Learning Expeditions

All grade levels take part in three Learning Expeditions per school year, which are designed to focus primarily on science and social studies. Each expedition is planned by the teaching crews in tandem with guidance from our EL Education coaches. The Arts crew also collaborates with teachers to plan for ways to creatively express the content within the expedition. Each expedition is about twelve weeks in length and provides project-based learning experiences, including relevant fieldwork and guest experts.

Curriculum Framework

The curriculum is divided into six historical time periods, culminating in the 6th grade capstone year:

• Prehistory
  • What were the beginnings of our universe, our planet,  and its living things?
  • How do we know?
• First Peoples of America/Explorers
  • How did the earliest peoples live?
  • What lasting ideas do we have from early cultures and civilizations?
• Settlement and Colonial Life
  • How did people make choices about where to live?
  • What were the beginnings of our democracy?
• Village to City
  • How did the village become a city?
  • What were the successes and struggles?
• City Grows
  • How did industry and inventions make a difference in city life?
  • How did people take responsibility for their community?
• Today and Tomorrow
  • Where and how do plants and animals live?
  • How do people keep the environment safe for every living thing?
• 6th Grade Capstone Year
  • Examining a “Hot Topic” affecting our community and proposing solutions to local leaders

Each class studies three time periods per year by engaging in intensive, interdisciplinary learning expeditions that combine social studies, science, literacy, and the arts.

The whole school studies the same time period at the same time, but each grade-level loop investigates different topics. As they advance, students make increasingly complex global comparisons and connections, rooted in experiences at the local level. In every learning expedition, students engage in intensive research, scientific exploration, fieldwork, and real-world applications of their studies. Sixth graders spend their capstone year investigating and proposing solutions to a contemporary local issue.