Memo

Ramsey School District
266 East Main Street
Ramsey, NJ 07446

MARC VOGEL & ERICA ROTH TEL: (201) 785-2300 CO-PRINCIPALS FAX: (201) 934-6623
SMITH MIDDLE SCHOOL

December 4, 2008

To: Barry Bachenheimer, Superintendent

From: Marc Vogel and Erica Roth, Co-Principals

Re: Fifth Grade Curriculum Change

The proposed astronomy unit for the fifth grade science curriculum is interdisciplinary in nature and focuses on creative thinking, critical thinking, and communication through the use of technology and purposeful reading, writing, and discussion. It teaches to our students’ left- and right-brains, and even though it incorporates creativity, it is by no means a “Crayola Curriculum”. In addition, it is formatted in an Understanding by Design (UbD) template so that teachers have direction. These changes are necessary so that our teachers can facilitate learning communities in which students develop enduring understandings. If approved, the curriculum will prepare our students for the twenty-first century by encouraging them to develop the skills needed to transfer what they learn to new and challenging situations.

The current curriculum is content based, age-appropriate, and aligned with the NJCCCS. However, the curriculum does not meet the needs of the twenty-first century learner because it encourages students to memorize facts and definitions. The newly formatted curriculum is based on research by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, Mike Schmoker, and Daniel Pink. It focuses on what Wiggins and McTighe call the “big ideas”, which they state will give facts and skills greater meaning. Their concept, UbD, “takes content and shapes it into a plan for how to conduct effective and engaging teaching and learning.” An UbD astronomy curriculum “makes it more likely that students achieve desired results.” Since the current curriculum is content based, it does not require students to read for purpose and develop their own viewpoints. However, Mike Schmoker says that school should be a thoughtful place. It should rouse the intellect and give children the opportunity to expand ideas and opinions. He says that “good talk” about readings will help achieve this. This is why incorporating activities that involve purposeful reading, writing, and discussion into the curriculum is essential. Lastly, Pink, in his book A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future, proves that creativity is essential for success in the American workplace. Since our goal is to prepare students for success, we must help them hone their creative skills so that they can become leaders in innovation. Our UbD curriculum follows the advice of these great thinkers, and thus, will set our students up for success.

Fortunately, these great changes can be made without affecting the budget. However, staff development will be necessary for implementation. Over the course of the 2009 - 2010 school year, fifth grade science teachers will need to use all staff in-service days to learn about UbD lesson development. The teachers will also work in professional learning communities to develop a unit plan similar to the one attached, and will pilot the changes in the spring of 2010. We expect that our fifth grade students will become better readers, writers, creators, and thinkers. We will determine if these changes are successful by analyzing the results of the many forms of assessment described in the unit plan. If the changes are effective then curricular change in other units will be considered.