Educating Our Eagles - Issue 13

Educating
our Eagles
13

CONTENTS
4
Introduction - Curriculum Director, Julie Dolan
6
Pre-Kindergarten - Piñata making and breaking – Kim Bleau and Jen Rossi
8
Sixth Grade - Nutrition Poster – Josh King
10
Kindergarten - Building Shapes – Kelly MacDonald
12
High School - Identifying Musical Influence – Alexander Stephen
15
Integrated Pre-K - Penguins – Brenda Vandebogart
16
Tenth Grade - Ser and Estar – Tara Johnston
18
Pre-Kindergarten - Snow Volcano – Kim Bleau
20
First Grade - Owls – Elizabeth O'Donnell
Cover: High Schooler, Tatum works on his Robotics design to
prepare for competition.
Right: Students create electric circuits for their treehouse designs in
8th grade Science.
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INTRODUCTION
From SBRSD’s Director of Curriculum
and Instruction, Julie Dolan
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and our
district are committed to all teachers having access to high quality
instructional materials because research shows it can significantly
improve student outcomes. We are dedicated to all students enjoying
the many benefits of a strong curriculum.
• What are curricular materials? Curricular materials are
resources teachers use to facilitate sequences of learning
experiences (e.g., lesson and unit plans, texts)
• What is curriculum? A curriculum is a sequence of student
learning experiences teachers facilitate using curricular materials
as a foundation (not a script!)
In the fall of 2021, we implemented our new Math curriculum in grades
K-8, iReady Math. As a part of this we have provided teachers with
many professional learning opportunities to support their facilitation
of these resources. The results have been positive for students’
engagement and performance.
In the fall of 2022, we implemented a new reading program in grades
6-8, Into Literature, and we are currently selecting High-Quality
Instructional Materials for reading in grades K-5 to be implemented in
the fall of 2023. The process to make this selection began in spring of
2022, and we are now in the last step of our process where we will pilot
materials from two programs.
We have been able to secure grant funding to pay for all our new
curriculum to date and hope to receive another grant this spring that
will cover the costs of our new reading program and the Professional
Development necessary for teachers to be able to implement the
program skillfully.
It is exciting to have access to so many new High-Quality Materials
that ensure our students are exposed to exceptional resources that
have been vetted by experts in these areas based on the most current
research around best practices in education.
If you have any questions about the programs used in our schools, you
can reach me at Jdolan@sbrsd.org.
Right: Kindergarten students practice engineering
as they learn about shapes.
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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
Piñata Making and Breaking
As part of the Pre-Kindergarten curriculum, two classes at
Undermountain Elementary worked together to design and create
two piñatas. Once the piñatas were dry, the students decorated them.
The teachers filled them up with goodies and then each student had
a few turns at swinging. Once the piñatas were broken, the class
celebrated with a Ninja bread cookie party!
As a result of instruction, students will be able to:
• learn how to design and create a piñata.
• learn to work together.
• learn about celebrations and cultures.
Observations:
The two classes worked well together. The process took several days to complete. We
read books about the tradition and culture of piñatas. We researched how to make a
piñata and we enjoyed the lesson. We learned to not make it as thick as we did last year
so it was easier to break this year.
MA Standards:
RL PK 1-7,9
PK CC.3
L PK1.g
LPK1d, 5a, c,6
PK G1,2
SLPK.1
RLPK1-7,10
LPK,1
RL PK7
PK MD 1
SL PK1-4 ,6
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Artist: Rivera, Diego (1886-1957)
Country: Mexico
Date: 1953
Medium and Size: tempera, 96" x 171" (246 x 436 cm)
Museum: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Corbin-Henderson
Collection
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MIDDLE SCHOOL:
Nutrition Poster
Sixth grade Physical Education students studied nutrition and wellness in class this
past quarter. The class analyzed nutrition labels from their favorite snack or drink
and created a poster showing the nutritional value, nutrition label, and amount of
sugar or salt in their snack.
As a result of instruction, students will be able to:
• read a food label correctly and translate the information onto a poster.
• use measuring and conversation charts to figure out the amount sugar/salt in their snack.
• identify "healthy" snacks based on product rating and make informed decisions about their
health.
Observations:
The students really enjoyed this project because they were able to make connections that
were personal to inform their nutrition choices. They especially enjoyed snacking on their
favorite foods while learning about what might actually be in those snacks.
MA Standards:
PreK–12 Standard 3: Nutrition
Students will gain the knowledge and skills to select a diet that supports health and reduces the
risk of illness and future chronic diseases.
3.9 Describe a healthy diet and adequate physical activity during the adolescent growth spurt
3.10 Describe the components of a nutrition label and how to use the information from labels to
make informed decisions regarding food
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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
Building Shapes
Kindergarten students at Undermountain Elementary created their own 2D and 3D shapes
using Play-doh, straws, and toothpicks. The class learned key vocabulary words to identify
shapes and used comparison tools to understand how each shape differs.
As a result of instruction, students will be able to:
• identify 2-D and 3-D shapes.
• compare length of shapes and number of faces.
Observations:
Students enjoyed building their shapes! We first discussed the different types of 3D shapes we learned
about and then began to construct them using various art-making supplies. Later in our unit, we
worked on building 2D shapes. Students spent time discussing how they built their shapes with their
classmates and what they discovered as they built them.
MA Standards:
K.G.B.4. Analyze and compare two- and three-dimensional shapes, in different sizes and orientations,
using informal language to describe their similarities, differences, parts (e.g., number of sides and
vertices/“corners”) and other attributes (e.g., having sides of equal length).
K.G.B.5. Model shapes in the world by building shapes from components (e.g., sticks and clay balls)
and drawing shapes.
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HIGH SCHOOL:
Identifying Musical Influence
Students enrolled in History of Pop Music were asked to choose any song that they
wanted to dive deeper into. They were tasked with completing a musical analysis
of their chosen song and identifying three other influential genres of music that
their chosen artist may have drawn from (as evidenced by a compare/contrast
between their chosen song and another artist from the influential genre of music).
Students were given the option to either complete a paper or a presentation in order to
share their findings with the class.
As a result of instruction, students will be able to:
• utilized their developed musical listening skills and music historical knowledge to
make connections between the influences of different genres of music.
Observations:
All of these students engaged in an analysis in some way. What was surprising, however,
is what the students chose to focus on in their analysis. Not all of the students in this class
identify as musicians. Those who do focused their analysis more on what they heard in the
musical aspects of the song (i.e. instruments, tempo, timbre, etc.), while those who do not
focused on other aesthetic aspects (i.e. lyrics, “vibes”, emotions they associate the song with,
etc.). While I was more expecting the former, the latter was a pleasant surprise that is just as
meaningful an analysis when it comes to diving deeper into music.
MA Standards:
Interpret Intent and Meaning in Artistic Work (F.M.R.08) and Synthesize and Relate
Knowledge and Personal Experiences to Make Art (F.M.Co.10)

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
Penguins
The Integrated Pre-K class at Undermountain
Elementary is learning about penguins of Antartica.
In particular, they are researching their lifestyle (Birds
that don't fly but can swim fast), environment (ocean
and land), and survival strategies (huddling together to
stay warm during brutally cold winter weather).
As a result of instruction, students will be able to:
• complete and create an AB pattern.
• follow two-step directions.
• listen actively to age-appropriate read a-louds and answer
simple questions regarding the book.
Observations:
The children are enjoying this unit. They are making
connections between what they are learning to their own
personal experiences with prompting and support.
MA Standards:
The children will be able to retain and recall information.
The children will listen actively to a read a-loud.
The children will be able to complete and create an AB pattern.
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HIGH SCHOOL:
Ser and Estar
Mnemonic devices: such as acronyms, chunking, and rhymes work by tapping
into how the brain naturally stores data. Students enrolled in Spanish
with Sra. Johnston practice using these tools to help remember the terms
and phrases they study in class. In this lesson, students use the acronyms
DOCTOR and PLACE to help remember when to use the two verbs for “To be” in
Spanish called Ser and Estar.
As a result of instruction, students will be able to:
• memorize and use the verbs Ser and Estar with a variety of topics outlined within the
Acronyms DOCTOR and PLACE.
Ser: Descriptions, Occupations, Characteristics, Time, Origin, Relation
Estar: Position, Location, Action, Condition, Emotion.
Observations:
The students were grateful to have learned the mnemonic devices that allow them to better
understand two very important verbs in Spanish. When comparing the English language to
Spanish, English only has one form of “To Be” whereas Spanish has two main forms of the
verb "To Be". The acronyms for Ser (DOCTOR) and Estar (PLACE) are relatively easy to
remember and give them a way to focus on when to use the verbs.
MA Standards:
ACTFL – World-readiness standards for learning languages:
Communication and Connections.
• Interpersonal Communication: Learners interact and negotiate meaning in spoken, signed,
or written conversations to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions.
• Interpretive Communication: Learners understand, interpret, and analyze what is heard,
read, or viewed on a variety of topics. (Videos, Lecture and Core practice)
• Making Connections: Learners build, reinforce, and expand their knowledge of other
disciplines while using the language to develop critical thinking and to solve problems
creatively. (Lecture, Cultural comparison, Literary comparison, Core practice)
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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
Snow volcano
With the use of baking soda, food coloring, and vinegar, Ms. Bleau’s prekindergarten
students explored reactions through volcanos, color, and snow!
The class created a volcano with the added bonus of coloring the surrounding
snow. The class discussed how the ingredients they used would mix together and what
type of reaction would occur. They were excited to watch as the liquid bubbled over to
color the snow!
As a result of instruction, students will be able to:
• observe a science experiment and understand what a reaction is.
• observe color theory in action.
Observations:
As the class continued to add more baking soda and vinegar to the experiment, the various
colors mixed together. Yellow and blue made green, red and blue made purple. The students
were excited to watch the process and reaction in real time and learned about color theory and
science while havng a lot of fun!
MA Standards:
PS1-4
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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
First Grade Owls
First grade students at New Marlborough Central started their lesson reading a Scholastic News titled
Nocturnal Animals. Students continued their learning by studying an owl of their choice and completing
guided research on iPads to learn facts about their chosen owl. Students wrote Acrostic Poems that
included facts from their research.
As a result of instruction, students will be able to:
• use iPads to conduct research.
• write Acrostic Poems including facts from research.
Observations:
The students were eager to use iPads for guided research. The students were successful in learning facts from their
research on their chosen owl. In addition, students learned facts about owls from peers sharing their research about
other species of owls.
MA Standards:
Reading Standards for Informational Text
5. Know and use various text features (e.g., headings, tables of contents, glossaries, electronic menus, icons) to locate
key facts or information in a text.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10. With prompting and support, read and comprehend informational texts exhibiting complexity appropriate for at
least grade 1.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Participate in shared research and writing projects
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