2015-2016 Wong/Gould Team Syllabus

Alicia Wong
E-mail: awong@hightechhigh.org
Digital Portfolio:
http://mswongsdp.weebly.com

Gary Gould
E-mail: ggould@hightechhigh.org
Digital Portfolio:

https://sites.google.com/a/hightechhigh.org/garygould-digital-portfolio/

Welcome to High Tech Middle! This year youll be part of the Wong/Gould Team! We strive to
help students grow into well-rounded individuals that can be successful in the real world. In
order to achieve this, we focus on guiding students to be respectful and productive community
members who produce beautiful work, both individually and collaboratively, that they are proud
of. This work is exhibited for families and community members at events throughout the year.
Integration of subject matter and collaboration among teachers, students, and parents are
essential components of HTM.
This year will be a time of transition for your sixth grader as they acclimate to our schools
unique learning approach. At High Tech High schools you will notice that we focus primarily on
teaching students 21st century skills in addition to academic content. These skills include
critical thinking and problem-solving, effective oral and written communication, creativity,
collaboration and initiative. In our curriculum, which revolves around projects, we strive for
depth, not breadth.

Semester One Schedule

Each day your student will have an hour of each of the following: Humanities, Math, and
exploratory. In the afternoon, learning will take place in a two-hour project block followed by
one hour of X-block. Your students schedule may look like this (the order will vary depending
on their group):
Time

Class

20 min

Advisory

1 hour

Math

1 hour

Humanities

1 hour

Exploratory (Digital Design)

30 min

Lunch

2 hours Project Block

45 min

X-block

Math/Science
This year the students of the Wong/Gould Team will be embarking on an thrilling exploration
into Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. We will look into topics such as: the
geography of China and Nepal, the effects of the climb on the human body, Sherpa culture and
role in the climbs, the way mountains are formed, weather patterns that affect climbs, the
history of expeditions, environmental, social, and political impacts of the expeditions, and many
more! Climbing the mountain of Everest takes a lot of preparation, hard work, goal setting,
teamwork, determination, and grit. This years math curriculum will require all of those same
attributes and has thus been named, Everest Math. The math content in each Unit of Study,
or Mountain, will be taught through a project and will be separated into topics, or Camps. To
reach each Camp, students will work in small teams to accomplish goals, master skills, and
complete activities. Each student, like the individual Everest climbers, will also have personal
goals. They will need to collaborate with their teams in order to summit the mountain!
Everest Math Content Schedule
Everest
Math Unit
of Study

Liberty Station
Mt. Camp 1
(Weeks 3-4)

Liberty Station
Mt. Camp 2
(Weeks 5-6)

Liberty Station
Mt. Camp 3
(Weeks 7-8)

Measurement Mt.
Camp 1
(Weeks 9-12)

Measurement Mt.
Camp 2
(Weeks 13-16)

Topic

Ratios

Rates and Scales

Cartesian
Coordinate
Plane

Portions of a Whole
(Fractions,
Decimals,
Percents)

Adding and
Subtracting
Fractions

Big Idea

Solving ratio
problems using
a ratio table

Using unit rates to

make predictions

Modeling with
integers on the
coordinate
plane

Comparing
fractions, decimals
and percents

Using the standard

algorithm for
adding and
subtracting
fractions

Essential
Question

What are
different tools
for visualizing
ratios and how
can they help
me to solve
problems?

How can I use

rates and scales to
make predictions
about distances
traveled and
speed?

How can
number lines
help us model
situations with
positive and
negative
numbers?

What are different

ways to represent
portions of a whole
and how can I
compare them?

How can I add and

subtract fractions
to accomplish realworld
measurement
tasks?

Sample
Problem

Writing ratios
given a
situation

Using ratios to
convert
measurement
units

Labeling points
on a number
line to create a
rectangle with a
given area

How are , .82 and

86% related?

How much would

be left over after
cutting a piece
off of a 7 of
wood?

CCSS

6RP 1-2

6RP 3

6NS 5-6 & 8

6NS 2-3

6NS 1

*Due to the nature of project-based learning, this schedule is subject to change.

Humanities
In Humanities class, students will focus on developing skills in reading, writing, and history.
Our goal will be to become confident readers who take on challenges of looking at and
analyzing many different types of texts. We will examine novels, short stories, poems,
personal interviews, videos, and other forms of media. We will examine narratives and write
our own stories, using a critical eye to create multiple drafts and examine the different tools a
writer uses to express ideas and emotions. Along the way, well have a chance to explore
history and different cultures, and make connections to our own lives. Content will range from
Peak, a novel about climbing Mount Everest, to personal essays and historical research.

Weeks Content
1-2

Identity Project: Exploring other perspectives, Reflective journaling and writing

3-4

Begin Novel: Peak

5-6

Continue: Peak

7-8

Exploring Narrative Structure: What makes a story compelling?

9-10

Writers Workshop: Writing personal stories of overcoming challenges

11-12

Writers Workshop: Writing personal stories of overcoming challenges

13-14

Ancient Cultures / Book Clubs: Individual Reading Goals and Analytical Skills

15-16

Ancient Cultures / Book Clubs: Individual Reading Goals and Analytical Skills

Project Block
Throughout the 1st semester, our team will engage in a project that is collaboratively designed.
This means students and teachers will work together to determine the specific direction, design
and outcome of the project. Through this process, students will learn about the importance of
asking questions, the role of a democracy and the benefits of perspective taking.
Our process begins with students asking questions about the world and their own lives. The
teachers role is to act as the facilitator and provide equitable structures for students to share
their ideas and voice their opinions. The final product will be the result of a collaboration
between all the members of our team.
Week Component
1-2
Building Our Class
Community

3-4

Begin Identity
Project
Conclusion of
Identity Project
Creation of
Affirmations

5-10

10-16

Collaboratively
Designing the
project

Neighborhood
Project
Collaboratively
Designed Project

Description
Students and teachers will engage in a series of teambuilding activities, discussions and preliminary project that
will establish our classroom community for the upcoming
year.
Students will gain a deeper understanding of their own
identities through a collaborative art and writing piece.
We will also democratically generate a class list of
affirmationswords that will describe our class and the
learning we will do together this year.
We will explore the elements of project-based learning
through exemplary past projects and our Identity Project. As
this point, we will begin developing the theme(s) and
essential question(s) for our collaboratively designed project.
Students will explore their diverse San Diego neighborhoods
through photography and writing.
Students will complete the project democratically designed by
the entire team.

Homework Policy
At High Tech Middle, you will not see as much homework as you might be used to at previous
schools. While sometimes necessary, we dont believe that mandatory homework on a nightly
basis necessarily equates with meaningful and relevant learning. We tend to agree with Alfie
Kohn, a noted child psychologist and educator, who writes about the frustration, exhaustion,
lack of time for extracurricular activities and loss of interest in learning that can often result
from homework for homeworks sake.
But dont worry! Throughout the day your students are expected to exert themselves 100% in
the learning and projects taking place. After six hours of engaged learning at HTM each day,
you can be assured that your student deserves a break from academics and is encouraged to
pursue interests outside of school (athletics, arts, clubs, family life, etc.). A balanced life
outside of school will definitely benefit their performance in school!
So what type of homework might your student have?
If your student has homework, you can guarantee that its going to be meaningful and brief:

Extension assignments - Often, well offer extension assignments within projects or

units. Students may choose to challenge themselves with these opportunities and take
them home.
Unfinished classwork - If students dont complete work by the end of the school day,
depending on the due date or nature of the work, they may be asked to complete the
work at home (if it is something they can complete without extensive guidance). This is
especially true in projects.
Reading - In Humanities, students will be asked to read an independent book at least
100 minutes a week outside of class.
Makeup Work - If your student falls behind on work in class, they may be asked to use
home time to complete missing and incomplete assignments. Usually, this type of work
is accompanied by an e-mail or phone call home.

Absences
If a student is absent, it is his or her responsibility to find out about missed assignments and
confirm the due date with the teacher. In the case of a planned absence (family vacation,
dentist appointment, etc.) the student should notify the teacher beforehand and request
assignments prior to the absence. Extended absences should be worked out with Ms. Lisa at
the front desk. For work assigned during the student's absence, the student will be given extra
time to turn in the work, usually the same amount of time in which they missed.

School Supplies
This year the teachers will be providing all students with the supplies they need for daily work
(folders, journal, notebook, pens, etc.) We are asking families to donate $5-10 to cover supply
costs. This is a voluntary donation and is not required. While we appreciate any and all
donation, ALL students will be provided with the supplies they need on a daily basis.