ShouldersofGiantsHighSchoolSampleCurriculum Inourfouryearhighschoolcurriculum,studentsexploretheiridentitiesandsensesofselfinrelationto localandglobalcommunities.Eachyear,studieshaveanoverarchingfocus,andcoursecontentgivesall studentsachancetodevelopdeeperunderstandingofthatfocusandtheirrelationtoit.Thefociiareas follows: Year1:SenseofSelf Year2:LocalCommunities Year3:GlobalCommunities Year4:IntegratingSenseofSelf Withineachyearsfocus,studentschoosetofollowoneofthreetracks,eachaddressingthefocusthrough adifferentintegrativelens.Ineachtrackofasingleyear,studentstakethesameeightcourses(Foreign Language,Art,PhysicalEducation/Health,SocialStudies,Math,Science,LanguageArts,PracticalSkill). Thesamecourseintwodifferenttrackscoverssimilarcontentandskills,butwithadifferentintegrative lens.Thisallowsforstudentchoiceanddiverselearningstyles,whileallstudentsconsidermanyofthe samebigquestionsandbuildsimilarskillsandknowledge.

Withineachtrack,studentshelptheirteachers developguidingquestionstobeaddressedintheircourses. Possibletrackswithineachyearsfocusinclude: Year1:SenseofSelf HumanBody Culture Year2:LocalCommunities Freedom Bioregional/EnvironmentalStudies Insiders/Outsiders TheCity Year3:GlobalCommunities PoliticsandDevelopment GlobalEnvironmentalStudies Health PowerandPrivilege Year4:SenseofSelf RitesofPassage Activism Thefollowingisanexampleofthecourses/possiblecurriculumfora1styearstudentenrolledinthe HumanBodyTrack.(Particularknowledgeobjectivesandideascoveredeachsemestermayvary basedontheneeds,interests,andconcernsoftheparticularstudents):

Course

FirstSemester

SecondSemester

Exampleofone Enduring Understandingof theCourse Languageand cultureinformone anotherinvarious ways.

Exampleofone Knowledge Objectiveforthe course Basicgraspof grammar, vocabulary,and linguisticstructure ofstudents chosenlanguage.

Foreign Language:All 1styearsshare classesand curriculum. Art:All1styears samplevisualand performingarts withintheir chosentrack.

Languageand SameasSem.1 CulturalStudies: Studentschoose betweenSpanish, Arabic,and MandarinChinese Anatomical sketching Representative andabstractself portraitsin2D media Bodyasmedium: Dance,Theater (monologues), Song

Artisticmediacan Basicvocabulary inform andskillsetfor understandingsof acrylicpainting. thehumanbody bothbybeing aboutthebody andbybeingof thebody. Afullsenseof selfrequires understandingof onesbody, emotions,and mindthehealthof onesbody, emotions,and mindrequires selfcareand attention. Human conceptionsof survivaland successhave evolvedovertime, handinhandwith changesin societalstructure andorganization. Studentscan recognizeand namestructural, muscular, digestive, circulatory, respiratory,and organsystemsof thebody.

PhysicalHealth Physical andAnatomy Education:All 1styearsaddress RockClimbing physicaland mentalhealthas wellasmovement intheirchosen track.

MentalHealth Meditation MovementArts (Dance,Yoga,Tai Chi)

SocialStudies: All1styear studentsstudy World History/Geograph y/Economicsfrom theAncientWorld totheyear1900, withemphasis differingineach ofthethree tracks.Allfirst yearspractice researchskills.

WorldHistory through1500, focusingon changing strategiesfor physicalsurvival (progressionof nomadiclife> hunting/gathering >agriculture> industry)

WorldHistory 15001900, focusingon humanschanging relationshiptothe bodyandmind. Includesfocuson enlightenmentand valueofreason overemotion,as wellasachanging ideaofwhat survivaland successlook

Theenlightenment markedthe beginningofa highersocietal valueonreason thanonemotionin theWestern World.

likeandtheir relationshiptothe physicalbody Math:All1st yearstudents study Algebra/Precalcul us. Algebra/Precalc Continuationof aretaughtthrough Sem.1 applications relatedtothe changing economicsystems studiedinSocial Studiescourses Contentincludes cellbiology, structuresoflife, andhumanbody systems.How doessurvival work(forhumans andotherliving things)andwhat isneededforit? Reflectivewriting assignmentsrelate tostudents experiencesof andrelationships totheirbodiesand minds.Novels readdealwith survivalaswellas characters experiencesof physicalbody. Contentincludes evolutionand genetics,witha focusonhow thesedeveloping scientificfields affectpeoples relationshipto theirphysical bodies Novelsread addressmental healthandthe livedexperience ofbody/mind integrationand separation. Studentscontinue writing reflectively, developingvoice, andwriting essays. Manipulationof Arelationisa mathematic functionifand variablesallows onlyifeach peopletocreate elementinthe economicmodels. domainispaired withaunique elementofthe range. Thescientific studyoflifehelps peopletobetter understandthe workingsand originoftheir physicalbodies. Hereditary physicaltraitsare determinedbythe DNAaperson receivesfrom his/herparents.

Science:All1st yearstudents studyBiology throughtheir tracksintegrative lens.

LanguageArts: Allfirstyear studentspractice reflectivewriting, essaybuilding, anddeveloping voice.Students readnovelsfrom thebildungsroman (comingofage) genre.Thiswork supportsthe1st yearfocuson developinga senseofself. PracticalSkills: 1styearstudents takeacoursein somepractical skillsetrelatedto theirtracktopic.

Readingaccounts (fictionalor nonfictional)of otherpeoples relationshipswith theirbodiescan helpstudents betterunderstand theirown.

Sentence structure,word choice,andtone allcontributeto thedevelopment ofastudents narrativevoice.

Studentsinthe SenseofSelf: HumanBody trackspendthe yearworkingon survivalskills, rangingfromthe

Continuationof Sem.1

Studentswill understandthat skillsneededfor survivalhave changedoverthe courseofhistory andvaryby

Intellectualand embodied knowledgeofthe processof firemaking.

primitive(e.g. firebuilding)to themedical(e.g. CPR)tothe domestic(e.g. sewing).

culture.Students willdevelopskill atperforming someofthese tasksandwill developthesense thattheycando usefulworkwith theirbodies

SenseofSelf:HumanBody OverarchingGoals:Studentswillcontinuetodevelopandbegintoarticulatetheirsenseofself.Students willbeengagedinthinkingandcreation,challengingandenrichingtheirsenseofselfthroughboth. StudentswillbegintodevelopfluencyinpracticesofNonviolentCommunicationandoppressionliteracy. EnduringUnderstandings:Astrongersenseofselfincreasesapersonsabilitytounderstandtheworld andonesownrelationtoit.Thebodyisanecessarypartofthehumanself,andtheexperienceofones bodycontributestoonessenseofself.Theintersectionsandconnectivebetweendisciplinescontainrich fodderforunderstanding. OverallKnowledgeObjectives:Studentswillunderstandthephysical,mental,andbiologicalstructures ofthebody.Studentswillarticulatetheirownexperiencesoftheirparticularbody.Studentswillviewtheir bodyinhistoricalcontext,understandingthechangingexperienceandmeaningofthebodythroughoutthe last5,000+years.Studentswillexaminetheirideasaboutselfandbodythroughliterary,historical, scientific,mathematical,artistic,andintegrativelenses. Assessment:Inindividualcourses,studentsmaycompletetests,individualandgroupprojects,and assignments,whichprovideformativeandsummativeassessmentopportunitiesforteachers.The assessmentoftheseassignmentsinvolvesfeedbackandconversation(writtenorverbal)betweenteacher andstudent,sothatstudentsareabletounderstandtheirprogressandhowtoimprovetheirworkand understandingsinthefuture.Narrativeevaluationsratherthangradesdescribeandassessstudent progressincoursesandoverall.