Curriculum Year C

Central Subject:  Finding Your Voice and Speaking the Truth

Civics and American History

When should my voice be heard?  What keeps me silent?  Who am I and what do I have to say?   As the year begins, students ask critical questions about government, law and political realities in social studies.  Who governs?  Who decides the law?  When is revolution right?  These are the questions that prompt a year-long study of Civics and American History. 

In the fall, students explore the nature of laws, as they study the trials of Jesus, Galileo and Socrates.  They then examine the words and ideas that have shaped the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the most influential letters and speeches of the 18th century.  In the winter term, students see how the United States found its voice as a nation, as well as how diverse individuals spoke boldly in the face of slavery and injustice.  Finally, by the end of the year, students recognize how historic voices have formed a nation of varied peoples.  The role of immigration and Ellis Island is given considerable attention, as is the 20th century struggle for Civil Rights.

Throughout the year, students review important historical documents, from the Magna Carta to the Constitution to the Civil Rights Amendment, in order to understand the ideas, laws, arrangements and movements that have shaped our current democracy.  More particularly, they develop an appreciation for those revolutionaries whose words have echoed the sound of enduring hope, profound faith and sacrificial love for others.

Reading, Literature & the Humanities

As students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres, they build an understanding of the multidimensional nature of human experience, language and forms of expression.  This year, students read historic documents, influential speeches, significant biographies, slave narratives, plays and the poetry of the Harlem Renaissance.   Important titles include:  The Giver, To Be a Slave; The Glory Field; My Antonia; The Tempest; Ashes of Roses; A Raisin in the Sun; Warriors Don’t Cry; Bronx Masquerade; and Breaking Through.

More on the reading program.

More on the writing program.

Science

The science program includes three units: 1) Matter and Change (Chemistry and Physics) 2) Newton’s Laws of Motion and 3) Revolutionary Scientists, Discoveries and Inventions.  Throughout the year, students learn and practice observational skills, recording and interpreting data, and understanding scientific discovery in the context of human history.   In the spring, students end the year with an independent research project that demonstrates a thorough understanding of scientific inquiry and research methods.

Music

The first instrument of musical instruction is through the human voice, as students develop musical literacy though vigorous exposure to authentic folk music and music theory.  Students also learn to read and compose music through study the baroque recorder.  Students who elect to join the chorus will perform at the Las Posadas Celebration and at the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.  Those who are accepted (by audition) for the second term will participate in a set of spring performances and the Annual Spring Concert.