Curriculum



As an Expeditionary Learning school, our students spend most of each day embarking on purposeful, rigorous learning expeditions that involve intellectual, service, and kinesthetic dimensions. Learning expeditions are in-depth studies of a single theme or topic, generally lasting twelve weeks, and are the core of the curriculum.

Social studies, science, mathematics, literacy and language arts are integrated into learning expeditions as we focus on the study of local history. Students at all levels investigate the natural, social, political and economic history of our community. As they advance, they make increasingly complex global comparisons and connections.

Our curriculum is organized around six historical time periods that are explored over a two-year course of study. The six time periods are Prehistory, Early People/Woodland Peoples, Indians/Explorers/Settlers, Village to City, City Grows, and Today & Tomorrow. Each year, students at all levels study the same time period at the same time. This allows for greater cross-age and peer collaboration, and encourages family involvement as siblings of different ages explore the same time period of history. The topics of investigation within each time period increase in complexity and sophistication as students move through the grade levels.

Each expedition revolves around curriculum-related projects and performances, which often take students outside school to conduct fieldwork. Students make thorough use of our community's cultural, educational, and natural resources to find information and to build content area knowledge and skills.

Our curriculum structure provides an interdisciplinary framework on which children build their understandings year after year. All learning expeditions involve intensive research, reading, writing, scientific exploration and real-world application. The curriculum offers challenging, interesting content for all students, regardless of their age and ability levels.