Outline of Unit

Definition of Concepts

Perception and cultural awareness are the primary concepts for the San Jose Episcopal Day School’s global curriculum. SJEDS’ global curriculum is grounded in the idea that the globe is a portrait of the world. In order to assist our students in becoming more globally aware, we are developing six interdisciplinary units. Stemming from the above concepts, units will immerge that will allow our faculty and students the opportunity to create portraits of a country and its cultures.

Essential questions, objectives, and school-wide culminating projects for the concepts of perception and cultural awareness, as defined by SJEDS’ Global Committee, are below. These questions and objectives provide the umbrella under which each unit will be written. Teachers will define narrower concepts for their units, based upon the needs of their learners, which will provide opportunities to focus on different aspects of perception.

SJEDS Curriculum Title: The Globe is a Portrait of the World
Umbrella Concept: Perception and Cultural Awareness

Essential Questions:

  1. What is perception?
  2. What defines our perceptions?
  3. What is a culture?
    1. What are the cultural universals?
    2. How are they defined for the chosen culture?
  4. What are similarities and differences between the cultures of study?
  5. How does knowledge effect our perceptions?

Objectives:
Through observation, experimentation, exploration and study, students will:

  1. Define culture and the cultural universals.
  2. Be immersed into their identified culture for two weeks as well as during a specified time throughout the year.
    1. Communicate with students from the chosen culture.
    2. Celebrate holidays/traditions associated with this culture.
  3. Understand that there are similarities and differences between cultures.
  4. Be introduced to the power of knowledge and its influence upon our perceptions.

Conceptual Connections by Grade:
(Identified in May of 2007 during the Curriculum Mapping Workshop)
6th Grade Concepts: Sequencing for Egypt 2007-2008

  • Sequencing
  • Relationships
  • Diversity
  • Beginnings/Origins

5th Grade Concepts:

  • Metacognition
  • Relationships

4th Grade Concepts: Parts to Whole (China) 2006-2007

  • Parts to Whole
  • Cause and Effect
  • Problem Solving
  • Patterns

3rd Grade Concepts:

  • Relationships

2nd Grade Concepts:

  • Listening
  • Problem Solving
  • Sequencing

1st Grade Concepts:

  • Patterns
  • Problem Solving

Kindergarten Concepts:

  • Sequencing
  • Patterns
  • Relationships

Pre-K Concepts:

  • Sequencing
  • Patterns
  • Spatial Relations
Download: