Curriculum and Instruction

Curriculum maps will continue to be reviewed, updated, and added over the 2018-2019 school year.

Please click on a department name to obtain its mission statement, course flow, curriculum maps, and best practices.

English Language Arts Mission Statement
It is the mission of the Spotswood Public Schools English Language Arts Department to provide a comprehensive curriculum that is based upon research and best practice, ensuring that students become critical thinkers, proficient readers, writers, and communicators in a global and technological society.

At the primary and elementary level, our goal is to ensure students master foundational literacy skills in the areas of reading, writing, speaking, listening and language. This includes reading, writing and speaking which is grounded in evidence from both literary and informational text, regular exposure and practice with increasingly complex texts including a focus on academic vocabulary/language, and, offering a 50-50 balance between informational and literary texts which supports students in developing knowledge about the world. To meet these goals, we have aligned our English Language Arts curriculum K-12 to the Common Core State Standards. The Common Core State Standards define what students should understand and be able to do at each grade level. The PARCC assessment will be administered in grades 3-5, which helps us measure student progress and achievement. The chart below indicates how each grade level is organized by theme:

 

Kindergarten	First Grade	Second Grade	Third Grade	Fourth Grade	Fifth Grade
Theme 1: Nursery Rhymes, Fairytales and Predictable Stories	Theme 1: Colors	Theme 1: Being Me	Theme 1: Something Special	Theme 1: You Can Do It	Theme 1: Passport to 5th Grade
Theme 2: Autumn and Autumnal Holidays	Theme 2: Fun Monsters	Theme 2: Helping Hands	Theme 2: What a Team!	Theme 2: Side by Side	Theme 2: Look Inside
Theme 3: All About Me and Winter	Themes 3 and 4: Me, Myself and I	Theme 3: Our World	Theme 3: Friends to Grow With	Themes 3 and 4: Pathways to Freedom	Theme 3: Literature Anthology
Theme 4: Dinosaurs and Winter (part 2)	Theme 5: Snow, What Fun!	Theme 4: Imagine That	Theme 4: Tell Me a Story	Themes 5 and 6: Community Ties and New Lands	Theme 4: A Novel Approach (Holes)
Theme 5: Spring, Space and Summer	Theme 6: Caring and Sharing	Theme 5: Neighborhood News	Theme 5: Good Neighbors		Theme 5: Number the Stars
	Theme 7: The World of Magic	Theme 6: Travel Time	Theme 6: Celebrate the World		Theme 6: Greek Mythology
	Theme 8: To Grow or Not to Grow
	Theme 9: Wherefore Art Thou Animals?

Teachers at Schoenly and Appleby Schools consistently apply research-based best practices for effective instruction including, but not limited to, modeling, guided practice, independent practice, discovery learning, cooperative learning, scaffolding, guided instruction, differentiated instruction, real-world applications, principles of brain-based learning and technology.

Health and Physical Education Mission Statement
It is the mission of the Spotswood Public Schools Health and Physical Education Department to provide all students with the opportunity to engage in positive health-enhancing experiences. IN both the health classroom and the physical education arena, staff promote a lifestyle choice of physical activity and emotional well-being by educating in wellness, integrated skills, drugs and medicines, human relationships and sexuality (where age appropriate), motor skill development, teambuilding and cooperative skills, and fitness.

Physical Education courses in grades K-5 are designed to inspire and empower all students to sustain regular, lifelong physical activity as a foundation for a positive, healthy, and fulfilling life. Students are provided with the opportunity to engage in physical activities in a caring and supportive environment. Our goal is for students to achieve their personal best and develop positive attitudes towards lifelong health and fitness. To this end, the following activities are offered:

Team Activities
Basketball, soccer, floor hockey, volleyball, kickball, track and field, whiffle ball, elementary games, challenge/team building activities, and sport stacking.


Mastery Objectives
Activities offered within the team activities section of the curriculum will involve students working as a large group to accomplish a specified goal. Students develop their cooperative and leadership skills, while learning about good sportsmanship and healthy competition. Skill development of kicking, passing, catching, throwing, and striking will be emphasized and practiced, as well as, eye-hand and eye-foot coordination, balancing and gross motor skills.


Individual Activities
Jogging, power walking, endurance training, core training, strength training and sport stacking.


Mastery Objectives
Activities offered within the individual activities section of the curriculum will provide students with the opportunity to develop balance, spatial awareness, flexibility, strength, endurance, loco-motor skills, eye-hand coordination, eye-foot coordination, dance and rhythmic skills, gross and fine motor coordination skills.


Health Education
While the fundamental elements of good health-including good nutrition and exercise, are embedded in the curriculum K-5, in 5th grade students are introduced to a more focused health curriculum including nutrition, the digestive system and personal safety.

Mathematics Mission Statement
It is the mission of the Spotswood Public Schools Mathematics Department to inspire students to understand the fundamental concepts of mathematics, think analytically, communicate mathematically, become resourceful problem solvers, and develop an appreciation for the usefulness of mathematics.

At the primary and elementary level, our goal is to ensure our students master foundational math skills that will serve as building blocks for the more complex mathematical concepts they will learn in middle school and high school. To meet these goals, we have aligned our mathematics curriculum K-12 to the Common Core State Standards. The Common Core focuses on developing the critical-thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills students will need to be successful. The Common Core State Standards define what students should understand and be able to do at each grade level. The PARCC assessment will be administered in grades 3-5 to measure our students' progress. The chart below indicates how the standards are organized by grade and domain:

 

Kindergarten	First Grade	Second Grade	Third Grade	Fourth Grade	Fifth Grade
Unit 1 - Understanding Numbers 1-10(Numbers 1-5, 2 and 3-Dimensional Shapes, Objects and numbers to 10)	Unit 1 - Numbers 0-10 and Shapes(Number Partners and Break-Aparts, Number Relationships)	Unit 1 - Understanding Addition and Subtraction (Break Aparts, Add and Subtract using 10, Relative Addition and Subtraction)	Unit 1 - Place Value and Multi-Digit Addition and Subtraction (Build Numbers and Represent Money Amounts, Place Value Drawings, Group to Add, Ungroup to Subtract)	Unit 1 - Multiplication and Division Word Problems(Combination and Comparison Problems, Problem Solving)	Unit 1 - Multiplication and Division Word Problems(Multiplication and Division Situations, Equations and Problem Solving)
Unit 2 - Explore 5-Groups (Story Problems, Addition and Subtraction, Patterns, Graphing)	Unit 2 - Operations and Simple Equations(Problem Solving, Addition and Subtraction Equations)	Unit 2 - Measurement and Shapes (Linear Measurement, Intro to Perimeter)	Unit 2 - Properties of Quadrilaterals(Measure Lines, Perimeter, Draw and Classify Different Parallelograms)	Unit 2 - Quadrilaterals(Analyzing Geometric Figures, Perimeter and Area of Quadrilaterals)	Unit 2 - Perimeter and Areas (Parallelograms, Polygons, Triangles)
Unit 3 - Teen Numbers as Tens and Ones(Addition and Subtraction 1-6, Patterns, Shape Attributes, 2 and 3-Dimensional Shapes, Graphing)	Unit 3 - Story Problem Strategies(Addition Stories with Unknown Partners, Subtraction Stories, Addition Stories with Unknown Totals)	Unit 3 - Solving Story Problems(Addition and Subtraction Situations, Two Step Problems, Writing Story Problems)	Unit 3 - Addition and Subtraction Word Problems(Solve Word Problems, Multi-Digit Word Problems)	Unit 3 - Place Value and Multi-Digit Addition and Subtraction(Understanding Equality, Two-Step Word Problems, Place Value)	Unit 3 - Addition and Subtraction of Whole Numbers and Decimals (Decimal Concepts, Read and Write Whole Numbers and Decimals, Addition and Subtraction, Graphing and Rounding, Multi-Digit Word Problems)
Unit 4 - Real World Addition and Subtraction Story Problems(Partners to 10, Story Problems and Equations, Shapes, Graphing)	Unit 4 - Basic Ten - Structured Concepts (Tens Grouping, Teen Addition, Place Value to 100, Addition Strategies)	Unit 4 - Quadrilaterals(Properties of Quadrilaterals)	Unit 4 - Figures, Angles and Triangles (Build Polygons and Triangles, Symmetry, Congruency)	Unit 4 - Angles and Polygons(Angles and Degrees, Triangles and Polygons, Patterns)	Unit 4 - Circles, Angles and Polygons(Angles and Polygons, Circles and Their Applications)
Unit 5 - Numbers 1-20(Real World Problems with Partners of 10, Teen Numbers and Partners, Addition and Subtraction, Story Problems and Equations, Shapes)	Unit 5 - Ten- Structured Applications(Grouping Ones into Tens, Finding Patterns and Relationships, Addition and Subtraction with Teen Totals)	Unit 5 - Addition to 100 (Adding 2-Digit Numbers, Grouping/Carrying, Money, Patterns)	Unit 5 - Round, Estimate and Compare (Round to Nearest Ten, Hundred, Compare Whole Numbers, Money, Tables, Data Analysis, Complex Word Problems, Pictographs, Bar Graphs and Line Plots )	Unit 5 - Multi-Digit Multiplication(Multiplication with Tens, Multiplication by Two-Digit Numbers, Multiplication with Hundreds and Thousands)	Unit 5 - Addition and Subtraction With Fractions (Addition and Subtraction with Like Fractions, Mixed Numbers and Improper Fractions, Equivalent Fractions, Relate Fractions and Decimals)
Unit 6 - Money, Time, Measurement and Numbers(Coins, Time to Half-Hour, Linear Measurement, Weight, Capacity, Temperature, Counting Different Ways).	Unit 6 - Comparisons and Data Formats(Graphs, Data Analysis, Tables, Comparisons, Measurement, Comparing Shapes and Patterns)	Unit 6 - Time (Hours and Minutes, Tell Time to 5 Minutes)	Unit 6 - Patterns(Repeating Patterns, Growing and Shrinking Patterns)	Unit 6 - Metric Measurement(Length, Distance, Area, Volume, Capacity, Mass and Temperature)	Unit 6 - Volume, Capacity and Weight(Volume, Length and Area, Measures of Capacity, Mass, and Weight, Temperature and Time)
	Unit 7 - Fractions, Circle Graphs, Clocks (Doubles, Halves, Simple Circle Graphs, Tell Time to Half-Hour, Calendars)	Unit 7 - Tables and Graphs (Picture Graphs, Data Analysis, Circle Graphs, Bar Graphs, Word Problems)	Unit 7 - Multiplication and Division with 0-5, 9 and 10 (Problem Solving Strategies-Arrays, Repeated Groups Division)	Unit 7 - Multi-Digit Division(Discover Long Division, Division Problem Solving, Expressions, Equations and Inequalities)	Unit 7 - Multiplication and Division with Whole Numbers and Decimals(Multiplication with Whole Numbers, Multiplication with Decimal Numbers, Division)
	Unit 8 - Money and Two Digit Addition (2 Digit Addition, Problem Solving using 2-Digit Addition)	Unit 8 - Diagonals and Midpoints(Decomposing Quadrilaterals)	Unit 8 - Area and Perimeter (Relate Area and Perimeter, Formulas)	Unit 8 - Patterns, Functions and Graphs (Patterns and Functions, Coordinate Plane)	Unit 8 - Algebra, Functions and Graphs (Expressions, Equations and Inequalities, Functions and Graphing on a Coordinate Plane, Line Plots)
	Unit 9 - Analyze Story Problems (2-Digit Addition with Various Unknowns, Multi-Step Story Problems with Addition, Story Problems with Extra Information)	Unit 9 - Money Subtraction (2-Digit Subtraction with Money, Multi-Digit Subtraction Strategies, Relating Addition and Subtraction)	Unit 9 - Multiplication and Division with 6, 7, 8 and Problem Solving (Word Problems and Equations, Square Numbers, Problem Solving)	Unit 9 - Fractions(Fraction Concepts, Fractions with Like and Unlike Denominators, Data Analysis. Multiplication with Fractions)	Unit 9 - Multiplication and Division with Fractions(Multiplication with Fractions, Multiplication Links, Division with Fractions)
	Unit 10 - Measurement(Length, Rulers, Weight and Capacity, Data Analysis)	Unit 10 - Shapes and Patterns (Comparing and Classifying Shapes, Patterns, Congruency)	Unit 10 - Time and Date (Time to Nearest Minute, Elapsed Time, Clock Angles and Fractions)	Unit 10 - 3-D Figures (Spheres and Cubes, Prisms and Cylinders, Solid Figures)	Unit 10 - Patterns and Transformations(Patterns and Functions, Explore Transformations)
		Unit 11 - 3 Digit Addition and Subtraction (Place Value, Ungrouping and Grouping, Word Problems)	Unit 11 - Exploring Fractions, Decimals, Division with Remainders(Fraction Concepts, Equivalent Fractions, Compare, Add, Subtract Fractions, Relate Fractions to Decimals, Division with Remainders)	Unit 11 - Decimal Numbers(Decimal Concepts, Comparing and Ordering, Number Lines, Add and Subtract Decimal Numbers, Estimation with Decimals and Fractions)	Unit 11 - Ratio, Proportion and Percent (Explore Ratios and Proportions, Percent, Proportion and Measurement)
		Unit 12 - Metric Measurement and 3-D Shapes (Metric Conversion, Classifying Shapes, Monetary Systems)	Unit 12 - 3-D Figures (Explore Cubes, Prisms, Cylinders, Pyramids, Cones, Circles & Spheres)	Unit 12 - Measurement(US Customary System, Length, Square and Cubic Measurement, Weight, Capacity, Time and Temperature)	Unit 12 - 3-Dimensional Figures(Properties of 3-D Figures)
		Unit 13 - Multiplication and Fractions (Parts of a Whole, Addition/Multiplication Relationship)	Unit 13 - Measurement(Customary Units of Length, Metric Units of Length, Problem Solving, Capacity, Weight, Mass, Temp)
		Unit 14 - Non-Standard and Standard Units of Measure (Length, Time, Capacity, Mass, Temperature)	Unit 14- Directions and Locations(Points on a Coordinate Grid)

Teaching Best Practices
Teachers at Schoenly School and Appleby School consistently apply research-based best practices for effective instruction including, but not limited to, modeling, guided practice, independent practice, discovery learning, cooperative learning, use of manipulatives, scaffolding, differentiated instruction, real-world applications, and technology.

Performing Arts Department Mission Statement
It is the mission of the Spotswood Public Schools Performing Arts Department to:

 

• Create a performing arts community that is rich with cultural, social, and intellectual diversity.
• Foster self-discipline and focus in solving problems creatively.
• Empower students to make informed aesthetic choices.
• Provide all students with the opportunity to succeed as individuals and within a group setting.
• Provide a productive and safe space for students to express themselves.
• Develop social skills that enable each student to engage with his or her peers in a responsible and respectful manner.
• Prepare students for active participation in creating the culture of the present and future.
• Provide students with meaningful experiences to publicly perform and raise esteem of the performing arts in the local community.

Performing Arts Best Practices
The Performing Arts faculty at Schoenly and Appleby School applies research-based best practices for effective instruction that includes, but is not limited to, modeling, guided practice, independent practice, discovery learning, cooperative learning, scaffolding, differentiated instruction, real-world applications, the selection of multicultural resources, and technology.

Science

Teachers at Schoenly School and Appleby School consistently apply research-based best practices for effective instruction including, but no limited to, modeling, guided practice, independent practice, discovery learning, cooperative learning, scaffolding, differentiated instruction, real-world applications and technology.

Social Studies

Visual Arts

World Languages