Wolves Curriculum
Our multi-age classrooms provide a unique opportunity for students to learn alongside peers with varying skills. As students spend two years at each level, Willowwind classrooms use a rotating, project-based curriculum to keep learning fresh, year after year. Check out the Wolves' two-year curriculum cycle below.
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"So the coin of the realm is not memorizing the facts that they're going to need to know for the rest of their lives; the coin of the realm will be do you know how to find information? Do you know how to validate it? Do you know how to synthesize it? Do you know how to leverage it? Do you know how to communicate it? Do you know how to collaborate with it? Do you know how to problem-solve with it? That's the new twenty-first century set of literacies, and it looks a lot different than most of us were raised under."
-- Ken Kay, Past President of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills
YEAR ONE:
Cross Curricular Theme:
Cross Curricular Theme:
This interdisciplinary curriculum asks students to apply what they have learned regarding resources and societal development to make inferences regarding the motivation for exploration and its impact on Native People. Students are further engaged in the need for natural resources by asking scientific questions that relate to human use of natural resources today.
The Essential Questions 1) Why did European explorers explore? 2) How did the arrival of Europeans impact Native People? 3) How do we use natural resources today? 4) How can we sustainably interact with these resources? Class Play |
Active Engagement
Science fair – Students use scientific methodologies to successfully answer questions about human use of natural resources. Sixth graders have the opportunity to present their work at the State Science and Technology Fair of Iowa in Des Moines. Class play – Students engage in a collective writing process focused on deep exploration of a social studies topic of their choosing. Science Fair Memories |
YEAR TWO:
Cross Curricular Theme:
Cross Curricular Theme:
Cross Curricular Theme: The history of the earth and its inhabitants In this unit, students focus both social studies and science research on the history of the physical earth and the ancient civilizations who first inhabited the planet. Students examine the geologic events that shape the surface of the earth, as well as the human rights, responsibilities, and actions that have shaped human history. The Essential Questions 1) What is the physical history of planet earth? 2) What is the history of human civilization on planet earth? 3) Has life on earth always been the way it is now? 4) What are rights and responsibilities? 5) Why do societies reform/change rights and responsibilities? 6) How does place/culture effect rights and responsibilities? Active Engagement National History Day - Students use historical research methods to successfully complete the historical analysis of a significant historical event. Sixth graders have the opportunity to present their work at the regional Iowa History Day competition. History Fair Presenters: Elizabeth Eckford, Civil Rights Activist, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
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Documentary Feature – Students collectively research, interview experts, film, and edit to create a scientific documentary that reflects deep understanding of a current issue affecting the earth.
Documentary:
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