Portrait of China

Mission Statement:
The purpose of the SJEDS global, interdisciplinary curriculum is to enhance SJEDS’s current curriculum with a program that will assist in making our students global citizens as defined by the Committee for Economic Development, NAIS, the United Nations and the National Security Language Initiative. As well as to teach and develop students critical thinking skills by realizing the potential of the human brain to make connections between all of the core and resource subjects.

Goals:

  1. To weave the study of the Chinese culture(s) into our curriculum.
  2. To teach students about the Chinese culture(s).
  3. To expose them to the “interconnectedness” of the world’s countries, their cultures, and their issues.
  4. To foster an interest in the celebration and study of culture and language.
  5. To assist in making our students critical thinkers who have the ability to communicate across cultures.

Instructional Approach:

  1. Program will utilize all resources available at the school including but not limited to all core subjects, Media Center, Technology, Drama, Music, Physical Education, Language, and after school programs.
  2. Direct communication with faculty members traveling through China. Students at each grade level will have daily communication with them through the SJEDS China Blog and Podcast.
  3. Interdisciplinary, parallel and content inclusion will be used throughout the school beginning in November of 2006 through March of 2007.
    1. Pre-K – 6th grade curriculum will be enhanced with Chinese connections within all core subjects to meet the needs of the students at the various grade levels.
    2. The 4th grade curriculum will include a week long immersion interdisciplinary unit during The Chinese New Year in February

Calendar and Time Frame of Unit:

  • November 28, 2006: “KICK-OFF”
    • Assembly – school community will welcome the beginning the study of China and its culture through the introduction of the program and the send off of two faculty members on their trip to China.
  • December 4th-December 11th:
    • School Wide:
      • Following their path:
          1. A large map will hang outside of the office for the duration of their trip.
          2. Markers will identify where the travelers are on each day. Lines will be used to identify the direction and how far they have traveled.
          • Communicating with the travelers:
              1. Grades were grouped together to chose a vehicle for communicating with the faculty members on their trip.
              2. Classrooms will log onto the China Blog and Podcast daily to communicate with the travelers and complete their daily assignment or challenge.
              3. Each group has created mini-lessons comprised of specific questions and/or topics that will be the focus for the daily dialogue and study of China on the SJEDS website Blog and Podcast.
              • Grade Groups Vehicles:
                  1. Pre-K - 2nd grade – will follow “Jose the Teddy Bear”.
                  2. 3rd - 4th grade – will trek through China with personal passports.
                  3. 5th - 6th grades – will participate in an “Amazing Race”.
              • January 8th – February 23rd:
                1. Grade levels will incorporate lessons on Chinese culture into their regular curriculum.
                2. 4th grade will pilot an interdisciplinary unit
                  1. The unit will teach the concept of “parts to whole” using the Chinese culture as the curricular vehicle.
              • Culminating Project: Dragon reflecting what each class learned (82 feet long)
                • School-wide: All homerooms are assigned a piece of the dragon to decorate with things students have created and learned.The dragon will be sewn together and parade through the school to conclude our global study for the year.