Upper School (Grades 5-8)

Course Description/Mission

Adda Clevenger Upper School ELA:

Building foundational knowledge and exploring creative depths The primary goal of Adda Clevenger’s upper school ELA program is to provide student-centered ELA instruction in reading, writing, language, and philosophical inquiry, while also fostering each child’s creative potential. This is achieved by knowing every student in-depth. In fact, each year our primary texts and projects often change based on the needs and interests of that year’s students. By discovering every child’s learning style, strengths, weaknesses, and interests, and then providing them a variety of student-centered learning opportunities, as well as a safe space to explore their unique potential, students become academically competitive and creatively courageous.

In fifth grade ELA, students receive instruction over the course of four units, each unit designed to reflect a literary genre. Examples include, Magical Realism, Modern Realistic Fiction, Classics: Fantasy Fiction, and Dystopian Fiction. Each unit relates to our 5th grade yearly college and career readiness theme: A Meaningful Life. As students progress through each unit, they will ask the overarching philosophical questions, “What is meaning?” “Who decides what constitutes a meaningful life?” “What are things which I, personally, find meaningful?” “What if other people don't agree with what I find meaningful?" "How did the characters in our primary text define a meaningful life?" "Were those characters able to find meaning?" These questions regarding a meaningful life are explicitly investigated in order to facilitate the ACS mission to ensure students make the developmental, social, and intellectual progress necessary to become leaders at school and beyond.

Each student-centered unit begins with a primary reading focus, chosen to support the exploration and unpacking of key themes and related questions. Students have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding and use of critical thinking through a broad range of written tasks which mirror the prior reading. Over the course of the year, students will receive standard-specific instruction in the following major domains: Reading: Comprehension Skills, Reading: Literature, Reading: Informational Texts, Writing: Expository, Writing: Narrative, Writing: Persuasive, Language: Conventions, Language: Vocabulary. In addition to our in-class reading and writing, students will complete 600 pages of independent reading and construct two critical responses to literature to demonstrate their comprehension of the texts.

Students are encouraged to become independent thinkers through close reading of their assigned and independent reading. Alongside this, classes promote the development of collaboration and cooperation skills through group projects and discussions. In this way students develop the capacity to form their own mental models and contribute to those of students alongside them.

Text Examples (These Can and Often Do Change from Year to Year)
Primary ELA Texts:
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Because of Mr. Terupt
Journey to the Center of the Earth
The Giver

Independent ELA Texts:
Wishtree
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe 
The City of Ember

READING and WRITING ACROSS the CURRICULUM

In addition to our ELA units, students also receive 4 Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum units, 2 in Science and 2 in Social Studies.

1st Semester:
Social Studies Text - Sign of the Beaver
Science Text - George’s Secret Universe

2nd Semester:
Social Studies Text - Chains
Science Text - The Earth Dragon Awakes: The SF Earthquake of 1906

Course Description/Mission

Adda Clevenger Upper School ELA:

Building foundational knowledge and exploring creative depths The primary goal of Adda Clevenger’s upper school ELA program is to provide student-centered ELA instruction in reading, writing, language, and philosophical inquiry, while also fostering each child’s creative potential. This is achieved by knowing every student in-depth. In fact, each year our primary texts and projects often change based on the needs and interests of that year’s students. By discovering every child’s learning style, strengths, weaknesses, and interests, and then providing them a variety of student-centered learning opportunities, as well as a safe space to explore their unique potential, students become academically competitive and creatively courageous.

In sixth grade ELA, students receive instruction over the course of four units: Magical Realism, Modern Realistic Fiction, Classics: Fantasy Fiction, and Dystopian Fiction. Each unit relates to our 6th grade yearly college and career readiness theme: Self & Society. As students progress through each unit, they will ask the overarching essential questions, “Who am I?” “What is society?” “What are societal norms?” “Who chooses the values a society accepts?” “What if someone doesn’t fit into societal norms?” “What are my personal values?” These questions regarding self and society are
explicitly investigated in order to facilitate the ACS mission to ensure students make the developmental, social, and intellectual progress necessary to become leaders at school and beyond.

Each student-centered unit begins with a primary reading focus, chosen to support the exploration and unpacking of key themes and related questions. Students have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding and use of critical thinking through a broad range of written tasks which mirror the prior reading. Over the course of the year, students will receive standard-specific instruction in the following major domains: Reading: Comprehension Skills, Reading: Literature, Reading: Informational Texts, Writing: Expository, Writing: Narrative, Writing: Persuasive, Language: Conventions, Language: Vocabulary. In addition to our in-class reading and writing, students will complete 600 pages of independent reading and construct two critical responses to literature to demonstrate their comprehension of the texts.

Students are encouraged to become independent thinkers through close reading of their assigned and independent reading. Alongside this, classes promote the development of collaboration and cooperation skills through group projects and discussions. In this way, students develop the capacity to form and extend their own mental models and contribute to those of students alongside them. By asking and answering questions around individual differences, societal expectations, and the capacity to change, students gain an understanding of their own potential and the difference they can make to those around them.

Text Examples (These Can and Often Do Change from Year to Year)
Primary ELA Texts:
Wishtree
Maniac Magee
The Hobbit
Animal Farm

Independent ELA Texts:
The Curious Tale of In-Between
A Long Walk to Water
The Book Scavenger 
Maze Runner

READING and WRITING ACROSS the CURRICULUM

In addition to our ELA units, students also receive 4 Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum units, 2 in Science and 2
in Social Studies.

1st Semester:
Social Studies Text - The Odyssey, The Iliad
Science Text - Ninjas, Piranhas and Galileo

2nd Semester:
Social Studies Text - Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust
Science Text - Flush

Course Description/Mission

Adda Clevenger Upper School ELA:

Building foundational knowledge and exploring creative depths The primary goal of Adda Clevenger’s upper school ELA program is to provide student-centered ELA instruction in reading, writing, language, and philosophical inquiry, while also fostering each child’s creative potential. This is achieved by knowing every student in-depth. In fact, each year our primary texts and projects often change based on the needs and interests of that year’s students. By discovering every child’s learning style, strengths, weaknesses, and interests, and then providing them a variety of student-centered learning opportunities, as well as a safe space to explore their unique potential, students become academically competitive and creatively courageous.

In seventh grade ELA, students receive instruction over the course of four units: Magical Realism, Modern Realistic Fiction, Classics: Fantasy Fiction, and Dystopian Fiction. Each unit relates to our 7th grade yearly college and career readiness theme: Perseverance. As students progress through each unit, they will ask the overarching essential questions, “What is perseverance?” “What is resiliency?” “What are ways in which I have persevered?” “In what ways have the characters in our novels demonstrated perseverance?" These questions regarding perseverance are explicitly
investigated in order to facilitate the ACS mission to ensure students make the developmental, social, and intellectual progress necessary to become resilient leaders at school and beyond.
Each student-centered unit begins with a primary reading focus, chosen to support the exploration and unpacking of key themes and related questions. Students have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding and use of critical thinking through a broad range of written tasks which mirror the prior reading. Over the course of the year, students will receive standard-specific instruction in the following major domains: Reading: Comprehension Skills, Reading: Literature, Reading: Short Stories, Reading: Informational Texts, Writing: Expository, Writing: Narrative, Writing: Persuasive, Language: Conventions, Language: Vocabulary. In addition to our in-class reading and writing, students will complete 600 pages of independent reading and construct two critical responses to literature to demonstrate their comprehension of the texts.

Students are encouraged to become independent thinkers through close reading of their assigned and independent reading. Alongside this, classes promote the development of collaboration and cooperation skills through group projects and discussions. In this way, students develop the capacity to form and extend their own mental models and contribute to those of students alongside them. By asking and answering questions around generational love and trauma, societal expectations, and the capacity to change, students gain an understanding of their own potential and the difference they can make to those around them.

Text Examples (These Can and Often Do Change from Year to Year)

Primary ELA Texts:
The Dreamer
The Joy Luck Club
20th Century Short Stories from authors including Ray Bradbury, Doris Lessing, and Kurt Vonnegut
Lord of the Flies

Independent ELA Texts:
Hour of the Bees
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Outsiders
The Hunger Games

READING and WRITING ACROSS the CURRICULUM
In addition to our ELA units, students also receive 4 Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum units, 2 in Science and 2 in Social Studies.

1st Semester:
Social Studies Text - The Once and Future King
Science Text - The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

2nd Semester:
Social Studies Text - Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Science Text - Fever 1793

Course Description/Mission

Adda Clevenger Upper School ELA:

Building foundational knowledge and exploring creative depthsThe primary goal of Adda Clevenger’s upper school ELA program is to provide student-centered ELA instruction in reading, writing, language, and philosophical inquiry, while also fostering each child’s creative potential. This is achieved by knowing every student in-depth. In fact, each year our primary texts and projects often change based on the needs and interests of that year’s students. By discovering every child’s learning style, strengths, weaknesses, and interests, and then providing them a variety of student-centered learning opportunities, as well as a safe space to explore their unique potential, students become academically competitive and creatively courageous.

In 8th grade ELA, students receive instruction over the course of four units: Memoir, Nonfiction: High School Admissions Prep, Humanities: Philosophy, Media Literacy/Dystopian Fiction. Each unit relates to our 8th grade yearly college and career readiness theme: Philosophical Inquiry & Critical Thinking Skills. As students progress through each unit, they will ask the overarching essential questions, “Who am I?” “Is reality subjective or objective?” “What is thinking?” “What is consciousness?” “Does life have an objective meaning?” “Are ethics and values universal or cultural constructs?” “What are biases, and how do they influence the way we experience the world?” These questions regarding philosophical inquiry and examination using critical thinking skills, are explicitly investigated in order to facilitate the ACS mission to ensure students make the developmental, social, and intellectual progress necessary to become thoughtful, well-adjusted leaders at school and beyond.

Each student-centered unit begins with a primary reading focus, chosen to support the exploration and unpacking of key themes and related questions. Students have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding and use of critical thinking through a broad range of written tasks which mirror the prior reading. Over the course of the year, students will receive standard-specific instruction in the following major domains: Reading: Comprehension Skills, Reading: Literature, Reading: Informational Texts, Writing: Analytical, Writing: Argumentative, Writing: Persuasive, Language: Conventions, Language: Vocabulary. In addition to our in-class reading and writing, students will complete 600 pages of independent reading and construct two critical responses to literature to demonstrate their comprehension of the texts.

Students are encouraged to become independent thinkers through close reading of their assigned and independent reading. Alongside this, classes promote the development of collaboration and cooperation skills through group projects and discussions. In this way, students develop the capacity to form and extend their own mental models and contribute to those of students alongside them. By asking and answering questions around individual responsibility, belief, and the capacity to change, students gain a greater understanding of who they are as individuals, and the vision to create their own destiny. 
 

Text Examples (These Can and Often Do Change from Year to Year)
Primary ELA Texts:
Into the Magic Shop
Getting In by Standing Out
Escape Essay Hell
Essay Heaven
Man’s Search for Meaning
Sophie’s World
KQED’s Facing History… Media Literacy Unit
1984

Independent ELA Texts:
The Complete Persepolis: Volumes 1 and 2
Siddhartha
A Handmaid's Tale

READING and WRITING ACROSS the CURRICULUM
In addition to our ELA units, students also receive 4 Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum units, 2 in Science and 2 in Social Studies.

1st Semester:
Social Studies Text - To Be a Slave
Science Text - Einstein’s Dreams

2nd Semester:
Social Studies Text - Bread Givers
Science Text - A Brief History of Time

The sequence of Grade 5 Early U.S. History, Grade 6 Ancient History, Grade 7 Global Medieval History and Grade 8 Modern U.S. History provides students with the knowledge to understand both the past and our contemporary world, while preparing them with academic skills for high school.

My goal as a history teacher is to have students understand our present world by studying how we arrived at this point. I emphasize history not as the memorization of dates and facts, but as the study of change over time. My teaching philosophy utilizes project-based learning, inquiry-based education and the diversity of historical experience. This creates a classroom where children are not passive recipients of information, but actively participate in their own education. Students are introduced to the examination of primary sources, including ancient law codes, published works, personal diaries and a wide range of visual materials. Independent and group research projects are important in helping students gain skills in historical research, analysis, writing and presentation. Projects include making Egyptian mummies, journaling travels along medieval trade routes and simulating the post-World War I negotiations resulting in the Treaty of Versailles. 

5th Grade - Early U.S. History
This course begins by examining the history of the first Indigenous Peoples of the lands that became the United States, and ends with the Civil War. 
Unit 1: Indigenous Peoples of North America
•    Students will analyze the lifeways of the first peoples to inhabit North America.
Unit 2: European Exploration and Colonization 
•    This unit will examine the reasons for European exploration beginning in the 15th century, and how both Europeans and Native Americans were impacted by settler colonialism.
Unit 3: Revolution in the Colonies
•    Students will explore how the British colonies moved towards independence, and the subsequent Revolutionary War which brought the United States into existence.
Unit 4: Forming a New Nation
•    This unit will analyze the founding of the United States, with an emphasis on the writing of the Constitution and the operations of government.
Unit 5: The Early Republic
•    Students will examine the development of the young nation focusing on political divisions, growing nationalism and the rise of Jacksonian Democracy.
Unit 6: An Expanding Nation
•    This unit will explore the United States’ westward expansion, its impact on Native Americans and how the lives of those in the west differed from that of those back east.
Unit 7: Two Worlds: North and South
•    Students will analyze the rise of sectionalism, and how the Northern and Southern states developed different societies that came into increasing conflict with each other over the issue of slavery.
Unit 8: The Civil War
•    This unit will examine the causes, course and consequences of the Civil War, centering on the varied social experiences, military conflicts and political changes the nation underwent.

6th Grade - Ancient History
This course examines the earliest human societies, before moving into the major interconnected civilizations of the ancient world - Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China, Greece and Rome. 
Unit 1: The Earliest Humans 
•    Students will analyze the development of the earliest hominid species, including Australopithecus (famously known as Lucy), Homo Habilis, Neanderthals and modern Homo Sapiens. 
Unit 2: Farming, Cities and Civilization
•    This unit will examine the connections between the Agricultural Revolution and the development of cities, along with the general characteristics of the subsequent civilizations we will be studying the rest of the year. 
Unit 3: Mesopotamia: The Land Between the Rivers
•    Students will explore the rise of city-states between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, as well as the empires that followed. 
Unit 4: Egypt, Nubia and Israel
•    This unit will analyze the Nile River Valley civilization, along with its two major neighboring societies; Nubia to the south and Israel to the east. 
Unit 5: India, Hinduism and Buddhism
•    Students will examine the Indus River Valley civilization, the Mauryan and Gupta Empires as well as the rise of the two major world religions of Hinduism and Buddhism.
Unit 6: China: Order Under Heaven
•    This unit will explore the dynastic history of China, especially its expansion across much of east Asia. Special attention will be paid to the importance of Confucianism to the development of Chinese society.
Unit 7: Greece: Independence, Empire and Influence
•    Students will analyze the conflicts and alliances among independent city-states, war between Greeks and the neighboring Persian Empire, and the legacy of Greek society to the modern world.
Unit 8: Rome: City of the Hills
•    This unit will examine the rise of the Roman Republic, the expansion of the empire and the development of Christianity.
 

7th Grade - Global Medieval History
This course examines the history of societies around the world from the fall of Rome through through the early modern period. Special attention is paid to the interconnections among different parts of the globe. 
Unit 1: The Fall of the Ancient World: Rome and Byzantium
•    Students will review the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the continuation of Roman civilization in the form of the Byzantine Empire, along with the Great Schism between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
Unit 2: The Islamic World
•    This unit will examine the rise of one of the world’s great religions, Islam, and the subsequent development of Islamic Civilization. 
Unit 3: West African Empires
•    Students will explore the empires of Ghana and Mali, with emphasis on the influence of Islam in the region. 
Unit 4: The Americas: The Maya, Inca and Aztec
•    This unit will analyze the civilizations of the Maya, Inca and Aztec in the Americas. 
Unit 5: East Asia: China and Japan
•    Students will examine China’s Golden Age and subsequent conquest by the Mongols. We will also analyze the Japanese feudal period.
Unit 6: Europe: The Medieval Period
•    This unit will explore Europe, emphasizing changes from the ancient period, the rise of feudalism and the influence of Christianity.
Unit 7: Art and Faith: The Renaissance and Reformation
•    Students will analyze the Renaissance as a new way of viewing the world, along with the division between Catholicism and a rising Christian Protestantism. 
Unit 8: Exploring Modernity: The Age of Exploration, Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment
•    This unit will examine the rise of the modern era as seen in the European conquest and colonization of the Americas, the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment philosophy.
 

8th Grade - Modern U.S. History
This course examines the history of the United States from the end of the Civil War through the closing of the twentieth century. Special attention will be paid to deepening students’ understanding of the study of history in preparation for high school. 
Unit 1: The Gilded Age: Consolidating the West and Constructing Cities
•    Students will briefly review early U.S. History, with an emphasis on Reconstruction. We will then study the consolidation of American power over the west and The Gilded Age, with developments in immigration, industrialization and the growth of urban centers.
Unit 2: The Progressive Era and American Imperialism
•    Students will explore the influence of Progressive social and political reforms, especially the movement for Women’s Suffrage. We will also analyze the projection of American power beyond North America as a form of imperialism, or empire-building, including the Spanish-American War and colonialism in Latin America and the Pacific. 
Unit 3: A Time of War and of Plenty
•    This unit will explore World War I as the first global military conflict and the subsequent Roaring ‘20’s, including the challenges of modernity, the Harlem Renaissance and Prohibition.
Unit 4: The Great Depression and World War II
•    Students will examine domestically, the Great Depression and the New Deal, and internationally, the global causes, course and consequences of the Second World War. 
Unit 5: The Cold War
•    This unit will explore the beginnings of the Cold War, American domestic life during the 1950’s and the Korean War.
Unit 6: The Civil Rights Movements
•    Students will analyze the African-American Civil Rights Movement, including the role of activism, Supreme Court decisions and legislation. We will also explore social movements for Women’s, Indigenous and Gay Rights.
Unit 7: A Rapidly Changing Society
•    This unit will examine the Vietnam War, the Great Society and broader changes across American society and economy.
Unit 8: Ending the Twentieth Century
•    We will explore the Reagan Revolution, the end of the Cold War and America as it entered the twenty-first century.

Hands-on, Inquiry-Based Learning

The Upper School science program at Adda Clevenger develops lifelong learners who continually expand their understanding of the world around them. The nature of science seeks to provide explanations for natural phenomena and is focused around scientific literacy, scientific inquiry, and scientific knowledge. Through inquiry-based learning, curiosity is triggered and students are able to become the experts of their own questions. 

At Adda Clevenger, students take an active lead in this endeavor through guided labs, engineering design projects, scientific research, hands-on activities, interactive demonstrations, and scientific debates based on logical thinking. Students are encouraged to think beyond the application of vocabulary terms and apply systemic knowledge to answer questions, predict outcomes, and deepen discussion. Through the exercise of the scientific method and engineering design, content outlined by the Next Generation Science Standards comes alive in the students’ daily experience.

One of the highlights of the year is the culmination of student research, experimentation, and analysis in the science fair. All Upper School students take part in the yearly Adda Clevenger Science Fair (grades 5- 8th), with top students moving on to the San Francisco Science Fair (grades 6-8th).

Fifth grade science builds on a solid foundation of scientific inquiry and exploration provided in fourth grade. The course includes the fundamental concepts of life, physical, chemical, earth, and space sciences. Inquiry focuses on systemic design, energy flow, and matter transformations. Students will begin engaging in scientific debates, engineering models, experimental design, and scientific communication.

Unit 1: Energy and Matter in Ecosystems
-Energy in animals’ food was once energy from the sun.
-Movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.
-Plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water.

Unit 2: Space Systems
-The gravitational force exerted by earth on objects is directed down.
-The apparent brightness of the sun and stars is due to their relative distances from earth.
-Patterns of daily changes in length and direction of shadows, day and night, and the seasonal appearance of stars.

Unit 3: Physical and Chemical Changes in Matter
-Matter is made of particles too small to be seen.
-Total weight of matter is conserved regardless of change.
-Measure and identify materials based on physical and chemical properties.
-Determine whether the mixing of two or more substances results in new substances.

Unit 4: Earth Systems
-Model ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact.
-The distribution of water on earth is stored in various salt and freshwater reservoirs.
-Communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.

Sixth grade science examines the concepts of change through the study of energy and material transformations throughout earth systems. Students will examine the structure of earth, the forces responsible for its changing surface, interactions between its various systems, and effects of large-scale phenomena. Students will gain exposure through research papers, quantitative hands-on labs, model engineering, and inquiry-driven activities. 

Unit 1: Earth Systems
-The cycling of earth’s materials and the flow of energy driving the process.
-The distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures provide evidence of the past plate tectonics.
-Natural hazards and forecasting of future catastrophic events inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.

Unit 2: Cyclic Patterns of Space
-The earth-sun-moon system provides explanations for the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, and seasons.
-Model the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system.
-Scale properties of objects in the solar system.

Unit 3: Geologic History
-Evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize earth’s 4.6 billion year old history.
-Geoscience processes have changed earth’s surface at varying temporal and spatial scales.

Unit 4: Weather, Climate, and Ocean Systems
-The motions and complex interactions of air masses result in changes in weather conditions.
-The unequal heating and rotation of the earth causes patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.
-Evidence-based identification of the causes of rise in global temperatures over the past century.

Unit 5: Human Impacts
-Scientific principles are used to design a method for monitoring and minimizing human impact on the environment.
-Construct arguments supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact earth’s systems.

Seventh grade science emphasizes a more complex understanding of change, patterns, and design in the living world. Students explore cellular organization and complex functioning, changes resulting from transmission of genetic information, ecosystem interactions, and the dynamics of evolution. Students expand their inquiry skills through formal lab reports, design creation, variable manipulation, experimental error, and evidence-based discussion.

Unit 1: Structure, Function, and Information Processing
-Living things are made of cells, either one cell or many different numbers and types of cells.
-Model the function of a cell as a whole or ways parts of cells contribute to the function.
-The body is a system of interacting subsystems composed of groups of cells.

Unit 2: Growth, Development, and Reproduction
-Environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms.
-Structural changes to genes located on chromosomes may affect proteins and result in effects to the structure and function of the organism.
-Asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical genetic information and sexual reproduction results in offspring with genetic variation.

Unit 3: Interdependent Ecosystem Relationships
-The effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.
-Prediction of patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.
-Design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Unit 4: Natural Selection and Adaptations
-Patterns in the fossil record document the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on earth under the assumption that natural laws operate today as in the past.
-Natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations over time.

Unit 5: Human Systems
-A body is a system of interacting subsystems composed of groups of cells.
-Sensory receptors respond to stimuli by sending messages to the brain for immediate behavior or storage as memories.
-Functional systems of the human organs.

Eighth graders take a deep dive into understanding the natural world’s complexities through the lens of matter’s structure and energy characteristics. Complex material interactions, trends and reactivity in the Periodic Table, energy transformations, force, and wave behavior are cornerstones of the eighth grade curriculum. Students expand their scientific skill set through organization and mathematical analysis of data, hands-on labs and demonstrations, manipulation of variables and repeat trails, literature review, and technical engineering.

Unit 1: Structure and Matter
-Atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures.
-Changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance is altered when thermal energy is added or removed.
-Atomic and molecular interactions can explain the properties of matter that we see and feel.

Unit 2: Chemical Reactions
-Analyze properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.
-The total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus matter is conserved.

Unit 3: Energy
-Kinetic energy and its relation to the mass and speed of an object.
-The arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, and different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.
-Test similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution.

Unit 4: Forces and Interactions
-Newton’s Third Law can be used to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects.
-The change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.
-Gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects.

Unit 5: Electromagnetics and Waves
-Mathematical representations describe a simple model for waves that includes how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in a wave.
-Waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.

“‘. . . truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion.’ The student must be allowed to make mistakes, for if he makes no mistakes, he will not progress.” 
― Morris Kline, Calculus, An Intuitive and Physical Approach 1967

“Either this is madness or it is Hell.” “It is neither,” calmly replied the voice of the Sphere, “it is Knowledge; it is Three Dimensions: open your eye once again and try to look steadily.”
― Edwin A. Abbott, Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions

“Mathematics is the cheapest science. Unlike physics or chemistry, it does not require any expensive equipment. All one needs for mathematics is a pencil and paper.”
― George Polya
 

The goal of the ACS math program is to create confident, flexible thinkers and to promote personal growth. Personal growth is obtained by setting and achieving goals pertaining to the grade as well as reflecting on individual strengths and weaknesses. Goal setting is an instructional focus marked by the desire to add the ‘why’ to math work instead of just the ‘how’
of math work.

Our goal will be to take students beyond learning mathematical methods, to challenge our students to think about how to solve problems, how to investigate and find mathematics and
patterns in the world. We aim to make the experience of every student in math class more practical and engaging from kindergarten through eighth grade. 

The upper school math program begins in fifth grade. Our program teaches math in sequence, using age and grade appropriate math activities to progressively build understanding, skills, and
confidence, creating a firm foundation for students that allows them to excel within an accelerated mathematics curriculum. Throughout the year our students make decisions about how to approach a problem. Students develop their ability to grasp underlying mathematical relationship without relying on rote memorization. They should successfully generalize from concepts they have mastered. They should improve their problem-solving skills, confidence, abstract-thinking skills, and hopefully their love of mathematics. They will express solutions clearly and logically using the appropriate mathematical notation. Students will develop generalizations, represent them in algebraic form and apply them in new situations. They will take clear notes from classroom instruction and demonstrate their understanding through assigned tasks, working in groups and individually. Students will take an assessment test at the end of each section of study. They will receive short and long-term homework assignments that will require them to demonstrate good study skills and manage their time effectively.

Math 5 begins to build the bridge between arithmetic skills learned in lower grades with the analytical problem-solving skills used in middle school mathematics. The course focuses on explaining the "why" of mathematical problem solving, not just the "how" of working problems. The introduction of variables opens a huge door to the abstraction of algebraic thinking, coupled with expanding the study of numerical systems to include decimals and fractions. Students will use fundamental properties i.e. commutative, associative, and distributive, to solve problems more effectively. A second core concept explored in fifth-grade math involves building an understanding of patterns and algebraic thinking. The overall goal of Math 5 is to build flexible thinkers open to multiple ways to solve problems, comfortable with adapting to new ways of thinking about math.

Students will build on their understanding of the structure of the place value system by extending that understanding to decimals. By the end of the unit, students will have a deep understanding of the base-ten structure of our number system, by comparing this system to another base and comparing and contrasting each base system. 

Students will continue thinking about other bases to introduce fractions and why operations with fractions are complicated in a base ten system. Students will obtain competency and a strong understanding of computing operations with fractions, decimals, and multi-digit numbers. 

In the second semester, 5th graders will begin identifying, observing, and expressing patterns. They will study displaying patterns and coming up with skills to identify them. This includes graphing on the coordinate-plane and determining how they want to represent patterns. Students will apply this thinking to functions and real-world data, learning ways to characterize data, visually display, and organize data. 

Students will end the year converting between units of measurement and learning about fundamental geometric concepts. Students will explore the compass and straightedge capabilities and think critically about how to construct regular polygons and bisections. Lastly, students will explore volume of cubes and rectangles and think critically about the volume of pyramids and cones.

Here are some key topics commonly included:

Arithmetic Operations: Extending understanding of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to larger numbers and decimals.

Fractions and Decimals: Comparing, adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions and decimals.

Geometry: Understanding geometric shapes, angles, lines, and their properties. Exploring area, perimeter, and volume of geometric figures.

Measurement and Conversions: Understanding and applying units of measurement for length, weight, capacity, and time. Converting units within the same system.

Data Analysis and Probability: Collecting, organizing, and interpreting data. Introducing basic concepts of probability.

Algebraic Thinking: Introduction to basic algebraic concepts such as variables, expressions, and simple equations.

Problem-Solving Skills: Developing problem-solving strategies and applying math concepts to real-world problems.

The curriculum aims to provide a strong foundation in mathematics, preparing students for more advanced mathematical concepts in subsequent grades.

The sixth-grade mathematics course at Adda Clevenger School is based on some key ideas fostered throughout the curriculum. They define the type of math student we want to develop at ACS. These 'big ideas' include an ability to reason and make sense of math, the productive use of discourse to explain and justify math thinking, computation with flexibility, accuracy and efficiency, use of various tools to represent math ideas, and most importantly, confidence and perseverance in solving problems.

Beyond the big ideas underlying math study at ACS, the sixth-grade student is engaged in the study of pre-algebra concepts and ideas. Developing algebraic reasoning beyond arithmetic skills is crucial as students prepare for the more abstract world of algebra involving variables, functions and equations. As noted by authors Ann Lawrence and Charlie Hennessy, algebraic thinking includes:

·         using or setting up mathematical models
·         gathering and recording data
·         organizing data and discerning patterns
·         describing and extending those patterns
·         generalizing findings into a rule, and
·         using findings to make predictions

All of these abilities need to be developed within each student through repeated explorations and reflections on those explorations. To accomplish this, students build their conceptual understanding through a wide variety of real-world, hands-on experiences involving pictures, tables, graphs, models and, eventually, symbols, throughout this course.

Main Learning Targets (Goals and Objectives) and Skills: Each unit planned for this course incorporates these big ideas, with the goal of weaving together last year's strands of solving expressions and equations, working with ratios, sampling populations, and geometry into a coherent understanding of linear equations, functions, and moving shapes in space.

Main learning targets include:

·         Learning to reason about and with expressions and equations, including square and cube roots and both positive and negative integer exponents.
·         Modeling the connections - including proportional relationships and other patterns of association - between two variables with a linear equation. Solving both single and pairs of linear equations with a variety of methods.
·         Gaining familiarity and confidence in understanding what functions are, how they can be compared, and how they are used to show relationships between different amounts.
·         Knowing how to work with and describe changes to figures in space through a variety of formats, and further explore applications of the Pythagorean Theorem.

By year-end, the sixth-grade student will have a thorough grounding in Pre-Algebra and be well prepared for Algebra I in Grade 7. The course incorporates California Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CC 7) with applicable references to CC 6; a further objective lies in exceeding these requirements through our unique accelerated curriculum at ACS.
 

The primary objectives of a Pre-Algebra course for 6th graders typically include:

•    Understanding Basic Operations: Mastery of arithmetic operations – addition, subtraction, multiplication, division – and their application to whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and integers.

•    Introduction to Variables: Introducing variables and learning to solve simple equations involving one variable.

•    Basic Geometry and Measurement: Exploring geometric shapes, angles, area, perimeter, and volume calculations.

•    Introduction to Ratios and Proportions: Understanding ratios, rates, proportions, and solving problems related to them.

•    Working with Integers and Number Lines: Learning operations with integers and applying them on number lines.

•    Introduction to Graphs and Coordinate Geometry: Introducing Cartesian coordinate systems and basic graph plotting.

•    Problem-solving Skills: Developing problem-solving strategies and applying them to various mathematical scenarios.

•    Understanding Mathematical Patterns: Recognizing, describing, and extending numerical and geometric patterns.

These objectives aim to provide students with a solid foundation in essential mathematical concepts, preparing them for more advanced algebraic concepts in higher grades.

Algebra 1 is designed to give students a foundation for all future mathematics courses. The fundamentals of algebraic problem-solving are explained. Students will explore foundations of Algebra, solving equations, solving inequalities, an introduction to functions, linear functions, systems of equations and inequalities, exponents and exponential functions, polynomials and factoring, quadratic functions and equations, radical expressions and equations, and data analysis and probability.

The primary objectives or goals of an Algebra I course for 7th graders typically include:
 

•    Understanding Algebraic Concepts: Introducing and mastering fundamental algebraic concepts such as variables, expressions, equations, and inequalities.
•    Solving Linear Equations: Developing skills in solving and graphing linear equations and inequalities in one variable.
•    Graphing Linear Functions: Understanding and graphing linear functions, including slope, intercepts, and their properties.
•    Working with Polynomials: Introducing polynomial expressions, operations with polynomials (addition, subtraction, multiplication), and factoring.
•    Solving Systems of Equations: Solving and graphing systems of linear equations and inequalities in two variables.
•    Understanding Exponents and Radicals: Understanding exponents, scientific notation, and introductory concepts of radicals.
•    Introduction to Quadratic Equations: Basic understanding and solving of quadratic equations and their graphs.
•    Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking: Developing problem-solving skills by applying algebraic concepts to real-world situations and fostering critical thinking skills in mathematical contexts.
•    Building Mathematical Fluency: Strengthening mental math skills, mathematical reasoning, and providing a solid foundation for future advanced mathematics courses.
 

These objectives aim to introduce students to core algebraic concepts, laying a foundation for more advanced algebraic topics and higher-level mathematics in later grades.

Geometry is about finding creative ways to solve for unknowns related to shapes, figures and coordinate points. The student must infer, eliminate, and execute, in no particular order. To master these skills the student must seek out and identify all information known, both given and inferred. The student must also be able to eliminate unnecessary information that isn't required in the solution. This process happens in no particular order and there is not an algorithm to solve problems most efficiently. Geometry is a collaborative learning experience, working together is key and unraveling the mysteries is thrilling!

To build up these skills and to execute them successfully the student must build up a database of properties, postulates, and theorems. In accomplishing this first task the student must be exposed to all characteristics and properties of shapes, solids, and different functions on the coordinate plane and understand the terms and new vocabulary associated with them. Students will derive their own properties and re-derive them to solve future problems.

Students will reflect on the parallels between algebra and geometry and overlap their skills to solve. This will be apparent in the coordinate plane transformations, distance formulas, using the Pythagorean Theorem, and solving for unknowns. Students will strengthen their algebraic skills and continue their growth using geometry as a medium and primary focus.
 

These are the goals and objectives for our 8th-grade Euclidean Geometry course:
 

Goals:
•    Understanding Geometric Principles: To familiarize students with the basic principles and concepts of Euclidean Geometry, including points, lines, angles, and shapes.
•    Exploration of Geometric Properties: To explore properties of geometric shapes such as triangles, quadrilaterals, circles, and polygons, including their properties, classifications, and relationships.
•    Geometric Reasoning: To develop students' skills in logical reasoning and proofs through the study of geometric theorems and their applications.
•    Application of Geometric Concepts: To apply geometric concepts to solve problems involving area, volume, perimeter, and angles in real-world scenarios.
•    Introduction to Transformations: To introduce students to transformations (translations, rotations, reflections, and dilations) and their effects on geometric figures.
 

Objectives:
•    Understanding Geometric Figures: Identify, classify, and describe different types of geometric figures and their properties.
•    Applying Geometric Theorems: Apply geometric theorems, such as the Pythagorean theorem, parallel lines theorems, and congruence and similarity theorems, to solve problems.
•    Developing Geometric Reasoning: Develop logical reasoning skills by constructing and presenting geometric proofs and arguments.
•    Problem-Solving: Use geometric principles to solve problems related to area, volume, angles, and other geometric properties in various contexts.
•    Exploring Transformations: Understand and apply transformations to geometric figures, observing how figures change under different transformations.
•    Visualization and Representation: Use visualization techniques and geometric representations to model and solve problems, fostering spatial reasoning skills.
 

These objectives aim to provide students with a solid foundation in Euclidean Geometry, enabling them to apply geometric principles to real-world situations and prepare them for further studies in higher-level mathematics.