software.
Students develop their business cards as a brand identity for a website design that portrays who they are. The design principles play an even bigger role as students begin to experiment with layouts, typography, hierarchy and color schemes to create the web pages.
By focusing on their personal identity, students can begin to understand their own design style and the importance of content.
Website #2: Collaborating as a team agency
The final half of the semester focuses on collaboration as students bring to the table the skills and knowledge they have acquired as individuals in the class.
A 'client' is assigned to the groups and their goal is to successfully deliver the client's message to the masses. Students learn to analyse design choices and be able to provide justification.
Computer Science Modern World
Primitive data types and expressions
This unit introduces students to the Java programming language, graphic user interface, and the classes, providing students with a firm foundation of programming concepts. Students focus on programming code that uses variables, constants, and mathematical expressions.
Boolean expressions and IF statements
Algorithms/computer programs are composed of three building blocks: sequencing, selection, and iteration. This unit introduces students to the selection process using conditional/ IF statements. The students learn the syntax/format of the IF statements and apply/use them in their programs.
Iteration (Looping)
Algorithms/computer programs are composed of three building blocks: sequencing, selection, and iteration. This unit introduces students to the iterative process using looping statements. The students learn the syntax/format of the FOR and WHILE loop statements and apply/use them in their programs.
Functions
This unit introduces students to programming using functions. The students learn to use library functions offered by the programming language in their code. They also develop functions (user-defined) to create solutions with modularity and reuse the same in different parts of the solution without writing the same code again.
Files Programming/ Database programming
This unit introduces students to database/ files programming. The students learn to write programs that store data permanently in files/databases. They also write code modules to retrieve, edit, and filter data to generate multiple views.
Robotics
Introduction and Fundamentals of the VEX
In this unit, students are guided through the process of setting up the programming environment, programming the robot, and running the basic moving forward program.
The type of learning experiences that students engage in include group challenges, hands-on experiences in getting their codes to run properly, and troubleshooting any issues that arise.
Unit 2 Moving Your Robot
Students will control basic movements of their robots through coding to accomplish a goal. The students will use group and individual challenges in these learning challenges.
Unit 3 Repeating Behaviours
Students will use the pen tool and loops to repeat behaviours and draw. This is an inquiry based unit which will use rubrics to assess.
Unit 4 Navigating a Maze
Students will use the sensor input to navigate their robots within an environment using their bumper sensor.Students will use an inquiry approach and be assessed through rubrics.
Unit 5 Detecting Walls from a Distance
Students will learn to use distance sensors to navigate their robotos without having to touch any walls. This is an inquiry-based lesson that will use rubrics for assessment.
Unit 6 Knowing Your Location
Students will use a location sensor to move their robots around a grid. This is an inquiry-based unit with rubrics for assessment.
Unit 7 Decisions with Colors
Students will be introduced to conditional statements in coding and use of camera sensors to detect changes in color. This is an inquiry-based unit with rubrics for assessment.
Unit 8 Moving Objects with Loops
Students will learn to use sensor feedback and nested loops to move objects with electromagnetic attachments. This is an inquiry-based unit with rubrics for assessment.
Unit 9 Developing Algorithms
Students will be introduced to algorithms to help solve dynamic problems with their robots. This is an inquiry-based unit with rubrics for assessment.
Investigation 1
Students create a mechanical advantage prototype that demonstrates the use of gears to create a mechanical advantage. Students explore how mechanical advantages and gear ratios can be applied to their builds, daily lives, and in robotic competitions.
Investigation 2
Students will learn how to program loops to get their robots dancing.
Investigation 3
Students are asked to program a robot to deliver medication to patients on a hospital floor that they create.
Engineering Projects
Students will go through the engineering design process for an open-ended build activity.
Video Production
Unit 1: Video Production Introduction
Students learn the basic tools and techniques of storyboarding, camera operation, editing to communicate effectively with video. They also learn how to collaborate and why it is important to be a reliable team member.
Students learn through modelling, and direct instruction, but primarily through project-based instruction. Their understanding is demonstrated through collaborative project-based assessment and subsequent reflection.
Unit 2: Creating a Video Advertisement
Students build their learning about the three phases of video production to create an advertisement to either inform or persuade. They analyze examples of real-world advertisements to help them develop a video segment that appeals to their specific target audience.
Through a collaborative project-based assessment, students will also learn how to work within specific roles and apply the video composition principles to effectively communicate their vision.
Unit 3: Creating a Video Interview
Students learn how to effectively conduct, shoot, and edit an interview. They watch examples of real-world news reports, documentaries and other forms of video journalism to understand the purpose of video interviews. They then imagine an interview that would appeal to their specific audience.
Finally, through a project-based assessment, they must collaborate and communicate effectively within their specific roles to create an engaging video interview.
Unit 4: Panther Pause!
Students learn how to design and create an ongoing online TV broadcast that provides project-based learning that could vary from advertisements to video interviews. The show’s main objective is to broadcast news about the high school community and serve various clientele within ISKL to support them in promoting their message about a specific product or story.
Students are individually assigned to rotating roles on the team each week, and must collaborate effectively to create and deliver a show segment that is appropriate to their authentic audience and the clientele’s request.
At two points in the semester, students select their best evidence of learning for pre-production, camera operation, editing, and After Effects for summative assessment.
Unit 5: Using After Effects
Students learn how to effectively use Adobe After Effects in a dynamic, hands-on approach. With their project-based assessment, they have the opportunity to design and create specialized video effects, motion graphics and 2D and 3D text animation to supplement our online show.
They explore a wide range of advanced video effects tools within the program and digitally create media artworks that are appropriate to the specific theme or audience.
Cooking Around the World
Childhood Memories
Students reflect upon their relationship with food. To demonstrate their learning, students complete a narrative writing piece: The Personal Meaning of Food, a self-portrait using only food visuals and a small questionnaire about their relationship with food now.
Let's SALSA
Students learn about safety in the Food Tech Lab, knife skills, and how to follow a recipe. They practice new skills by making different kinds of salsas.
Students demonstrate their acquired skills and understandings through making an Apple Mango Salsa and using at least three knife cutting techniques.
It's all about soup!
Students learn how to make different kinds of soups from scratch. They learn how to make their own vegetable and chicken broth. They also learn the difference between a bouillon, a cream, and a soup.
Students demonstrate their understanding by making a vegetable soup from scratch, starting by making their own chicken or vegetable broth.
Dough oh dear....
Students learn all there is to know about dough - bread rolls, hamburger buns, Iranian flatbread, French baguette, sourdough, puff pastry dough, pie dough, and quiche dough. They learn about what makes each dough different from another.
To demonstrate their understanding, students have to bake three different kinds of bread and experiment with different kinds of yeast.
It's all about muffin!
Muffins are everywhere! They can be savoury, sweet or healthy. Students learn that muffins are a great healthy snack option because they bring highly nutritious ingredients. Students demonstrate their learning by making three different kinds of muffin and explaining what makes them healthy.
Healthy eating
Students explore different food-based dietary guidelines. These guidelines are intended to establish a basis for public food and nutrition, health and agricultural policies and nutrition education programmes to foster healthy eating habits and lifestyles.
Students learn through different sites and they demonstrate understanding by designing a healthy diet based on the food guidelines and the 8 tips for eating well.
What does sustainable mean in food?
Students learn about the sustainability of food production as “a method of production using processes and systems that are non-polluting, conserve non-renewable energy and natural resources, are economically efficient, are safe for workers, communities and consumers, and do not compromise the needs of future generations.”
Students demonstrate their understanding by creating a guide which will promote 12 ways of being sustainable in the Food Industry.
The new trends in Food Technology
Students learn about the new trends in Food Technology.
Students demonstrate their understanding by creating a Google slide presentation on one of the new trends. They also have to find concrete examples on how these new trends affect their daily life.
Cooking for a Purpose
Childhood Memories
Students reflect upon their relationship with food. To demonstrate their learning, students complete a narrative writing piece: The Personal Meaning of Food.
They show understanding that food is always present at different celebrations. Students create a self-portrait using only food visuals and conduct a questionnaire about their relationship with food.
Food Safety and Sanitation
Students learn about safety in the Food Tech Lab, sanitation, knife skills, and how to follow a recipe. They practice new skills by making different kinds of salsas and soups.
Students demonstrate their acquired skills and understandings through making an Apple Mango Salsa and a Vegetables soup, using at least three knife cutting techniques. They also have to demonstrate the proper way of cleaning their tools and station once they are done with their cooking.
Food for catering and presentation
Students learn about food preparation and specific catering skills.
Students demonstrate their understanding by creating beautiful finger foods that look good and are healthy. They also have to create different finger foods for different dietary requirements.
Nutrition
Students explore different food-based dietary guidelines. These guidelines are intended to establish a basis for public food and nutrition, health and agricultural policies and nutrition education programmes to foster healthy eating habits and lifestyles.
Students learn through different sites and they will demonstrate understanding by designing a healthy menu for their catering company.
Creating our own catering company
The final half of the semester will focus on collaboration as students bring to the table the skills and knowledge they have acquired as individuals in the class. A 'client' is assigned to the groups and their goal is to successfully deliver the client's order.
Students learn to analyse design choices and are able to provide justification. They will also create their own catering company.
English and Language Arts
Grade 9
Independent Reading
Students read for pleasure to increase their stamina, range of texts, and appreciation of reading. Daily reading time and support is given to students to track what and how much they're reading through various tools such as reading logs, book chats, and book talks.
Independent Writing
Students write to increase their stamina, range of texts types, and appreciation of expression of ideas. Daily writing time and support is given to students with prompts, links to works studied in class, reflections, and ideas leading to writing assignments.
Narrative Writing
Students analyze memoirs and narratives by professional writers as well as student writers, allowing them to understand the narrative structure, prior to writing their own piece.
Through reading model text, discussion of excerpts, peer-editing, and mini-writing lessons, students learn the basic elements of narrative writing. They demonstrate their understandings through tasks such as: exploding a moment, using sensory detail to develop scenes, applying vivid verbs to text.
Short Story Unit
Students understanding of the literary terms used are developed to discuss and analyse short fiction.
They read a variety of fictional short stories as well as write and speak in response to literature to show their understanding and structure a literary essay that demonstrates their ability to write to embed quotes from a text to support their thesis statements.
Taking A Stand/Persuasive Writing
Students learn to express their beliefs. Through mentor text studies, students identify and analyze the significant role that language plays in persuasion.
Using the knowledge and skills gained through analyzing a variety of persuasive text, students will apply the techniques to their own writing in order to persuade their audience.
Novel Study
Students engage in reading comprehension, Socratic Seminars, research, and literary essays to explore the many themes in a novel.
Seen through language, narrative structure, and literary techniques and elements, the craft of the novel will be analyzed for purpose and effect. Historical, social, and cultural context will give further depth of understanding to the nuances of the text.
Poetry Writing
Students study many different poets and poems in order to understand, analyze, and write poetry. They study methods, forms, and experiences that have helped develop these poets and they will write poetry using many of the same devices.
Through in-class writing exercises, reading of model poems, and discussion of student work, students are encouraged to produce poetry of increasing quality.
Students learn the basic elements of poetry, important types of poems, and fundamental poetic techniques. They explore different forms of poems from various time periods and begin to learn what it takes to create a poem.
Students are expected to write analytically about poetry in addition to writing and reciting their own poetry.
Media Analysis Unit
Media is a relevant and contemporary text type used to express point of views and to educate audiences about global issues. Communication is particularly effective, as it is digestible and accessible to modern day audiences who already have prior experiences with media literacy through everyday interaction.
Students watch a selection of shorts and discuss the impact on them as an audience. Visual and audio techniques are taught through modelling. Students practice analyzing shorts in groups before culminating their experience with a summative assessment.
Grade 10
Independent Reading
Students read for pleasure to increase their stamina, range of texts, and appreciation of reading. Daily reading time and support is given to students to track what and how much they're reading through various tools such as reading logs, book chats, and book talks.
Journal Writing
Students apply skills and strategies to write clearly and coherently for specific audiences and purposes. Journal writing allows them to articulate their thoughts freely, knowing that their writing will not be assessed.
The Power of Purpose: Short Non-fiction prose
Students read a variety of nonfiction prose in order to understand how they function differently according to the author’s intention and purpose. They appreciate how an author engages their audiences differently, depending on the purpose and/or text type.
Students analyze the choices textual, structural and technical choices made on the part of the author in order to achieve their purpose.
Purple Hibiscus
Through close reading, analysis, and group discussions of Purple Hibiscus, students consider the different political, cultural and social contexts this novel is set in and understand the attitudes and values expressed by literary texts and their impact on readers.
Students understand the role society plays in the development of an individual and demonstrate their learning through a literary analysis.
Poetry
Students study and analyze various forms of both written and spoken poetry. They examine how various techniques and structures impact meaning. Students write a commentary to show their understanding.
Students write and workshop original poetry inspired by the poems studied in class.
Independent Novel Book Club
Students are empowered to make their own choices of books to study, and to work collaboratively with their peers to gain a deeper understanding of the text. They develop stronger speaking and listening skills during book discussions and find patterns of literary features and analyze writer’s craft.
Students become more careful, thoughtful, independent readers and they demonstrate learning through discussions and a literary analysis.
Persuasive Writing/Editorials
Students study modern editorial writing. After analyzing how a variety editorials for author's persuasive craft, students select an issue to research. Students compose their own editorial.
Othello
Students read the play, and watch a staging in the traditional context. Students write and present to deepen their understanding of aspects of the play
Grade 11/12
The College Essay and Book Clubs
Students split time between self-selected book clubs and writing college/personal essays. Book clubs feature a selection of memoirs and biographies by authors across the globe, and serve as mentor texts for students as they write their college or personal essays.
In book club groups, students discuss the literary techniques and writing moves that make the narratives so powerful. Using writing techniques learnt from the memoirs, students write either a college or personal essay depending on their current situation.
Students show their learning through close reading with annotations, book club discussions, giving and receiving peer feedback about their writing, and writing and showcasing their own personal essay.
Dystopian Literature
Students examine the dystopian literary genre through reading, writing and discussion about various texts. A major component of examining the genre will be done through selected dystopian texts and a student-choice of one novel to be discussed in a book club.
In book club groups, students discuss the literary techniques and writing moves that make the narratives so powerful. Using the writing techniques learnt from the novels and the discussions, students write short pieces of analysis breaking down various dystopian texts.
Students show their learning through close reading with annotations, book club discussions, and analysing texts using short written responses.
Sports in Media and Literature
By exploring a range of nonfiction and fiction texts, students examine various sports-related themes with a specific focus on analysing how authors and directors create meaning and the different ways they use sport in their work.
Students show their learning through close reading with annotations, literary analysis paragraphs, Socratic seminars discussing specific texts and a visual presentation analysing a sports-related text of their choosing.
Youth and the Media
By exploring a range of non-fiction texts and mediums, students examine how media shapes, persuades and manipulates young people. Introducing specific media analysis language and concepts, students will develop a set of media literacy skills to breakdown various forms of media and their messages targeted at young people.
Students show their learning through classroom discussion, critical analysis questions, a longer-form essay and Socratic seminars discussing specific texts.
Contemporary Issues
Students approach this unit as researchers where they examine different types of evidence and explore how to evaluate that evidence by analyzing, discussing and writing about different texts.
Students use these skills to research and write a research paper on a contemporary issue of their choice.
Speaking Out
Students are the public speakers. In this role, students examine different types and styles of speeches throughout history up to the present day. They explore what makes an effective speech by analysing a wide range of speech styles and topics.
Students use these skills to write and deliver a speech with their own defined purpose, topic and message.
Humor in Literature and Media
Students examine the theories and types of comedy in order to determine what makes something funny. Shift to reading various comedic mentor texts (both fiction and non-fiction) to identify and analyze the various comedic and literary techniques an author uses to create humor for an intended audience.
Students will write their own comedic piece of fiction or creative non-fiction and share it in a showcase of work with other teachers/mentors in the school.
Students show their learning through close reading with annotations, informal class discussion and writing groups, a vocabulary quiz, giving and receiving peer feedback and writing and showcasing their own creative humorous piece of fiction or nonfiction.
Film and Literature
Students examine the art of filmmaking and the different decisions a director has to make compared to a writer. They first explore film terminology and apply those new concepts through discussion and individual written responses using various films and other texts.
Students show their learning through vocabulary quizzes, a film genre presentation, a written film review with peer feedback and a Socratic seminar comparing and contrasting a short story to a film.
Literature, Drama and Performance
Students view, read and analyze the 1984 theatrical performance of the play "Master Harold...and the Boys." Taking a deep dive into 1950s apartheid South Africa, "Master Harold" is rich in historical and cultural significance, which illustrates to students how literature can both reflect on a society's problems and influence positive change at the same time.
Students explore the context in which the play was written (and how it compares with today) and examine the techniques the author/director used to develop the conflict, characters, and themes of the play.
Students show their learning through short written responses, class discussions, an argumentative essay, and a visual performance/presentation.
Creative Non-Fiction
Students read and analyze various forms and styles of creative non-fiction writing as well as write their own original piece.
Exploring themes of race, gender, sexuality and social justice, students will discover the techniques required to write a powerful and persuasive piece of creative non-fiction. They show their learning through Socratic seminars and by writing their own creative non-fiction text, which will be showcased at the end of the unit.
Slam Poetry
Students read, analyze, discuss, write and perform slam poetry on themes of their choice. Exploring the craft and structure of poetry, students dive into how poets purposefully use words and style to create meaning and expand on topics not easily explained using prose.
Students look at how adding the element of performance changes slam poetry into a genre that is very unique and personal.
Students show their learning through short written responses, class discussions, and slam poetry writing and performance.
Creative Writing
Students focus on a creative writing project of their choice based on the topics covered over the course of the year. Using various creative writing examples and styles, students dive into how writers purposefully use words and style to create meaning and expand on topics not easily explained using other styles of writing.
Students show their learning through a final creative writing piece, which will be developed through peer feedback and revision and showcased for a wider school audience.
French Language Arts 1
Identities French
Students study extracts from different centuries and genres (essays, memoirs, autobiography, autobiographical novels, diaries), focusing on forms of self-narration and self-portraiture in order to understand the reasons for and the meaning of narration and self-representation.
Students content with issues of truth and identity through a range of autobiographical writing including Montaigne's Essays, Rousseau's Confessions and Richard Wright's Black Boy.
Le courage French
Students learn about courage, and whether there is a difference between courage "in real life" versus "life in literature".
Students read fictional novels as well as autobiographies and non-fiction essays that have inspired readers in the past. The reflect on visual and representational texts such as songs as well as art to study various ways courage is portrayed.
La place de la femme dans la société
Students study different speeches and reflections of women in the struggle for female emancipation. They study various argumentative texts that highlight the evolution of women's demands according to social and political advances.
Students study two novels that highlight the influence of culture, customs, and traditions on the lives of girls and women and reflect on the struggles that are still exist today.
French Language Arts 2
Pouvoir et conflits - l’engagement personnel
What does it mean to speak freely, is it important to be able to speak freely? How do we understand what we hear? This unit is about the liberty of speech and thinking and the importance of standing up for this liberty.
This unit is also about the importance of freedom of thought, the skill of thinking and speaking critically, and the importance of voice.
La force humaine face aux atrocités
Students learn that in the face of horror, we react differently. Traumatic experiences are unique to each individual. Optimism seems out of place, perhaps even frivolous and offensive.
Students learn how people react and act in extreme situations and how they emerge from tragedy.
Students find that writing can be a tool for healing, especially autobiographical writing.
La nature subjective des relations humaines
Students discover what elements make a friendship work and what are the things that can destroy friendship. They study a character play that describes the friendship of three men.
Students learn that vulnerability and openness are essential to friendship.
Chinese Language Arts
Who am I? Chinese
Students explore ways to discover self identity by understanding history and culture. They learn to appreciate how one's cultural context affects identity and how we express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values.
Literature
Students explore different types of literary texts and bodies of works along with strategies for engagement and comprehension such as detail reading, annotation, textual analysis and critical literacy.
Korean Language Arts 1
Journey to Find Myself 나를 찾아가는 여행
Literature from a variety of cultures helps us identify ourselves and our relationship with others.
Students explore both literary and non-literary texts to understand how motivational writing can impact adolescent lives.
Students will demonstrate their understanding through writing memoir and comparative essays.
Power of Persuasive Language 설득의 힘
Students explore what a healthy social and political environment looks like and how to protect basic human rights. They explore ways in which perspectives can be manipulated to influence the environment we live in.
Being aware of the positive and negative power of mass communication helps students think critically about our society and develops balanced thinking. They consider the importance of minority identities and their place in society.
World of Modern Literature: Short story and poetry
Students study a variety of literary genres including short stories and poetry. Students learn the features of short stories and poetry, and how they can reflect the author's historical and social background. They also learn how the audience takes a role in the process of interpretation and analysis.
Communication in Cultural Context 문화적 맥락에서 소통하기
Students explore various texts such as drama, letters, films, plays and myths to examine how authors express ideas, feelings, beliefs and values within a cultural context.
Students, as open-minded and critical readers, explore textual format and rhetorical features and make connections to meaning through logical inference. They examine cultural context in order to appreciate how text interacts with the world.
Health
GRADE 10
My Health Journey
This unit highlights dimensions of wellness to provide the context for goal setting. Goal setting is a skill that allows students to evaluate their personal health and use the results to determine a goal they are willing to work on to improve their health.
Students will work through the process, with the emphasis on the ability to apply the process in a thoughtful and meaningful way.
Students envision what is possible and then develop a plan that focus on an aspect of their health to maintain or improve their health outcomes. They consider the strategies and skills needed to achieve the goal and determine how they will monitor progress and measure success.
They also reflect on their progress and determine the next steps to solidify this goal over the long term.
Self Management (Mental Health)
This unit highlights dimensions of wellness to provide the context for goal setting. Goal setting is a skill that allows students to evaluate their personal health and use the results to determine a goal they are willing to work on to improve their health.
Students will work through the process, with the emphasis on the ability to apply the process in a thoughtful and meaningful way.
Students envision what is possible and then develop a plan that focus on an aspect of their health to maintain or improve their health outcomes. They consider the strategies and skills needed to achieve the goal and determine how they will monitor progress and measure success.
They also reflect on their progress and determine the next steps to solidify this goal over the long term.
Decision Making (ATOD)
This unit highlights dimensions of wellness to provide the context for goal setting. Goal setting is a skill that allows students to evaluate their personal health and use the results to determine a goal they are willing to work on to improve their health.
Students will work through the process, with the emphasis on the ability to apply the process in a thoughtful and meaningful way.
Students envision what is possible and then develop a plan that focus on an aspect of their health to maintain or improve their health outcomes. They consider the strategies and skills needed to achieve the goal and determine how they will monitor progress and measure success.
They also reflect on their progress and determine the next steps to solidify this goal over the long term.
Nutrition Grade
Students in this unit explore how to support healthy nutrition choices in their own life and the lives of others, including peers and family.
Students apply functional nutritional knowledge to promote health-enhancing nutrition behaviours for themselves and others. Through a variety of learning activities, students reflect on their own nutritional habits and develop a healthy eating plan that aligns with personalised balanced nutritional recommendations.
A major component of this unit is a research project and presentation that allows students to analyse influences on nutritional behaviours and develop the ability to advocate for health by promoting a health-enhancing position on a topic of their choice.
Relationships and Sex Education
This unit provides important knowledge needed to develop healthy relationships and to empower students to make positive, well-informed decisions for themselves as they navigate the turbulent hormonal teenage years.
Subtopics covered include anatomy of the reproductive systems, healthy relationships and consent, safe sex and contraception, decision making and consequences, and sexually transmitted infections. Learning activities in this unit allow students the opportunity to explore important components of relationships and communication skills.
Students also learn to seek and access valid and reliable information related to sexual health.
Mathematics
Integrated Math 2
Probability
Students learn to represent all possible outcomes of both single and compound events using multiple representations (two-way tables, Venn diagrams, and tree diagrams).
Through the use of games and open-ended inquiry tasks, they will develop an understanding of the difference between theoretical probability and experimental probability, while at the same time learning to apply the general rules of theoretical probability to predict outcomes.
Algebra Expressions and Equations
Students refine their algebraic thinking skills by writing algebraic expressions and equations to generalise visualise patterns. Solve linear and quadratic equations both algebraically and graphically and will extend this practice to include literal equations with variable coefficients.
Students learn to write equivalent algebraic expressions in different ways by factoring trinomials, expanding binomials, and adding and subtracting polynomials expressions, frequently making connections between the algebraic operations of multiplication and addition and the geometric models of area and perimeter.
Function Formalities
Students understand the definition of a function and domain and range, explore transformations of functions in relation to the absolute value function, and compare properties of different functions including absolute value, linear and quadratic functions.
They develop a conceptual understanding of function transformations through inquiry, with significant use of technology to analyse characteristics of graphical representations.
Exponential Functions
Students compare exponential functions to linear functions in terms of their respective patterns of change as well as explore the properties of exponential functions and their graphical transformations.
They investigate the properties of integer exponents and use them to simplify complex exponential expressions and apply their knowledge of exponential patterns and functions to solve real-world exponential growth and decay application problems.
Quadratic Functions
Students explore quadratic functions and their solutions both graphically and algebraically.
Students recognise all three forms quadratic functions (standard form, intercept form, and vertex form) from their equations, tables, and graphs. They study forms and identify under which circumstances each form is most appropriate.
Additionally, they can graph quadratics in each form, convert between forms, and solve quadratic equations in a variety of ways.
Coordinate Geometry
Students extend their knowledge of the coordinate plane to include analysis of two-dimensional plane figures. Through inquiry, develop formulas to find both distance and midpoint as well as explore the properties of parallel and perpendicular lines.
Using these skills, they classify polygons by sides and angles. They learn to write and graph equations of circles in the coordinate plane.
Trigonometry
This is an overview of similar triangles in order to develop an understanding of the three basic trigonometric ratios. Students explore relationships in special right triangles and apply these relationships as well as the trigonometric ratios to solve real-world problems involving angles of elevation and depression.
Integrated Math 2+
Probability
Students learn to represent all possible outcomes of both single and compound events using multiple representations (two-way tables, Venn diagrams, and tree diagrams).
Through the use of games and open-ended inquiry tasks, they will develop an understanding of the difference between theoretical probability and experimental probability, while at the same time learning to apply the general rules of theoretical probability to predict outcomes.
Algebra
Students refine their algebraic thinking skills with both applications of classic algebra word problems involving numerical relationships, motion problems and mixtures and through investigating and generalizing visual patterns. They review how to solve equations including two step equations, multi-step equations, literal equations, rational equations, and squared equations.
Understanding the concept of absolute value as the distance from zero, they solve absolute value equations and inequalities. Students learn to manipulate, simplify, and perform operations with polynomial and radical expressions as well as factor polynomials by inspecting the form.
Functions
Students understand the definition of a function and domain and range, explore function transformations through the absolute value function, and compare properties of different functions including absolute value, linear, quadratic, and linear piecewise functions.
They develop conceptual understanding of function transformations through inquiry, with significant use of technology to analyze characteristics of graphical representations.
Students also explore the basic characteristics of polynomial functions, including end behavior, x intercepts from factored form, multiplicity of roots and an informal look at the fundamental theorem of algebra.
Quadratic Functions
Students explore quadratic functions and their solutions both graphically and algebraically. Students recognise all three forms quadratic functions (standard form, intercept form, and vertex form) from their equations, tables, and graphs. They study the forms and are able to identify under which circumstances each form is most appropriate.
Students are able to graph quadratics in each form, convert between forms, and solve quadratic equations in a variety of ways. They explore the concepts of roots of a quadratics and understand the the discriminant can be used to describe the number and type of roots as well as explore the idea of complex roots and imaginary numbers.
Exponential Functions
Students compare exponential functions to linear functions in terms of their respective patterns of change as well as explore the properties of exponential functions and their graphical transformations.
They investigate the properties of integer exponents and use them to simplify complex exponential expressions and apply their knowledge of exponential patterns and functions to solve real-world exponential growth and decay application problems.
Coordinate and Circular Geometry
Student extend their knowledge of the coordinate plane to include analysis of two-dimensional plane figures. Through inquiry, they develop formulas to find both distance and midpoint, as well as explore the properties of parallel and perpendicular lines.
Students use these skills to classify geometric polygons by sides and angles. They learn to write and graph the equations of circles in the coordinate plane.
Students extend their coordinate geometry to work with vectors in two dimensional including operations with vectors and apply the vector equation of a line.
Similarity & Triangle Trigonometry
This is an overview of similar triangles in order to develop an understanding of the three basic trigonometric ratios.
Students explore relationships in special right triangles and use them to understand how to create ordered points for special angles of rotation on the unit circle.
Lastly, students use their knowledge of right triangle trigonometry to solve word problems involving angles of elevation and depression and bearings of objects. Radian unit of angle measure is not considered in this course.
Integrated Math 3
Functions
Students build on their understanding of functions (graphs/equations) and are introduced to the concept of function and test to determine whether different representations meet the requirements of a function.
Students find the domain and range of relationships. Composite and inverse functions are introduced.
Finally, students focus on the transformations of functions (mostly linear, quadratic and piecewise) - a skill that will prepare them for further study in functions.
Bivariate Statistics
Students look at bivariate data to find a line of best fit, specifically using linear regression.
Students calculate the correlation coefficient and learn specific vocabulary to describe how well the data fit a linear model. Making predictions based on their model and sebsequently discuss the reliability of their predictions.
Quadratic Functions
Students build their understanding of functions; graphs/equations. Introduced to three forms of quadratic functions (vertex, factored and standard form), students identify key features (vertex, intercepts, and axis of symmetry) in order to graph functions.
Students will continue to develop their algebraic skills through factoring, multiplying binomials and rearranging into equivalent expressions. They develop quadratic models (both analytically and using regression) and apply their understanding of quadratic models to solve problems.
Other Functions (Polynomial and Rational)
Students build on their understanding of key features of functions; zeros, intercepts, and asymptotes. They focus on developing the calculator skills and understanding of types of models that can be used to model data in the real world.
Revisiting concepts of domain and range, the understanding of a horizontal asymptote from exponential functions will be broadened to include horizontal and vertical asymptotes. The x-intercepts from quadratic functions will be extended to look at the zeros of polynomial functions.
Exponents and Logarithms
Students identify key features (zeros, asymptotes, intercepts) of exponential and logarithmic functions whilst revisiting exponential functions (graphs/questions).
Students use exponent and log properties to write equivalent expressions proficiently.
Students should move fluently between exponential and logarithmic form. They develop models to represent real-world data and solve for parameters (like growth rate, initial value, etc). These models are used to solve real-world applications of exponential and logarithmic growth.
Trigonometry
Students build their understanding of right triangle trigonometry to investigate special right triangles and use them to find common ratios for angle values larger than 90 degrees on the unit circle. They use these relationships to create sinusoidal functions to model periodic real-world data.
Students identify key features (period, amplitude, midline, phase shift) in order to graph trigonometric functions.
Students will also use trigonometry to find the surface area and volume of more complex figures.
Integrated Math 3
Algebraic Manipulation
Students continue their study of polynomials; through adding, subtracting, expanding and factorizing polynomials. Emphasis is on recognising structures in expansions of binomials to develop rules for factorisation. Specific rules include the perfect square binomial, difference of squares expansion as well as expansions of powers of binomial expressions leading to the understanding of the binomial theorem.
Students develop skills in manipulating expressions involving surds, as well as simplifying surds and determining conditions for two expressions involving surds to be equal. This includes a brief study of algebraic expressions, involving polynomial expressions and surds.
Students develop an understanding of when two polynomial expressions are equivalent and when they are not.
Coordinate Geometry
Students apply their understanding of the Cartesian coordinate system to revisit properties of and theorems within geometry, emphasising the link between algebra and geometry. Coordinates will be used to describe points, lines and circles in two dimensions.
Coordinate methods are used to solve applied problems in the real-world, as well as proving abstract mathematical theorems from Geometry.
Functions & Sequences
Students develop an abstract understanding of functions as mappings. Apply concepts of transformations in a general sense to a function in order to create an image function.
They are taught to understand sequences as functions from the natural numbers to the reals. Apply concepts of functions to create mathematical models of real-life phenomena.
Quadratics & Functions
Students further their understanding of the theory of quadratic equations along with practical applications. They make use of Vieta's theorem for the Sum and Product of Roots of a quadratic equation to create quadratic equations.
They also apply quadratic theory to solve real world problems. Understand the roles of the parameters a quadratic on the shape of its graph. Understand how to work with complex numbers derived from quadratic equations.
Polynomial and Rational Functions
Students are introduced to the Division for Polynomials, making comparisons to the Division Algorithm for integers. They develop and prove the Remainder and Factor Theorems, using them to solve problems and assist in graphing polynomial and rational functions.
They construct graphs of polynomial functions using factorisation techniques, appropriately representing end-behaviour and root-behaviour (using concept of multiplicities).
They also construct graphs of rational functions, incorporating techniques from those above in addition to finding asymptotes (horizontal, vertical and slant).
Students find coordinates of holes and points of intersection between a graph and its asymptotes.
Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
Students further their understanding exponential functions and their applications, such as to problems involving compound interest. They learn that a logarithmic function is the inverse function of exponential function of the same base and be able to use the laws of logarithms and exponent rules to simplify expressions, prove identities and solve equations.
Students are introduced to the the natural exponential base, e, and the natural logarithm and use these to model continuous growth or decay.
Trigonometry
Building off the students' background knowledge of the trigonometric ratios for right triangles, extending to the angles greater than 90 degrees and less than 0 degrees, using radian measure as well.
Students solve trigonometric equations on given intervals, whose solutions are multi-valued. They verify and prove trigonometric identities, such as the pythagorean, compound-angle, complementary-angle, supplementary angle identities, as well as the area formula, the sine rule and cosine rule.
Students use trigonometric identities to solve both pure and applied problems and develop the periodic functions: sine, cosine and tangent. They use trigonometric functions to model periodic phenomena, like tides, rainfall, hours of sunlight, etc.
Music
Symphonic Band
Select Music 1
The focus is on selecting music that will be learned throughout the semester. The students go through a process of what to look for in music as a way to help them open and broaden their minds as they look for music.
Students demonstrate their understanding through class conversations, small group conversations, and exit slips.
Skill and Knowledge Development 1
The focus is on two of the three pillars of Band: Skill and Knowledge development. Skills focus on the technique required of students in order to perform on their instruments, and Knowledge development focuses on what do students need to know in order to give a convincing performance.
Key assessment tasks in this unit include individual playing tests and exit tickets.
Polish, Reflection, and Aesthetic Development
Students prepare to perform their learning. The music that they have learned is polished and turned into an aesthetically pleasing work.
The culmination of this unit showcases what students have learned, how they have individually grown as musicians, and what their next goal is as a musician. They show their learning through journal reflection and recording keepsakes.
Select Music 2
The focus is on selecting music that will be learned throughout the semester. The students go through a process of what to look for in music as a way to help them open and broaden their minds as they look for music.
Students demonstrate their understanding through class conversations, small group conversations, and exit slips.
Skill and Knowledge Development 2
The focus is on two of the three pillars of Band: Skill and Knowledge development. Skills focus on the technique required of students in order to perform on their instruments, and Knowledge development focuses on what do students need to know in order to give a convincing performance.
Polish, Reflection, and Aesthetic Development Seme
Students prepare to perform their learning. The music that they have learned is polished and turned into an aesthetically pleasing work.
The culmination of this unit showcases what students have learned, how they have individually grown as musicians, and what their next goal is as a musician. They show their learning through journal reflection and recording keepsakes.
Chamber Music
The chamber music unit is a synthesis of all previous learning. Students form small chamber ensembles, select repertoire that is correct for their ensemble, rehearse their ensemble, and then finally present the performance.
Students demonstrate their understanding by having a small in class adjudication. The top ensembles from band and strings will form the pre-music for graduation.
Wind Ensemble
Select Music 1
The focus is on selecting music that will be learned throughout the semester. The students go through a process of what to look for in music as a way to help them open and broaden their minds as they look for music.
Students demonstrate their understanding through class conversations, small group conversations, and exit slips.
Skill and Knowledge Development 1
The focus is on two of the three pillars of Band: Skill and Knowledge development. Skills focus on the technique required of students in order to perform on their instruments, and Knowledge development focuses on what do students need to know in order to give a convincing performance.
Improvisation
Students learn how to improvise over a basic 12 bar blues pattern. Instruction will be mostly large group with supplementary videos if required. Students showcase their learning through a small ensemble performance and solo performance.
Polish, Reflection, and Aesthetic Development
Students showcase what they have learned this semester. Their music is learned, polished and turned into an aesthetically pleasing work. After a performance students complete a reflection.
Select Music 2
The focus is on selecting music that will be learned throughout the semester. The students go through a process of what to look for in music as a way to help them open and broaden their minds as they look for music.
Students demonstrate their understanding through class conversations, small group conversations, and exit slips.
Cover Unit
Students use modern technologies as well as their instrument to create a cover of a song. They collaborate in small groups to create all the necessary parts of their song to use in their creation.
Each year a student does this unit they need to select a new work. They show what they have learned in a showcase concert.
Skill and Knowledge Development 2
The focus is on two of the three pillars of Band: Skill and Knowledge development. Skills focus on the technique required of students in order to perform on their instruments, and Knowledge development focuses on what do students need to know in order to give a convincing performance.
Chamber Music Unit
The chamber music unit is a synthesis of all previous units. Students form small chamber ensembles, select repertoire that is correct for their ensemble, rehearse their ensemble, and then finally present the performance.
Students demonstrate their understanding by having a small in-class adjudication. The top ensembles from band and strings form the pre-music for graduation.
Performing Arts
Introduction to Theater
Journal Writing
The purpose of the journal is both artistic (a record of processes, ideas and research) and pedagogic (a reflection on learning, challenges and discoveries).
It is both retrospective (looking at experiences that have already been encountered) and developmental (considering how things can be done differently in the future) as well as a record of insights and intentions for future artistic and personal development.
Orientation
Students get to know the HS Theatre space and their peers. They become familiar with the expectations of the HS Theatre classroom and the facilities to which they have access.
They also learn a variety of warm up games that are used to create familiarity and ensemble techniques amongst the students.
Storytelling/Reader's Theatre
Students learn to utilize performance skills to engage their audience using picture books to share with elementary school classes. They extend the storytelling to reader's theatre pieces that they devise to share with younger classes.
Improvisation
Students are introduced to the basic principles of improvisation. They learn the rules of improv, as well as games to build improvisation skills and develop conflict and storylines.
Students learn six different improv games from the theatre sports collection, and perform for their peers.
Ensemble Performance
Students work together as a full ensemble to choose, rehearse and perform in a live theatrical event. They learn about the importance of ensemble thinking where everyone is focused on a common goal, which is to present the best production possible. This singular focus guides the overall production process.
For example, if something goes wrong – which it inevitably will – with ensemble thinking, students are more focused on solving problems as a team rather than worrying about how something might affect them personally.
Stage Combat
Students learn and practice specific combat skills in order to develop and perform a safe and effective fight scene for the stage. They learn the basics of all aspects of unarmed stage combat, including falling, grappling, punches, kicks, etc.
Character analysis, communication, timing, intention, and motivation are also core acting components learnt. Stage combat also helps actors get to know their bodies and how to use them as an effective instrument for telling a story.
Musical Theatre
Students demonstrate their understanding of the various elements of musical theatre by examining the history of musical theatre, watching and analysing musical theatre, as well as putting on a musical mashup original piece.
Ensemble Performance 2
Students work together as a full ensemble to choose, rehearse and perform in a live theatrical event. This unit gives students an opportunity to be in an ensemble and to be leaders in the ensemble.
In an atmosphere that focuses on ensemble thinking, everyone is focused on a common goal, which is to present the best production possible. This singular focus guides the overall production process.
For example, if something goes wrong – which it inevitably will – with ensemble thinking, students are more focused on solving problems as a team rather than worrying about how something might affect them personally.
Advanced Theater
Journal Writing
The purpose of the journal is both artistic (a record of processes, ideas and research) and pedagogic (a reflection on learning, challenges and discoveries).
It is both retrospective (looking at experiences that have already been encountered) and developmental (considering how things can be done differently in the future) as well as a record of insights and intentions for future artistic and personal development.
Orientation
Students get to know the HS Theatre space and their peers. They become familiar with the expectations of the HS Theatre classroom and the facilities to which they have access.
They also learn a variety of warm up games that are used to create familiarity and ensemble techniques amongst the students.
Storytelling/Voiceover Monologue
Students write a one minute story about a momentous moment in their lives, recording their voices telling the story. While the voiceover plays they pantomime the action and emotions of the story.
Devising
Students create characters, practice storytelling through stage movement and tableaux, collaborate on a one-minute scene, and write a play. Improvisational games help unleash the students’ creativity and build their in-class ensemble skills.
Games, activities, and talking points are provided to help students learn about stagecraft, stage movement, and the creative writing aspect of devising a play.
Improv/Sketch Comedy
Students develop their improvisation skills. They study the theatre practitioner Viola Spolin and learn the history and theories of Improv and Sketch Comedy theatre.
Students hone their improvisational skills and culminate their learning by using a live theatre audience to enhance their experience.
History of Theatre Research Project
Students expand their knowledge of the origins of theatre and dramatic performance by creating a timeline portfolio and doing an oral presentation of a chosen historical period of theatre.
Solo/Duet Acting Competition Pieces
Students explore and analyze the components of a good monologue and duet scene. They go through the steps needed to research, choose, rehearse and perform their scenes for a critical audience.
One Act Plays
Students work in small groups of 3-4. They choose a script and take on specific roles of director. production designer, technical director of the scene.
Each of the students also plays characters in the scene where/when needed.
Ensemble Performance
Students work together as a full ensemble under the direction of the teacher to rehearse and perform in a live theatrical play.
The play focuses on advanced level acting skills and all the elements needed for an actor to bring their character to life as part of a full ensemble production that includes costumes, props and set pieces.
Stagecraft
Journal Writing
The purpose of the journal is both artistic (a record of processes, ideas and research) and pedagogic (a reflection on learning, challenges and discoveries).
It is both retrospective (looking at experiences that have already been encountered) and developmental (considering how things can be done differently in the future) as well as a record of insights and intentions for future artistic and personal development.
Orientation
Students get to know the HS Theatre space and their peers. They become familiar with the expectations of the HS Theatre classroom and the facilities to which they have access.
They also learn a variety of warm up games that are used to create familiarity and ensemble techniques amongst the students.
Production Design
Students develop production design ideas specifically for the first semester Full School Production (musical or play) that is being staged at that time.
Students learn how to create a set design that follows the script and the director's choices. They also learn to design and make sets, props and transitions to indicate multiple settings on the stage.
Costume
Students will explore the driving question: “How do we, as theatre technicians, create a technically effective performance?” They learn the importance of being thoughtful about how we use costumes effectively.
They also demonstrate their understanding through slideshow presentations, research projects and hands on character costuming.
Sound
Students are introduced to sound and utilize the sound system in the drama studio, along with learning how to set and run sound cues in Qlab.
Students explore the basic concepts of sound design for the theatre and how sound is used as a vehicle for a story.
Students focus on building an understanding of key design elements.
Lighting
An introduction to lighting using the drama studio lighting system. Students work toward being able to demonstrate their knowledge of lighting effectiveness.
Makeup
Students demonstrate their understanding of the basic concepts of applying stage makeup by creating a basic makeup design as well as application of various types of stage makeup.
Sets and Props
Students learn how to make basic set and prop elements using tools, paints, and other building materials. Students also learn safety procedures and protocols necessary for building sets and props.
Applied Stagecraft
Journal Writing
The purpose of the journal is both artistic (a record of processes, ideas and research) and pedagogic (a reflection on learning, challenges and discoveries).
It is both retrospective (looking at experiences that have already been encountered) and developmental (considering how things can be done differently in the future) as well as a record of insights and intentions for future artistic and personal development.
Internship Hours and Reflection
Applied Stagecraft is an internship, hands-on course in which students apply skills learned in Stagecraft and Applied Stagecraft.
Students are expected to run lighting and sound for authentic concerts and performances in the Performing Arts Centre. Initially, they assist our PAC technicians and ultimately run the events themselves.
Production Design project
Students choose an area of production design to focus on including sets, costumes, makeup and props. They complete a project from design to execution to demonstrate their learning of the skills needed in all areas of production.
Sound
An advanced unit for sound that is completed by the student while working on a complete show using the Performing Art Centre's sound system. Students work toward being able to demonstrate their knowledge of the theatre sound equipment including microphones.
They also demonstrate their skill in executing the sound needs for an actual performance to include setting and running sound cues in Qlab.
Show Lighting
An advanced unit for lighting that is completed by the student working on a complete show using the Performing Art Centre's lighting system.
Students work toward being able to demonstrate their knowledge of lighting effectiveness and their skill in executing the lighting needs for an actual performance in one of our theatre spaces.
Stage Management
Students learn the requirements of stage management and are expected to stage-manage or assistant stage-manage a production at the school during the academic year.
ISKL Singers
Collaboration
Collaboration is an essential skill for working successfully in an ensemble. Aspects of collaboration for this class include work ethic, communication (listening and sharing), on task, and feedback (giving, receiving, and applying).
Students are encouraged to model and reflect upon their collaboration strengths and weaknesses through a variety of collaborative group projects and through learning music together.
Multiple times throughout the semester, they reflect in their journal and orally about their own collaborative skills, experiences, and knowledge. This is a skill that continues to develop over time and with experiences.
Technical Skills
Using proper singing technique allows a singer’s voice to grow and mature over time as they are developmentally ready. The building of technique must start with a solid foundation and the basics must consistently be implemented to in order to add on the next element.
In ISKL Singers the students reinforce singing techniques learned in concert and chamber choir (diction, resonance breathing/airflow, evenness and control of tone and range in all registers and through their passaggio) and in addition focus on scat, runs, vibrato, belting, and appoggio breathing. They do this through direct instruction, modelling, and implementation to various types of repertoire and warmups.
Students have isolated and combined performance assessments on each of these components of singing and receive feedback in their journal on where they are at on each aspect.
Reflection Journal
Each student has their own choir reflection journal where they add their thoughts, insights, experiences, and reflections for major and minor units throughout the year. This journal is an investigation into their musical developments and the goal is to use sophisticated, specific, and appropriate musical vocabulary to capture their insights.
The journal offers a space for them to evaluate their own and others' musical works and performances. Feedback is given on their ability to self-reflect and the hope is that as they mature in their understanding of music and its components, so does the quality and depth of their journal reflections.
Small Ensemble
Students perform for the class in a small ensemble and also for high school students and teachers at a lunch time performance. Each group creates their own cover of an already existing pop song. Through guided inquiry and collaborative learning, each group chooses a piece to arrange, interpret, and perform for the class based on their expertise and interests.
Students learn how to harmonize, arrange, and structure a performance to engage the audience and showcase their abilities. They are assessed on their collaboration, reflections, and performance technique and etiquette.
Theory
Music theory is the foundation of music literacy and understanding how to decode, read, and comprehend musical scores. Through direct instruction and self-directed mini lessons students learn about chord progressions with Roman Numerals and letters, dictating melodies, creating harmonies, and 12-bar blues.
Students move at their own pace and have written quizzes.
Ensemble Pieces
ISKL Singers start the year by interpreting three SATB pieces of varying styles and languages for the semester one concert and learning an SATB arrangement of the National Anthem "Negaraku". This unit is meant to prepare music that is at a foundational level in the first month of the semester and then refine the pieces three weeks before the semester one concert.
This unit is approached with direct instruction, collaborative learning, and modelling. Students are assessed with performance assessments that focus on specific technical skills and their application to the pieces. The feedback and reflections throughout help to improve their overall performance skill and prepare them for live performances.
Concert Choir
Ensemble Pieces
Students interpret two or three pieces of varying styles and languages to develop and refine their technical, collaborative, and musicianship skills.
Students prepare for learning new pieces to develop the foundational skills that are needed for performing collaborative ensemble pieces. Teaching includes direct instruction, collaborative learning and modelling.
Students are assessed with performance assessments that focus on specific technical skills and their application to the pieces. The feedback and reflections throughout help to improve their overall performance skill and prepare them for live performances in the future.
Sight Singing
Sight singing is the skill in which someone can see a melody and be able to sing it with the proper rhythm, solfege, and pitch, with little to no help from another instrument. Sight singing uses decoding and analysis skills and helps to encourage musical literacy.
Modelling and direct instruction is used to cover the notes "doh" through "soh" and basic rhythms in simple time (2/4, 3/4, and 4/4). The goal is to get through 12-15 pages of Stuart Hunt’s “4 Minute Mastery” method book chunked by keys throughout the year.
At the end of each chunk, students are assessed by performing a four-measure line of music on their own in a set amount of time using accurate solfege, rhythm, and pitch.
Theory
Music theory is the foundation of music literacy and understanding how to decode, read, and comprehend musical scores.
Direct instruction and self-directed mini lessons on note naming in the treble and bass clefs, identifying notes on the keyboard, whole tones and semitones, intervals, major scales, major and minor chords, and key signatures.
Students move at their own pace through various units and have written quizzes at the end of each unit.
Collaboration
Collaboration is an essential skill for working successfully in an ensemble. The aspects of collaboration include work ethic, communication (listening and sharing), on task, and feedback (giving, receiving, and applying). Students are encouraged to model and reflect upon their collaboration strengths and weaknesses through a variety of collaborative group projects and through learning music together.
Multiple times throughout the semester they reflect in their journal and orally about their own collaborative skills, experiences, and knowledge. This is a skill that continues to develop over time and with experiences.
Reflection Journal
Each student has their own choir reflection journal where they add their thoughts, insights, experiences, and reflections for major and minor units throughout the year. This journal is an investigation into their musical developments and the goal is to use sophisticated, specific, and appropriate musical vocabulary to capture their insights.
The journal offers a space for students to evaluate their own and others' musical works and performances. Feedback is given on their ability to self-reflect and the hope is that as they mature in their understanding of music and its components, so does the quality and depth of their journal reflections.
Technical Skills
Using proper singing technique allows a singer’s voice to grow and mature over time as they are developmentally ready. The building of technique must start with a solid foundation and the basics must consistently be implemented in order to add on the next element.
Students learn and refine a variety of technique skills and strategies through direct instruction, modelling, and implementation to various types of repertoire and warmups. Techniques covered include: range, diction, evenness of tone, diaphragmatic breathing, placement, articulations, and registers.
Students have isolated and combined performance assessments on each of these components of singing and receive feedback in their journal on where they are at on each aspect.
Small Ensemble Arrangement
Students perform for the class in a small ensemble. Each group creates their own cover of an already existing pop song. Through guided inquiry and collaborative learning each group chooses a piece to arrange, interpret, and perform for the class based on their expertise and interests. They learn how to harmonize, arrange and structure a performance to engage the audience and showcase their abilities.
Students perform their piece for the class and possibly at a lunch time or talent show performance. They are assessed on their collaboration, reflections and performance technique and etiquette.
Classical Solo Unit
Students learn a selected classical solo in a foreign language and create a video performance of it with a karaoke piano accompaniment track.
Students are required to focus on specific technical components and are assessed on each technical component and given feedback in their journal and face to face in class.
Students are required to analyze, evaluate and refine their performance over time through self reflection and teacher feedback.
Chamber Choir
Ensemble Pieces
Students interpret two or three pieces of varying styles and languages to develop and refine their technical, collaborative, and musicianship skills.
Students prepare for learning new pieces to develop the foundational skills that are needed for performing collaborative ensemble pieces. Teaching includes direct instruction, collaborative learning and modelling.
Students are assessed with performance assessments that focus on specific technical skills and their application to the pieces. The feedback and reflections throughout help to improve their overall performance skill and prepare them for live performances in the future.
Sight Singing
Sight singing is the skill in which someone can see a melody and be able to sing it with the proper rhythm, solfege, and pitch, with little to no help from another instrument. Sight singing uses decoding and analysis skills and helps to encourage musical literacy. Modelling and direct instruction is used to cover the notes "doh" through "soh" and basic rhythms in simple time (2/4, 3/4, and 4/4).
The goal is to get through 12-15 pages of Stuart Hunt’s “4 Minute Mastery” method book chunked by keys throughout the year. At the end of each chunk, students are assessed by performing a four-measure line of music on their own in a set amount of time using accurate solfege, rhythm, and pitch.
Theory
Music theory is the foundation of music literacy and understanding how to decode, read, and comprehend musical scores.
Direct instruction and self-directed mini lessons on note naming in the treble and bass clefs, identifying notes on the keyboard, whole tones and semitones, intervals, major scales, major and minor chords, and key signatures.
Students move at their own pace through various units and have written quizzes at the end of each unit.
Collaboration
Collaboration is an essential skill for working successfully in an ensemble. The aspects of collaboration include work ethic, communication (listening and sharing), on task, and feedback (giving, receiving, and applying).
Students are encouraged to model and reflect upon their collaboration strengths and weaknesses through a variety of collaborative group projects and through learning music together.
Multiple times throughout the semester they reflect in their journal and orally about their own collaborative skills, experiences, and knowledge. This is a skill that continues to develop over time and with experiences.
Reflection Journal
Each student has their own choir reflection journal where they add their thoughts, insights, experiences, and reflections for major and minor units throughout the year. This journal is an investigation into their musical developments and the goal is to use sophisticated, specific, and appropriate musical vocabulary to capture their insights.
The journal offers a space for them to evaluate their own and others' musical works and performances. Feedback is given on their ability to self-reflect and the hope is that as they mature in their understanding of music and its components, so does the quality and depth of their journal reflections.
Technical Skills
Using proper singing technique allows a singer’s voice to grow and mature over time as they are developmentally ready. The building of technique must start with a solid foundation and the basics must consistently be implemented in order to add on the next element.
Students learn and refine a variety of technique skills and strategies through direct instruction, modelling, and implementation to various types of repertoire and warmups. Techniques covered include: range, diction, evenness of tone, diaphragmatic breathing, placement, articulations, and registers.
Students have isolated and combined performance assessments on each of these components of singing and receive feedback in their journal on where they are at on each aspect.
Small Ensemble- Lunch Time or Talent Show Perf
Students perform for the class in a small ensemble. Each group creates their own cover of an already existing pop song. Through guided inquiry and collaborative learning each group chooses a piece to arrange, interpret, and perform for the class based on their expertise and interests. They learn how to harmonize, arrange, and structure a performance to engage the audience and showcase their abilities.
Students perform their piece for the class and possibly at a lunch time or talent show performance. They are assessed on their collaboration, reflections, and performance technique and etiquette.
Ensemble Piece Talent Show
Choir students choose, prepare, and perform one pop-style piece as a collaborative ensemble at the annual Talent Show in front of a large audience. This endeavour requires them to think of the audience they are performing for and choose a piece that is engaging and they can perform successfully with a high degree of performance etiquette, confidence, and musical skill.
Students are assessed with singing assessments that focus on specific technical skills and for their etiquette and execution on the day of the performance. The feedback, refinements, evaluations, and reflections throughout help to improve their overall performance skill and better prepare them for this specific performance and future ones.
Ensemble Pieces- Semester 1 Concert
Choir students perform two pieces as a collaborative ensemble plus two pieces as a mass choir at the semester one concert in front of a large audience. This endeavour requires them to prepare, refine, and evaluate their performance skills in order to successfully perform with a high degree of performance etiquette, confidence, and musical skill.
Students are assessed with singing assessments that focus on specific technical skills and for their etiquette and execution on the day of the performance. The feedback, refinements, evaluations, and reflections throughout help to improve their overall performance skill and better prepare them for this specific performance and future ones.
Classical Solo Unit
Students learn a selected classical solo in a foreign language and create a video performance of it with a karaoke piano accompaniment track. This piece is learned in class through direct instruction and modeling.
Students are required to focus on specific technical components and will be assessed on each technical component and given feedback in their journal and face to face in class.
Students are required to analyze, evaluate, and refine their performance over time through self reflection and teacher feedback.
Small Ensemble- Folk Song Arrangement
Students perform for the class in a small ensemble. Each group creates their own arrangement of short and simple folk song using various types of harmonizing, ostinatos, and percussive elements. Using guided inquiry and collaborative learning each group chooses a folk song from a selected list that is in a minor key.
They learn how to harmonize, arrange, and structure a performance to engage the audience and showcase their abilities.
They also perform their piece for the class and students will be assessed on their collaboration, reflections, and performance technique and etiquette.
Physical Education
GRADE 9
Team Building
Team building is the process of turning a group of individuals into a cohesive team. Students are challenegd to explore a variety team building cooperative games and see for themselves the power of team building and teamwork.
Invasion Games
Students gain understanding in movement patterns that influence team performance. Develop strategies and use tactics to contribute to success of the team within a variety of invasion games
Creative Movement
Students further their understanding of the components of fitness through the medium of creative movement. By studying, practicing, and creating examples of the elements of creative movement, students will be able to secure their understanding of how these elements connect to performance situations.
Students gain confidence through expression, creativity and practiced routines.
Striking & Fielding
Students develop movement patterns and skills in throwing, fielding, striking, and catching to promote success in gameplay.
Health
Students learn dimensions of wellness and how they contribute to one's health.
Students use the wellness wheel as a tool to assess their own personal health highlighting strengths and areas of improvement to a healthier lifestyle.
Students focus on mindfulness, practicing various methods of relaxation, communication, and body language techniques.
Building self-esteem is a core component of this unit, examining techniques, affirmations, and how to relate and interact in a positive manner with others. Identifying stress, stress triggers, protective factors, and how to cope with stress contributes to building students' self-esteem.
Target Games
Students learn about and practise sending an object with aim and accuracy as they participate in a target game. Tactical problems related to target games include shot selection, judging distance, preventing points, and protecting the shot.
Examples of target games may include golf, archery, bowling, bocce ball, darts and corn hole.
Track & Field
Students expand on their previous knowledge and skill level of run jump and throw activities as well as reinforce a positive attitude towards the sport and to their own abilities.
Students’ beliefs and perceptions of the sport are challenged to provide them with the opportunity to improve individually as well as in a group setting.
Aquatics
Students understand and practice the various skills that will keep them safe in the water through stroke development, survival skills and various games students will understand first hand the advantages of increased aquatic fitness and critical skill development.
A final skills test allows students the opportunity to physically display what they have learned and practiced.
Net/Wall Games
Students focus on developing the connection between placement, striking force/angle, and positioning in helping to achieve successful execution of offensive and defensive tactics and strategies. The understanding of the rules and methods of play allows players to demonstrate sportsmanship.
Tournament style culminating activities give students the independence to self-officiate and organize competition.
Fitness
Students develop personal responsibility through a variety of fitness activities such as weight training, group fitness, yoga, and boxing.
Students gain knowledge in technique, safety, and functional movement required to participate in weight room physical activity exercises.
Students research methods and principles of training to promote strength, endurance, and flexibility.
GRADE 10
Aquatic Activities
Lifesaving Skills in the Water
Students learn the basic skills of rescuing victims from the water from initiating the EAP (Emergency Action Protocol), to entering the water and performing the rescue, to extracting the victim from the water.
Safety of both the victim and the rescuer is a focal point during the rescues to ensure rescuers recognise the various risks associated with rescuing a drowning victim.
Lifesaving Skills on Land
Students learn and apply the basic knowledge and skills of land based rescues. This includes rescue breathing, CPR, AED usage, helping a choking victim and the basics of First Aid.
Students study the physiological reasoning behind these practices in order to understand the connections between their actions and what occurs in the human body.
Aquatics Games
Students learn about moving in water through the medium of game play. By introducing students to games above the surface of the water and below students will have a better understanding of water resistance, breath control, and buoyancy.
After experiencing a variety of games students put their understanding to the test in the form of creating an original game and leading the class through their creation.
Water Based Skills
Students connect skill development with efficiency of movement in water and enjoyment of aquatic experiences.
By developing competitive strokes, flip turns, dives, bombs, flips, and safety strokes students see direct impact of good application fo technique and consistent practice. A concentrated development and analysis of 3 self-chosen strokes gives the students ownership over their development.
Aquatic Fitness
Students test their fitness levels 4 times over the course of the semester including reflections that allow them to see why and how they improved.
Team Sports and Activities
Fitness
Students are reminded of the components of fitness and what exercises can help target the various components.
Students expand their knowledge of basic anatomy and physiology through analysis of the human body while exercising. Various approaches to fitness allow students to test their motivation through a wide variety of fitness styles.
Aquatics
Students refine and practice 3 strokes while improving their overall fitness through games and fitness based activities in the pool.
In addition, there is a component that requires the students to work together to create a water-based game.
Net/Wall Games
Students learn a number of alternative Net/Wall games such as Kinball and Tchoukball that require them to make standard connections of Net/Wall Game concepts and strategies across unfamiliar games.
There is also a component of developing and working on hand-eye coordination skills and how they translate into improved gameplay.
Striking & Fielding
Students focus on developing positive and precise communication skills in order to apply effective defensive and offensive strategies. The physical skills focus on hand-eye coordination activities to increase speed and accuracy.
While working on these two fundamentals of striking and fielding games students apply them to a variety of games creating the need to adapt quickly between similar games with subtle differences.
Invasion Games
Students focus on the importance of communication in promoting success in invasion games. Positional responsibility, effort and an effective defensive and offensive strategy are crucial to team success. Utilising team talks to achieve these group goals is something students have multiple opportunities to achieve.
An additional assessment based on leading their team through drills to improve skills or tactics is a part of this class.
Creative Movement
Unit 1: Fitness Through Choreography
Students gain confidence and improve components of fitness by participating in a variety of fitness-based choreography classes. Through an exploration into different genres and styles of fitness choreography, they develop an understanding of how to create/deconstruct and teach a movement composition.
Students are able to show creativity by combing a variety of dance styles/genres/moves and applying them to their own movement sequence.
Students are assessed on the development and presentation of a group fitness choreography track.
Unit 2: Research into Dance Project
Students explore areas of individual interest that come together under an umbrella of a class theme.
Students research a dance style/genre, develop a lesson plan and presentation and lead the class in a presentation (including practical demonstrations of basic moves) for their chosen topic.
Unit 3: Class Collaboration Piece
Student develop an individual movement composition that connects to their research project topic from unit 2.
Students further develop their leadership skills by teaching their composition to the class. The class works together to combine all individual pieces together. The final product is a collaborative performance piece.
Individual Lifetime Activities
Unit 1: Individual Fitness
Students are encouraged to investigate, implement and participate in a comprehensive fitness program tailored to the individual. This typically focuses on one or more specific skills or activity and is based around the components of fitness. Fitness programs could involve yoga, pilates, boxing, cross-fit, circuits and weights lifting.
Target/Net/Wall Games
Students are encouraged to investigate, implement and participate in self-directed lessons of target / net wall games tailored to the individual. This typically focuses on one or more specific skills or activities and is based around individual growth.
This involves archery, golf, frisbee golf and bocce, but can include skills that require the target skills like tennis, football and cricket.
Endurance/Outdoor/Aquatics/Individual Skill
Students are encouraged to investigate, implement and participate in self-directed lessons of endurance/outdoor education/aquatics or individual skill tailored to the individual. This focuses on one or more specific skills or activities and is based around individual growth.
Endurance activities involve students challenging themselves in a running or swimming event.
Outdoor education can involve climbing, bike riding, parkour and skating.
Personal Fitness
Fitness
Students are inducted into the weights room. They explore safety procedures, gym etiquette, respect for equipment, reporting procedures, and examine what personal achievement can look like.
Students examine their own fitness goals that can be trained towards inside the weight room and examine current targets they would like to achieve.
Students are closely monitored to ensure they can perform safe and correct techniques on a variety of cardio, cable weight and free weight machines.
Anatomy Physiology
Through experimental learning, students gain a fundamental understanding of basic anatomy including bones, muscles, types of contractions and how agonist and antagonist muscles contribute to basic movement patterns.
Students examine movement and learn techniques to train specific muscles and movements inside the weight room.
Students are closely monitored to ensure they can perform safe and correct techniques on a variety of cardio, cable and free weight machines.
Lift it - Move it
Students examine their own strengths and weakness through a range of fitness tests. They examine their results and apply these to their fitness goals that can be trained towards inside the weight room and explore and adjust goals they would like to achieve.
Through the use of fitness programming monitor and complete several programs, students improve their fitness goals. Students complete this, whilst being monitored for safety using various machines inside the weights room.
Social Studies / Science
Integrated Science 1
Biodiversity & Human Impact
Students learn that the Earth is an dynamic open system and that human activity causes disturbances and imbalances that impacts the biotic and abiotic factors of ecosystems.
Students learn through modelling, data analysis, claim evidence and reasoning.
The Dynamic Earth
Students learn that the Models of the Earth with a layered structure are derived from indirect evidence. Waves and the behaviour form part of that indirect evidence. Motions of the mantle and its plates occur through thermal convection generated primarily through radioactive decay of unstable isotopes.
An inquiry-based approach guides students through analysis of visual and numerical data.
Properties & Structure of Matter
Students learn that atoms have a charged substructure that determines the atoms behaviour. Repeating patterns in the periodic table can be explained by atomic substructure. Attraction and repulsion between charges at the atomic scale explains the structure and properties of material objects.
An inquiry-based approach has students looking for patterns through development of their own research questions.
Photosynthesis Integrated
Students learn that the sun is the source of energy for our planet and is changed into different usable molecules by autotrophs. This energy and matter is passed up the food chain and is always conserved.
Students learn by guided inquiry through phenomena. Wet lab and simulated inquiry to develop planning and data analysis and evaluation.
Students use 3D modeling and systems models to show the transfer of energy through an ecosystem.
Integrated Science 2
Forces & Motion
Students explore the relationship between forces and motion while developing skills with computer-based lab equipment. By studying collisions in an ideal system, students will learn how to identify systems where momentum is conserved.
Matter and its Interactions
Students explore the model of the atom and how the arrangement of electrons in the outermost energy level contributes to energetic stability, and reactivity with other atoms.
After exploring how atoms bond and naming compounds, students use simulations and hands-on collaborative experiences and modelling exercises to quantitatively determine the amount of substance (moles) and collect analyse data with respect to reaction rates and energy changes within a reaction.
Energy and Interacting Body Systems
Students explore the human organism as a collection of interdependent systems for maintaining homeostasis.
Beginning with cellular respiration as a means for generating the ATP that powers all cellular processes, students explore how water, glucose, oxygen, and carbon dioxide levels are maintained by cellular structures, organs, organ systems, and, ultimately, regulated by voluntary and involuntary reactions to the environment.
By exploring the human organism’s quest for energy at many levels, students develop an understanding of the hierarchical structures biologists use to describe complex systems.
Forces & Motion: Engineering
Using graphical and tabular representations of data to quantitatively analyze forces, impulses, and momentums, students apply their scientific knowledge to the engineering problem of reducing traffic fatalities.
Visual Arts
Visual Art 2D
Elements of Art & Principles of Design
Students are introduced to key elements of art and principles of design, including a deep dive into colour theory.
Students gain understanding of key vocabulary words that demonstrate their understanding of these in a visual format. Through an assessment of their knowledge of colour theory and a visual portfolio, they demonstrate their knowledge about the Elements of Art and the Principles of Design.
The Artist and their Interior
Students explore the visual art elements of line, colour, contrast and shape as explored through the works of Patrick Caulfiled. They learn foundational Procreate skills (or develop those they may already have), develop compositional skills, and combine this knowledge to create a final A4 digital art piece.
Drawing (mark-making)
This course focuses on observational drawing skills. Students are introduced to basic drawing skills including shading, stippling, hatching, cross-hatching, tonal work, and use these to record their observations from life.
Students build a small portfolio of these drawing exercises and culminate their learning by creating a final A4 tonal/colour pencil drawing.
Artist Study
Applying their knowledge of the principles and elements of art, students analyze the work of a selected artist. Students choose and analyse at least three artworks and with the support of guiding questions, create a presentation (poster, slides) of their understanding of the artworks/artist.
Works on Paper
Students learn about and develop foundational paper cutting and collage skills.
Students explore Notan paper cutting, physical collage, and the foundations of digital collage.
Students explore these discrete techniques but also explore the interaction of these to see what new ideas and developed artworks they might create using these traditional and emerging media/techniques.
They then apply their newly acquired and developed skills to create a final artwork (at least A4 in size) which expresses a message intended by the artist.
Digital Foundations
Students develop digital art making skills through the exploration of Photoshop.
Students learn foundational skills in using Photoshop, including document set up, essential tools and processes, and the use of filters. This understanding will be demonstrated in the creation of a reflective portfolio where students document their learning and reflection.
Independent Artist Study
Students apply their knowledge of the principles and elements of art in the analysis of a selected artist (chosen by the students from a list provided.
Students use guiding questions to create a slide presentation on their selected artist. They present their learning to the class.
Students learn how an artist works on an independent project, managing class time and finishing remaining work outside class.
Printmaking
This is intended as an introductory unit on printmaking. Students are introduced to basic monoprinting, collograph, and relief printing skills.
Students carry out a series of introductory printmaking exercises including designing a print tile, and creating a relief print tile.
Students build a small portfolio of these print exercises and culminate their learning by creating a final portfolio of prints and a final individual relief print (focused on pattern).
Painting
Students in this course are introduced to basic painting skills including wet into wet, stippling, dry brush, and scumbling.
Students carry out a series of painting exercises, using a range of techniques.
Students build a small portfolio of these painting exercises and culminate their learning by creating a final A4 or A3 painting.
Students explore cultural items from a culture they feel connected to, enabling them to compose a final painting embracing this aspect of their identity.
Mixed Media
This unit aims to explore the extension of mixed media skills. Using graphite pencils, students focus on the elements of contrast, tone, emphasis, focal point/dominant image, and balance. Students then choose their own subject matter and create a composite painting, with a similar structure to their pencil work.
Students also extend their drawing skills into digital formats, exploring Procreate/Photoshop as extension media.
Independent Portfolio Development
Students independently explore and extend their artmaking skills in order to create a body of work for presentation.
Students complete between 2-5 final artworks, depending on scale and media. Throughout this extended unit, students also seek and provide peer/teacher feedback in order to develop their work and the work of others.
A final creative portfolio of these works and an accompanying developmental portfolio demonstrates their planning and feedback cycles toward the completion of the final pieces.
Exhibition
Students select and curate upto three of their works from throughout the year and work collaboratively to create an exhibition for display in our school community.
They include a portfolio of reflective practices including a brief curatorial rationale to be displayed with their body of work, a photograph/link of the completed exhibition, as well as a reflective practice exercise providing encouraging feedback to a peer from another class.
Advanced Visual Art 2D
Project One Advanced
A self directed exploration that covering multiple stages of experimentation and reflection, this course leads to a final completed artwork. This overall extended process is designed for students to explore areas of personal interest.
Students carry out personal reflection and evaluation of their work as they progress, engaging with peer/teacher feedback throughout the process, synthesising this learning and experimentation into a final, resolved artwork.
Teachers support the process with guidance and skill extension as they proceed throughout the creative design cycle.
Project Two Advanced
A self directed exploration that covering multiple stages of experimentation and reflection, this course leads to a final completed artwork. This overall extended process is designed for students to explore areas of personal interest.
Students carry out personal reflection and evaluation of their work as they progress, engaging with peer/teacher feedback throughout the process, synthesising this learning and experimentation into a final, resolved artwork.
Teachers support the process with guidance and skill extension as they proceed throughout the creative design cycle.
Project Three Advanced
Students self directed exploration cover multiple stages of experimentation and reflection, leading to a final completed artwork. This overall extended process is designed for students to explore areas of personal interest.
Students carry out personal reflection and evaluation of their work as they progress, as well as engaging with peer/teacher feedback throughout the process - synthesising this learning and experimentation into a final, resolved artwork.
They receive teacher support and skill extension as they proceed throughout the creative design cycle.There are five summative assessments throughout this unit, including:
Summative assessment one: Drawing in: Research Stage one (moodboard, image research, artist research, intention statement).
Summative assessment two: Drawing in: Research Stage Two (media experimentation and reflection)
Summative assessment three: Drawing in: Idea generation and development
Summative assessment four: Drawing out: completion of final artwork (including peer/teacher feedback and ongoing reflection)
Summative assessment five: Final evaluation of completed artwork
Project Four Advanced
Designed as a self directed exploration, this course covers multiple stages of experimentation and reflection, leading to a final completed artwork. This overall extended process is designed for students to explore areas of personal interest.
Students carry out personal reflection and evaluation of their work as they progress, engaging with peer/teacher feedback throughout the process, synthesising this learning and experimentation into a final, resolved artwork.
Exhibition Advanced
Students select and curate their works from throughout the year and work collaboratively to create an exhibition both physically and virtually for display in our school community.
Students select up to 5 works for the physical exhibition, and up to ten works for the virtual exhibition. A portfolio of reflective practices includes a brief curatorial rationale to be displayed with their body of work, a photograph/link of the completed exhibition, as well as a reflective practice exercise providing encouraging feedback to a peer from another class.
Filmmaking
Intro - What makes a great film great?
In this introductory unit, students grow their ability to critically analyze and evaluate film texts. They learn how to identify formal elements and story essentials in films to both communicate a filmmaker’s intention and also evaluate the quality of film art.
Students primarily learn through collaborative discussion and guided inquiry and are assessed through written analysis.
Film Production Basics & a Simple Action
Students learn the basic tools and techniques of storyboarding, camera operation, editing to communicate effectively with video. They also learn how to collaborate and why it is important to be a reliable team member.
Through modeling, direct instruction, but primarily through project-based instruction, students demonstrate their understanding through one independent project-based assessment and one collaborative project-based assessment, each with subsequent reflections.
Narrative Structure
Students learn how essential story structure is to filmmaking, while continuing to practice their pre-production, production, and post-production skills. They also learn the principles of the 3-Act structure and identify those principles in several short and feature-length films.
Through modeling, collaborative discussion, independent analysis, and research, students demonstrate their understanding with a project in which they plan, shoot, and edit a condensed version of a film of their choice that highlights essential narrative structure elements.
The Macguffin & Continuity Editing
Student explore how conflict moves a story forward, how to build suspense, and how to use continuity editing to improve their filmmaking while continuing to practice their pre-production, production, and post-production skills. They also learn the principles of “The Macguffin,” and the relationship between getting coverage and cutting on action.
Through modelling, collaborative discussion, independent analysis, and from analyzing examples from films, they demonstrate their understanding through a collaborative project in which they plan, shoot, and edit a film that showcases their learning and reflection on the creative process.
Gearing Up with Edgar Wright
In an introduction to the auteur Edgar Wright, students use his films as inspiration to create their own short films. Students practice analyzing Scott Pilgrim vs. The World for story essentials and formal elements. They use more advanced editing techniques and basic techniques of sound design to bring energy to their stories.
Students work on collaborative teams to storyboard, shoot footage, capture sound. They then independently edit visuals and audio. Through inquiry, modeling, direct instruction, they demonstrate their understanding through a collaborative project and reflection on the creative process.
Lighting Your Film
Using basic lighting principles and lighting techniques, students help tell their original stories. They learn terminology, techniques, and tools that are important in lighting design. In collaborative teams, they execute these techniques in both a film reel and an original short film that involves a flashback and a conversation.
Students work on collaborative teams to write, storyboard, light, shoot footage, capture sound. They then independently edit visuals and audio. Through inquiry, modeling, direct instruction, they demonstrate their understanding through a collaborative project and reflection on the creative process.
Sound Design - Foley
Students are introduced to general sound design principles and how to use foley sound design to enhance their original stories.
Students learn terminology, techniques, and tools that are important in sound design. In collaborative teams they will execute sound capture, editing, and mixing techniques in a film reel that involves a variety of video clips.
Students work on collaborative teams to plan and record sound.
Students then independently mix and edit sound with the visuals. Through inquiry, modeling, direct instruction, they demonstrate their understanding through a collaborative project and reflection on the creative process.
Stop Motion Animation
Students learn basic principles of stop motion animation to help tell their original stories.
Students watch examples of stop motion films that effectively tell stories.
Students apply techniques and tools that are important in stop motion animation. In collaborative teams, they will execute these techniques in an original short film that involves an object as a main character.
Students work on collaborative teams to write, storyboard, light, shoot footage, capture sound. They then independently edit visuals and audio.
Through inquiry, modeling, direct instruction, they demonstrate their understanding through a collaborative project and reflection on the creative process.
Photography
Rules of Composition
Students are introduced to key photographic composition skills: Leading Lines, Rule of Thirds, Bird's Eye, Ant's Eye, Symmetry.
Students have an opportunity to research these and then demonstrate their understanding through their own photos. Formative and summative feedback is used in the form of a submitted padlet with the students' own photos, demonstrating their understanding of the target compositional skills.
Camera Settings 101
Students explore the manual settings available on the DSLR camera. They learn about and experiment with ISO, shutter speed and aperture.
Students demonstrate understanding of the purpose and appropriate use of these settings through photos shared in a Google slides/padlet presentation.
Lightroom and Photoshop
Students are introduced to the basics of photographic editing using both Lightroom and Photoshop apps. They complete a padlet demonstrating their understanding of key skills such as importing, editing, saving and sharing edited photos.
Minimalism
Students apply the compositional techniques of Minimalism focusing on a variety of subject matter including architecture and objects. They submit twelve edited images of their own creation in a Minimalistic style in a Google album.
Pop Art
Students apply the compositional techniques of Pop Art inspired by a brief study of key Pop Artists like Andy Warhol and Tom Wesselmann. They submit four edited images of their own creation, two focussed on the style of Andy Warhol and two focussed on the style of Tom Wesselmann in a Google album.
Artist Study
Students select an established photographer and form a presentation considering their background, influences, and select and examine key examples of their work. In a Google slides presentation, they present their work to the class. Their artist study is work often started in class and then completed as an independent study outside of class.
Portraiture: Triptych Portraits
Students explore the portraiture triptychs of artist Adde Adesokan as inspiration for their own triptych artworks.
Students complete a reflective practice portfolio where they will reflect on the nature of Adesokan's work and their own creation of artworks.
Students create two completed triptych artworks and a reflective practice portfolio.
Portraiture: Multiple Exposure
Students explore multiple exposure photography, combining this with portraiture knowledge. They practice composition skills as well as extend their Photoshop knowledge.
Students create two resolved multiple exposure artworks for final submission.
Food Photography
Students combine three key compositional techniques with their existing Photoshop skills, applying these to the subject matter of food. Students explore three key styles of food photography: birds eye view, creative editing and deconstructive food photography.
Students explore each style and then apply developed skills in the creation of their own artworks share in a Google Album of four final photos.
Water Photography
Students explore the skill of capturing water in photographic images through the exploration of a range of techniques including reflection, object, colour, movement and submerged.
They build a portfolio documenting their experimentation as well as a body of work including at least six refined photos demonstrating three compositional techniques of their choice.
Analogue Photography
Students are introduced to the analogue photography process, with a focus on the techniques of pinhole camera photography, cyanotype prints, and chemigraphs. In a reflective portfolio, students curate and reflect on their learning.
Independent Portfolio Development
Students independently explore and extend their photographic skills in order to create a body of work for presentation. They complete at least TEN artworks.
Throughout this extended unit, students also seek and provide peer/teacher feedback in order to develop their work and the work of others. They build a final creative portfolio of these ten works and an accompanying developmental portfolio demonstrating planning and feedback cycles toward the completion of their final works.
Exhibition
Students select and curate their works from throughout the year and work collaboratively to create an exhibition both physically and virtually for display in our school community.
Students select up to 5 works for the physical exhibition, and up to ten works for the virtual exhibition. Their exhibition will include an accompanying portfolio of reflective practices including a brief curatorial rationale to be displayed with their body of work, a photograph/link of the completed exhibition, as well as a reflective practice exercise, providing encouraging feedback to a peer from another class.
World Language
- BAHASA MELAYU 1
- BAHASA MELAYU 2
- BAHASA MELAYU 3
- CHINESE 1
- CHINESE 2
- FRENCH 1
- FRENCH 2
- FRENCH 3
- SPANISH 1
- SPANISH 2
- SPANISH 3
BAHASA MELAYU 1
Bahasa Melayu 1
Malay Phonics & Preliminary Sample Conversations
Students are introduced to Malay phonics including pronunciation and spelling through simple conversation in various social and cultural contexts.
They learn through a variety of language tasks and demonstrate their understanding through verbalisation of words and sentences, listening and repeating, speaking and reading with speed and accuracy and writing simple conversations.
Lesson units 1-12
Students learn the vocabulary of consumerism, education and leisure activities with the grammatical focus on word order and contextual understanding of vocabulary.
With an emphasis on the difference between formal and informal language, the key learning is around vocabulary and sentence acquisition; students demonstrate their learning through identifying thematic vocabulary in isolation and in context including gap filling, reading and comprehension and sentence completion.
Lesson units 13-25
Students learn the vocabulary of physical appearance and illness, and emergency situations with a grammatical focus on the imperative tense.
Students learn context specific vocabulary to express their ideas through the four skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening.
BAHASA MELAYU 2
Bahasa Melayu 2
Thematic Vocab & RC; Writing; Grammar; Oral (1)
Students understand and describe self and others in these areas: personal information; family; physical and character description; accommodation.
Students understand and describe the world of education and work in these areas and communicate future plans.
Thematic Vocab & RC; Writing; Grammar; Oral (2)
Students describe and discuss food and drink in relation to shopping, eating out and types of food.
Students describe and discuss leisure in relation to hobbies and free time, local environment, holidays and accommodation.
BAHASA MELAYU 3
Bahasa Melayu 3
Karangan Perbualan
Students understand the features of informal and formal writing. They develop their speaking and listening skills through day-to-day conversations and interviews.
Students read and write about a range of topics including health, leisure, education, environment and technology.
Karangan Berfakta, Berita, Laporan
Students explore the development of writing a factual essay, news report and activity report, with a particular focus on transition words.
Students read and write about a range of topics including health, leisure, education, environment and technology.
Surat Kiriman & E-Mel
Students explore letter writing and email with a particular focus on the elements of narrative.
Students read and write about a range of topics including health, leisure, education, environment and technology.
Bacaan & Kefahaman; Penulisan Pelbagai Teks
Students handle a range of text types such as letters, emails, articles and blogs to be able to understand specific contextual vocabulary and textual features.
Students reflect on the target language culture by exploring information and writing in a specific context.
CHINESE 1
Chinese 1
Foundation of Language
This unit provides the foundation in all the basic language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. Students learn pronunciation and the Hanyu pinyin phonetic system.
They learn that the Pin Yin system with its uniqueness of pictorial characteristic, the stroke order, radical, traditional & modern dictionary skill, measure words & basic character writing and classroom expressions.
Students use the keyboard for typing Chinese characters basic technology tools for learning and are introduced to calligraphy /brush writing, basic questioning phrases, expression of numerals, dates and time in Chinese.
Cultural Input: Mid Autumn Festival
Students are exposed to Chinese culture by having hands on experience and fun in making Chinese Moon cakes in conjunction with Mid Autumn Festival.
Students also use the new language knowledge to learn a few more challenging but important phrases about the festival.
Relationship: Self & Family
This unit focuses on developing learners ability to use phrases related to family and introduce their family members.
Students engage in learning activities such as Quizlet, oral presentation, role play, essay typing and writing, and they demonstrate their understanding through class activities, interactive speaking activities, reading comprehension and writing.
Hobby & Leisure Activities
Students are introduced to basic sentence structure with " subject + time + action ". They engage in learning activities such as Quizlet, role play, text typing, interview, sentence order rearrangement, etc.
They demonstrate understanding through various listening and reading activities, talking about their own or family members' hobbies and leisure activities in oral and written formats.
Education: Daily Routine & Learning Chinese
Students learn about the components of learning Chinese and how to write a diary including details about their daily life at home, at school, and on holidays. They demonstrate their understanding through listening comprehension activities, oral presentation, reading and writing activities.
CHINESE 2
Chinese 2
Weather and Climate
Students learn about Weather and Climate in general and about the weather in China using their Chinese language skills. They demonstrate their understanding through presentation and role play.
Dining
Students learn about food culture (food, eating and cooking) in China. They demonstrate their understanding through performance task.
Community
Community is the focus in this unit as students learn about communities in school and townships. They learn how communities are structured so that the students can see their impact on the community.
Students will demonstrate their understanding through a performance task related to their understanding of communities.
Transportation
Students explore many different types of transportation in China and learn about the subway system and public transportation system in China. They demonstrate their understanding of the types of transportations through a performance task.
Seeing a Doctor
Students understand that staying healthy is a key to preventing sickness. Using Chinese language skills, health related vocabulary, students understand the importance of vaccinations as a way to prevent diseases.
FRENCH 1
French 1
The individual
Students reflect on themselves and their relationships with the people around them. They learn how to express information and opinions about their family and their friends.
Education and Work
Students reflect on school life, school systems, and the working world. They draw comparisons to their own country and analyze differences and similarities.
They also learn about the different subject areas and the different pathways to the workplace.
FRENCH 2
French 2
Food and Drink
The first unit in French focuses on the basics of the French language where students are introduced to the French perspective on and appreciation of food.
Through a study of celebrations, recipes and supermarkets, students engage in French dialogue, learn greetings, exchange money and learn about currencies and measuring units. Basic grammar including verb tenses, conjugation, articles and negations are learned.
Health and Emergencies
Students explore health and fitness. They engage in conversations about illnesses, visiting the doctor and give advice for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They also understand how to use verbs for movements and how to express commands.
Using the imperfect tense and idiomatic expresses, students learn to consult with the doctor, ask for prescriptions and seek help for medical emergencies.
Leisure
Leisure and pastime activities is the topic for this unit.
Students consider sports, music, cultural activities movies and all sorts of entertainment that families enjoy for fun.
Students learn to use a variety of writing formats from formal letters, articles, journal entries and brochures to talk about outdoor activities and other leisurely pursuits.
Students learn to use the future tense, demonstrative and possessive pronouns and adjectives as well as comparatives and superlatives to describe fun with family and friends.
FRENCH 3
French 3
Travel
The students will learn about traveling in France, about the importance of traveling. They will reflect on traveling and its carbon footprint.
They will also learn about different ways of traveling in France, and look at innovation and technological progress made in the area of transportation.
La France
Students learn about France, they will study areas like politics, its geography, its demography, they will look at current economical situations, study some main French industries, but also study cultural differences in France, for example the "pain au chocolat" and "chocolatine" border.
La Francophonie
Students will learn about other french speaking countries in the world, learn about their customs and traditions, and analyze some language differences.
They will also learn about the importance of La Francophonie in terms of fostering understanding, empathy, mutual aid, culture and identity.
SPANISH 1
Spanish 1
Identities
Students focus on the four key areas of language study: listening, speaking, reading and writing. There is a strong emphasis on pronunciation to help them develop their speaking and decoding skills with confidence. Key vocabulary structures are introduced to help students speak about themselves in a natural way.
Students will learn to ask and provide personal information, how to give physical and personal descriptions about themselves, their family and friends, as well as talk about their hobbies and interests.
Experiences
Students continue to work on all four language skills in order to talk about themselves and family members. They identify daily routines, leisure activities, and how to express likes/dislikes.
Students become familiar with regular verb conjugation in Present Tense. By recognising the appropriate register to communicate themselves in a formal and informal setting, students understand more about relationships in Hispanic culture.
Students' understanding and language production is assessed through listening comprehension activities, conversations, reading comprehensions and written texts.
My City
Students use all four language skills in order to talk about daily routines, leisure and free time activities, transportation, entertainment, and how to express likes/dislikes. The focus is in building vocabulary, reviewing structures studied in previous units, and expanding their repertoire with new grammatical structures that allow them to be more accurate and thorough.
Students become familiar with regular and irregular verb conjugation in Preterit Tense. Their understanding and language production is assessed through listening comprehension activities, conversations, reading comprehensions and written texts.
The World We Live In
Students use all four language skills in order to talk about geographical landforms, weather and neighbourhood. The focus is in building vocabulary, reviewing structures studied in previous units, and solidifying their knowledge and understanding of grammatical structures in order to be more accurate.
Students start using basic idiomatic expressions in context. Their understanding and language production is assessed through listening comprehension activities, conversations, reading comprehensions and written texts.
SPANISH 2
Spanish 2
In a Normal School Day
Students review vocabulary, structures, and Present Tense conjugation of regular, irregular, and stem-changing verbs.
Students speak about and describe themselves, their classes, schedules, and routines expressing preferences with the aid of reflexive verbs, adjectives, and the use of prepositions. Short passages are read in order to identify the content in context, help students know themselves better, reflect on life, and work on reading comprehension, virtues, and values.
Students demonstrate their learning through listening comprehension activities, oral presentations, reading comprehension activities, and written formats like a diary entry or an interview.
My Home and Community
"My home and community" focuses on the family, house, places and professions in the community. Students describe routines and include family life and individual responsibilities in the house.
Students are introduced to past tenses and use them in context like comparing their lives when they were little to now, and narrating events from the past.
Students expand their vocabulary and go over high frequency words like relatives, places in the city, and professions.
Students review previously learned expressions and content and expand their understanding on hispanic culture, shopping or describing outfits, and giving instructions using maps.
They demonstrate their learning through listening comprehension activities, oral presentations, reading comprehension activities, and written formats like an interview or an e-mail.
Hispanic Cuisine
Focusing on Hispanic culture: Cuisine, a major objective is to be able to give and follow commands. Students use the imperative for familiar or unfamiliar situations, with a focus on cooking. Part of the assessment requires students to become familiar with kitchen utensils and practice giving affirmative and negative commands.
Students learn about traditional Hispanic dishes, ingredients, and their background as they research, choose, prepare and present a recipe. Students demonstrate their learning through listening comprehension activities, oral presentations, reading comprehension activities, and written formats like an e-mail or brochure.
Natural Emergencies
Students learn vocabulary related to emergencies, and use their prior knowledge to discuss weather conditions, emergencies, crises, rescues, and heroic acts. They understand cultural perspectives on natural disasters and legends, and how important these legends have been to our native people in order to explain the unexplainable.
Students demonstrate their learning through listening comprehension activities, oral presentations, reading comprehension activities, and written formats like a text messages or an informal letter.
SPANISH 3
Spanish 3
Unforgettable Days
Students review nature and weather in order to describe outdoor activities and discuss sport competitions. They read about national parks in Latin America and prepare a presentation on a hispanic country in order to promote outdoor activities and places in this country.
How Do You Express Yourself?
Students are taken on a journey to learn about hispanic art: painting, music, dances, sculpture, theatre, cinema, and literature. Reading comprehension strategies are reinforced.
Students are able to identify the contribution hispanic artists have made and the influence of art on society as well as how art is used as a tool to express yourself: thoughts, feelings, opinions, send a message.
How Do You Keep in Shape?
Students identify ways to have healthy habits in order to maintain healthy emotions, body, and mind. They identify why our body needs nutrients and where to obtain these nutrients, do exercise, and find way to maintain a healthy emotional state.
How Do You Get Along With Others?
Students explore personality qualities and characteristics that affect or build relationships. They reflect on how they react to conflict and devise conflict resolution strategies to strengthen their self-esteem and confidence, while acknowledging the importance of accepting responsibility.
Students are provided with more complex structures to express emotions and impersonal expressions.
Looking Forward
Students explore professions they are interested in and identify the characteristics needed for those professions. They reflect on how technology is changing our lives positively and negatively, and the ways in which it is changing the way we do things.
Students report on scientific, military, and leisure gadgets and tools that are helping us build our future.