To help you with your curriculum planning, we have keyed our programs to the New York State and New York City Performance Standards.

Physical Sciences Concepts

Students explore the properties of objects and materials, such as similarities and differences in size, weight, and color of objects.

Life Sciences Concepts

Students produce evidence that demonstrates understanding of the characteristics of organisms, such as survival and environmental support, the relationship between structure and function, and variations in behavior;

(1) The life cycles of organisms, such as how inheritance and environment determine the characteristics of an organism; and that all plants and animals have life cycles; (2) Organisms and environments, such as the interdependence of animals and plants in an ecosystem; and populations and their effects on the environment; (3) Evolution and fossil evidence depicting the great diversity of organisms developed over geologic history.

Scientific Connections
and Applications

Students produce evidence that demonstrates understanding of:

(1) Big ideas and unifying concepts, such as order and organization, models, form and function, change and consistency, and cause and effect; (2) The designed world, such as development of agricultural techniques, and the viability of technological designs; (3) Personal health, such as nutrition, substance abuse and exercise, germs and toxic substances, and personal and environmental safety; (4) Science as a human endeavor, such as communication, cooperation, and diverse input in scientific research and the importance of reason, intellectual honesty, and skepticism.

Scientific Thinking
and Investigation

Students demonstrate scientific inquiry and competence by:

(1) Working individually and in teams to collect and share information and ideas; (2) Completing projects drawn from an experiment. (3) English Language Arts Performance Descriptions

Speaking, Listening and Viewing

Students participate in one-to-one conferences with a teacher and respond to questions with appropriate elaboration.

Students also participate in group meetings where he or she interacts and gives opinions to and holds discussions with other students.

Students prepare and deliver individual presentations, where he or she:

(1) Engages the audience with appropriate verbal cues and eye contact; (2) Projects a sense of individuality and personality in selecting and organizing content, and in delivery; (3) writes and presents reflections, observations, and opinions to be shared with instructor and peers.

Social Studies

Social Studies core curriculum focuses on communities all over the world. Students:

(1) Identify and solve problems; (2) Raise questions about an identified problem above and beyond who, what, where, and why; (3) Identify several parts of a problem and research information as a part of a group; (4) Participate in group planning and decision making discussion; (5) Be responsible for individual and group tasks.

History

Through art and writing, students represent family-like groups in communities around the world.

Geography

Students discuss geography of cultures in different communities.