Grade 6 Curriculum

Each grade level is broken up into units. Units define the content and skills that students will focus on during a given period of time during the school year. Each unit overview is articulated in a table as follows: 

Unit #
Unit Name

Essential Questions:
Essential questions are tools that educators use in the development of curriculum. Essential questions are broad questions that get at the fundamental skills and concepts that students should gain and develop during any course or unit of study. 

Massachusetts (2017) English Language Arts and Literacy Frameworks:
The content standards state specifically what students will learn about in any given course or unit of study. The content standards provide the context for developing and practicing the English and language arts skills that students practice throughout the entirety of the 6-12 ELA program. 

 

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) updated its standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in 2017.   The 2017 ELA & Literacy standards expand upon the 2011 frameworks by adding a set of “Content Literacy” standards that cross over into the History and Social Studies, as well as Science and Career and Technical Subjects. 

 

Guiding Principles for English Language Arts & Literacy

Guiding Principle #1: Students should receive explicit instruction in skills, including phonics and decoding. Explicit skill instruction is especially important in narrowing opportunity gaps.

Guiding Principle #2: To become successful readers, students need to develop a rich academic vocabulary and broad background knowledge.

Guiding Principle #3: Educators should help students develop a love of reading by: Selecting high-quality works of literature and nonfiction; Reading aloud in class; Providing students with ample opportunity and encouragement for sustained independent reading, both for school and on their own.

Guiding Principle #4: Students should be exposed to complex and challenging texts at their grade level and above, with extra support and scaffolding as needed, reflecting high expectations for all students.

Guiding Principle #5: Students should read a diverse set of authentic texts balanced across genres, cultures, and time periods. Authentic texts are intact and unadapted texts in their original complexity; they are texts composed for purposes other than being studied in school. 

Guiding Principle #6:  Students should have frequent opportunities for discussing and writing about their readings in order to develop critical thinking skills and to demonstrate understanding.

Guiding Principle #7:  Reading well-crafted texts is an essential foundation for developing effective writing skills.

Guiding Principle #8: Developing the ability to write well demands regular practice across multiple forms and genres of writing and opportunities to write for a variety of audiences, including expository, analytical, persuasive, narrative, and creative writing, as well as explicit instruction in vocabulary and standard English conventions.

Guiding Principle #9:  Educators and families should view each other as resources who are both invested in supporting students’ skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening.

Guiding Principle #10:  Social and emotional learning can increase academic achievement, improve attitudes and behaviors, and reduce emotional distress. Students should practice recognizing aspects of themselves in texts (self-awareness), struggling productively with challenging texts (self-management), tailoring language to audience and purpose (social awareness), grappling vicariously with choices faced by others (responsible decision making), and collaborating respectfully with diverse peers (relationship skills).

Guiding Principle #11:  Educators should select works of fiction and nonfiction that instill in students a deep appreciation for art, beauty, and truth, while broadening their understanding of the human condition from differing points of view. Reading, discussing, and writing about high-quality prose and poetry should also help students develop empathy for one another and a sense of their shared values and literary heritage, while learning about who they are as individuals and developing the capacity for independent, rigorous thinking.
 

 

Skills For College, Career, and Civic Participation

Students who meet the standards set out by the 2017 ELA & Literacy Frameworks can be described as follows:

• They demonstrate independence.

• They build strong content knowledge.

• They respond to the varying demands of audience, task, purpose, and discipline.

• They comprehend as well as critique.

• They value evidence.

• They use technology and digital media strategically and capably.

• They come to understand other perspectives and cultures.

DESE’s 2017 ELA & Literacy standards provide a framework for programming and course design at the local level. While there is a clear progression of skills that spiral through the grades, districts have the autonomy to choose and design curriculum that both addresses the standards and meets the needs of their student population.  During the 2017-2018 school year, the district’s curriculum leadership team conducted an in depth review of the revised standards. The primary goals of this review included (a) gaining insight into and understanding of the scope and magnitude of the differences between the 2011 and 2017 standards, (b)  evaluating the degree to which the district’s current K-12 curriculum was aligned to the revised standards and (c) structuring a plan to re-align all necessary district curriculum to the revised standards, purchase necessary materials and provide robust teacher training in the 3-5 years to follow. 

One of the major findings of this review was that the English Language Arts curriculum for Grades 6-8 required realignment to incorporate more opportunities for informational, opinion, and narrative writing as well as more opportunities for students to engage with a broader range of texts.  

During the 2018-2019 school year, teachers in Grades 6-8 each piloted one new unit of study, designed by the Teachers College Reading & Writing Project (TCRWP). This curriculum aligns with the K-5 program of study for reading and writing, offering students access to the same language to describe reading and writing. By 2019-2020, the curriculum was further aligned with the K-5 program of study and Grades 6-8 teachers committed to teaching three new writing units (opinion, informational, narrative), as well as new reading units of study. Each of these units were developed by TCRWP and are outlined below.  In spite of the onset of COVID-19, middle school English Language Arts & Literacy teachers are continuing to implement new curriculum, abbreviating units when needed and adapting them for hybrid learning.   The curriculum leadership team continues to monitor implementation and efficacy carefully and is already working on adjusted plans for implementation and training in the 2021 - 2022 school year. 

During the 2018-2019 school year, teachers in grades 9-12 critically examined curriculum units and core text offerings for a balance of genre, cultures, and time periods. Each grade level developed course themes and essential questions for each unit and conducted research to select new texts that reflect the course themes and align with the guiding principles of the state standards. During the summer of that year, teachers met to revise existing argument, synthesis, and narrative writing rubrics to align with the 2017 MA Frameworks. During the 2019-2020 school year, each grade level developed one new unit with a new core text with full implementation following in 2020-2021.  
 

 

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) first released standards for History and Social Sciences (HSS) in 1997. These standards were updated in 2003 and have shaped HSS curriculum and instruction across the Commonwealth since that time.

In 2018 DESE released updated HSS standards for implementation in districts across the state. This 217 page standards document represents a significant shift in focus for HSS curriculum and instruction in grades 6-12. The 2018 HSS standards extend the 2003 standards by revising and realigning content and, most importantly, adding skill based standards that focus on the dispositions and habits of mind that young people must develop to participate effectively in a democratic government and a global society. These skills and dispositions are modeled, taught, and practiced throughout the HSS program of study in grades 6-12. 

 

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Purpose : Education for Civic Life in a Democracy.

The primary purpose of a history and social science education is to prepare students to have the knowledge and skills to become thoughtful and active participants in a democratic society and a complex world. “Government of the people, by the people, for the people” is not just a historical phrase from Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address,” but an ideal that must be renewed and reinvigorated by each succeeding generation. The future of democracy depends on our students’ development of knowledge, skills, and dispositions that will enable them to embrace democracy’s potential, while recognizing its challenges and inherent dilemmas.

People who are prepared to continue the legacy of democracy in the United States: 

• know the fundamental ideas central to the vision of the 18th century founders, the vision that holds us together as one people of many diverse origins and cultures. 
• understand the intellectual and political tensions and compromises in the Founders’ ideas and how successive generations in the United States have worked to resolve them. 
• know how democratic ideas have been turned into institutions and practices, and the history of the origins, growth, and struggles of democratic societies on earth, past and present. 
• understand what economic, social, cultural, religious, and international conditions have helped to shape democratic practices. 
• understand the purposes, principles, and practices of the United States government as established by the Constitution, which includes their rights and responsibilities, and how to exercise them in local, state, and national government. 
• understand that, in the United States, the Constitution has continued to be vibrant and relevant through amendments and decisions of the federal courts. 
• understand how individuals, groups, organizations, and governments have addressed obstacles to democratic principles by working within the structure set forth in the Constitution. 
• are knowledgeable about local, state, and national politics and policies, and understand the current condition of the world and how it got that way. 
• are prepared to discuss complex and controversial issues and ideas with people of different views, learning to speak with clarity and respectfulness. 
• develop and practice habits of civic engagement and participation in democratic government
   

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Guiding Principles for Effective History & Social Science Education

Each unit of study in the Dedham Public Schools is built around a set of guiding principles for effective History and Social Science. These principles influence the materials chosen for each lesson as well as the instructional delivery. They are as follows: 

Guiding Principle #1: An effective history and social science education teaches students about the legacy of democratic government. 

Guiding Principle #2: An effective history and social science education incorporates diverse perspectives and acknowledges that perceptions of events are affected by race, ethnicity, culture, religion, education, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and personal experience.

Guiding Principle #3: Every student deserves to study history and social science every year, from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. 

Guiding Principle #4: An effective history and social science education teaches students to think historically.

Guiding Principle #5: An effective history and social science education integrates knowledge from many fields of study. 

Guiding Principle #6: An effective history and social science education builds students’ capacities for research, reasoning, making logical arguments, and thinking for themselves. 

Guiding Principle #7: An effective history and social science education improves reading comprehension by increasing students’ content knowledge.

Guiding Principle #8: An effective history and social science education incorporates the study of current events and news/media literacy. 

Guiding Principle #9: An effective history and social science education teaches students about using data analysis and digital tools as research and presentation techniques in the social sciences. 

Guiding Principle #10: An effective history and social science education develops social and emotional skills.

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Social Sciences & History Skills

The following Standards for History and Social Science Practice encompass civic knowledge, dispositions, and skills and reflect the range of disciplinary skills often used by historians, political scientists, economists, geographers, historians, and ordinary citizens. Designed for integration with the Content Standards and Literacy Standards for History and Social Science, the seven skills encompass the processes of inquiry and research that are integral to a rich and robust social science curriculum and the foundation for active and responsible citizenship. All seven skills can be applied from Pre-K–12 and across all of the social science disciplines. 

1.  Demonstrate civic knowledge, civic intellectual skills, civic participatory skills, and civic dispositions.

• Civic knowledge includes the core knowledge in the Content Standards relating to civics and government, economics, geography, and history. 
• Civic intellectual skills encompass knowing how to identify, assess, interpret, describe, analyze and explain matters of concern in civic life.
• Civic participatory skills encompass knowing how to make and support arguments, use the political process to communicate with elected officials and representatives of government, and plan strategically for civic change. 
• Civic dispositions encompass values, virtues, and behaviors, such as respect for others, commitment to equality, capacity for listening, and capacity for communicating in ways accessible to others.

2.  Develop focused questions or problem statements and conduct inquiries. The ability to develop focused research questions in history and social science or define the dimension of a particular policy problem is central to learning in these disciplines. Students learn that each field in the social sciences has its own ways of defining questions. For example, in studying the Great Depression...

• A political scientist might ask, how did the major political parties, government institutions and the private sector respond? 
• An economist might ask, what were the economic causes of the Depression? 
• A geographer might ask, how did the Depression affect areas of the United States differently? 
• A historian might ask, what related economic, political and social events preceded the Depression?

3. Organize information and data from multiple primary and secondary sources. Student researchers gather and organize information from a variety of online, print, and other sources. In the history and social science fields, they pay close attention to whether the source is primary or secondary. Primary sources are documents written or created during the period under study (e.g., census data, a map, an interview, a speech, or an artifact such as a building, painting, or tool) and considered first-hand accounts. Secondary sources are later interpretations or commentaries based on primary sources. Often students will use primary and secondary sources together to compose an argument, because each source provides a different type of information. 

4. Analyze the purpose and point of view of each source; distinguish opinion from fact. Students need exposure to readings that represent a variety of points of view in order to become discerning and critical readers. They need to be able to identify the purpose of a document and the point of view of its author. As students search primary sources for answers to questions, such as what really happened in Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, they begin to understand that eyewitness accounts of the same event can differ.

5. Evaluate the credibility, accuracy, and relevance of each source. Students investigating a question using online sources often find all too much material, some of it conflicting. The ability to be discerning and skeptical consumers of information is a crucial college, career, and civic skill. Beginning in elementary school, students should learn how and why to assess, verify, and cite sources. 

6. Argue or explain conclusions, using valid reasoning and evidence. The strength of an argument or explanation lies in its logical development of ideas, acknowledgement of counterclaims, and use of reliable supporting evidence. Effective arguments and explanations often go beyond text alone to include well-chosen and relevant visual elements such as photographs, maps, and displays of quantitative data. Students’ ability to adapt a presentation to the task, purpose, and audience and their ability to respond to questions are important skills for civic participation.

7. Determine next steps and take informed action, as appropriate. One of the main goals of teaching history and social science is to provide opportunities for students to practice using the knowledge and skills that enable them to participate in civic life. Some examples of those opportunities include:

• Exploring questions or problems in the form of classroom discussions, essays, research papers, and other products of research; 
• Engaging in discourse about public policy beyond the classroom through social media, letters to the editor, oral presentations in public settings, or community service learning projects.
   

DESE’s 2018 HSS standards provide a broad road map for programming and course design at the local level. School districts are charged with the responsibility and provided the autonomy to use the standards to guide program development and create learning opportunities that consider the unique contexts of municipalities across the Commonwealth. 

 During the 2018 - 2019 school year the district’s curriculum leadership team conducted an in depth review of the revised standards. The primary goals of this review included (a) gaining insight into and understanding of the scope and magnitude of the differences between the 2003 and 2018 standards, (b)  evaluating the degree to which the district’s current K-12 curriculum was aligned to the revised standards and (c) structuring a plan to re-align all necessary district curriculum to the revised standards, purchase necessary materials and provide robust teacher training in the 3-5 years to follow. 

One of the major findings of this review was that the HSS curriculum for grades 6-8 required realignment. This was primarily the result of:  (a) DESE’s movement to create a new Civics curriculum for grade 8, (b) Governor Baker’s new Civics Bill (Bill S.2631 ) which requires all students to complete a civic action project before exiting Grade 8; and (c) the articulation of the HSS skills discussed earlier. The implications for grade 8 curriculum were profound and required a significant retooling of the curriculum in grades 6 and 7 to adequately prepare students for the Civics standards in the new Grade 8 content. With these findings in mind, the curriculum leadership team enlisted the support of middle school HSS  teachers to begin the careful process of revising existing  and writing new curriculum when necessary. 

During the 2019 - 2020 school year two new units of study were piloted in grade 7. These units, titled “Thinking Like a Historian” and “Civic Identity, Civic Voice, and Civic Agency”, focused on critical skills and habits of mind that students would need to find success in the 8th grade Civics course. Concurrently the curriculum development team focused on locating and evaluating new teaching materials necessary to support the new 8th grade curriculum. Unfortunately, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting school closure created a situation in which the district’s efforts to fully evaluate progress and continue moving curriculum implementation forward was dramatically limited. 

Moving into the 2020 - 2021 school year the district continues to refine and revise new units of study as described above so that students will have access to a robust History and Social Science education that not only covers World Geography, Social Sciences, and Civics content, but one that aligns with the guiding principles, practices, skills, and literacy content standards articulated in the new standards. The curriculum leadership team continues to monitor implementation and efficacy carefully and is already working on adjusted plans for implementation and training in the 2021 - 2022 school year.
 

 

Massachusetts adopted its first set of Mathematics standards in 1995 and revised them in 2000. In 2010 the pre-kindergarten to grade 12 Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics was adopted by DESE.

That Framework included both the Common Core Standards and unique Massachusetts standards. The current 2017 Mathematics Curriculum Framework reflects improvements to the prior Framework with the intent being to provide alternative course-taking sequences for students enabling them to be successful and prepared for various college and career pursuits, including mathematic-intensive majors and careers.

 

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Purpose : What it means to be a mathematically proficient person in this century

The standards describe a vision of what it means to be a mathematically proficient person in this century. Students who are college and career ready in mathematics will at a minimum demonstrate the academic knowledge, skills, and practices necessary to enter into and succeed in entry-level, credit bearing courses in College Algebra, Introductory College Statistics, or technical courses. It also extends to a comparable entry-level course or a certificate or workplace training program requiring an equivalent level of mathematics. At the same time, the standards provide for a course of study that will prepare students for a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics career. For example, the level of mathematics preparation necessary to succeed in an engineering program is more ambitious than the preparation needed to succeed in an entry-level, credit-bearing mathematics course as part of a liberal arts program. The standards provide pathways for students who want to pursue a mathematics-intensive career or academic major after high school.

The mathematical skills and understanding that students are expected to demonstrate have wide applicability outside the classroom or workplace. Students who meet the standards are able to identify problems, represent problems, justify conclusions, and apply mathematics to practical situations. They gain understanding of topics and issues by reviewing data and statistical information. They develop reasoning and analytical skills and make conclusions based on evidence that is essential to both private deliberation and responsible citizenship in a democratic society. They understand mathematics as a language for representing the physical world.

They are able to use and apply their mathematical thinking in various contexts and across subject areas, for example, in managing personal finances, designing a robot, or presenting a logical argument and supporting it with relevant quantitative data in a debate. Students should be given opportunities to discuss math’s relevance to everyday life and their interests and potential careers with teachers, parents, business owners, and employees in a variety of fields such as computer science, architecture, construction, healthcare, engineering, retail sales, and education. From such discussions, students can learn that a computer animator uses linear algebra to determine how an object will be rotated, shifted, or altered in size. They can discover that an architect uses math to calculate the square footage of rooms and buildings, to lay out floor dimensions and to calculate the required space for areas such as parking or heating and cooling systems (kumon.org}. They can investigate how public policy analysts use statistics to monitor and predict state, national or international healthcare use, benefits, and costs.

Students who meet the standards develop persistence, conceptual understanding, and procedural fluency; they develop the ability to reason, prove, justify, and communicate. They build a strong foundation for applying these understandings and skills to solve real world problems. These standards represent an ambitious pre-kindergarten to grade 12 mathematics program that ensures that students are prepared for college, careers, and civic life.

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Guiding Principles for Mathematics Education

Each unit of study in the Dedham Public Schools is built around a set of guiding principles for effective Mathematics. These principles influence the materials chosen for each lesson as well as the instructional delivery. They are as follows:

• Guiding Principle 1: Educators must have a deep understanding of the mathematics they teach, not only to help students learn how to efficiently do mathematical calculations, but also to help them understand the fundamental principles of mathematics that are the basis for those operations. Teachers should work with their students to master these underlying concepts and the relationships between them in order to lay a foundation for higher-level mathematics, strengthen their capacity for thinking logically and rigorously, and develop an appreciation for the beauty of math.
• Guiding Principle 2: To help all students develop a full understanding of mathematical concepts and procedural mastery, educators should provide them with opportunities to apply their learning and solve problems using multiple methods, in collaboration with their peers and independently, and complemented by clear explanations of the underlying mathematics.
• Guiding Principle 3: Students should have frequent opportunities to discuss and write about various approaches to solving problems, in order to help them develop and demonstrate their mathematical knowledge, while drawing connections between alternative strategies and evaluating their comparative strengths and weaknesses.
• Guiding Principle 4: Students should be asked to solve a diverse set of real-world and other mathematical problems, including equations that develop and challenge their computational skills, and word problems that require students to design their own equations and mathematical models. Students learn that with persistence, they can solve challenging problems and be successful.
• Guiding Principle 5: A central part of an effective mathematics curriculum should be the development of a specialized mathematical vocabulary including notations and symbols, and an ability to read and understand mathematical texts and information from a variety of sources.
• Guiding Principle 6: Assessment of student learning should be a daily part of a mathematics curriculum to ensure that students are progressing in their knowledge and skill, and to provide teachers with the information they need to adjust their instruction and differentiate their support of individual students.
• Guiding Principle 7: Students at all levels should have an opportunity to use appropriate technological tools to communicate ideas, provide a dynamic approach to mathematical concepts, and to search for information. Technological tools can also be used to improve efficiency of calculation and enable more sophisticated analysis, without sacrificing operational fluency and automaticity.
• Guiding Principle 8: Social and emotional learning can increase academic achievement, improve attitudes and behaviors, and reduce emotional distress. Students should practice self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, responsible decision-making, and relationship skills, by, for example: collaborating and learning from others and showing respect for others’ ideas; applying the mathematics they know to make responsible decisions to solve problems, engaging and persisting in solving challenging problems; and learning that with effort, they can continue to improve and be successful.
   

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Mathematics Practices & Skills

The Standards for Mathematical Practice describe ways in which developing student practitioners of the discipline of mathematics engage with the subject matter as they grow in mathematical maturity and expertise throughout the elementary, middle, and high school years. These practices rest on two sets of important “processes and proficiencies” that have long standing importance in mathematics education.

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) process standards and the strands of mathematical proficiency specified in the National Research Council’s Report “Adding It Up.” are:

Practice 1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
Mathematically proficient students start by explaining to themselves the meaning of a problem and looking for entry points to its solution. They analyze givens, constraints, relationships, and goals. They make conjectures about the form and meaning of the solution and plan a solution pathway rather than simply jumping into a solution attempt. They consider analogous problems, and try special cases and simpler forms of the original problem in order to gain insight into its solution. They monitor and evaluate their progress and change course if necessary. Older students might, depending on the context of the problem, transform algebraic expressions or change the viewing window on their graphing calculator to get the information they need. Mathematically proficient students can explain correspondences between equations, verbal descriptions, tables, and graphs or draw diagrams of important features and relationships, graph data, and search for regularity or trends. Younger students might rely on using concrete objects or pictures to help conceptualize and solve a problem. Mathematically proficient students check their answers to problems using a different method, and they continually ask themselves, “Does this make sense?” They can understand others’ approaches to solving complex problems and identify correspondences among different approaches.

Practice 2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
Mathematically proficient students make sense of the quantities and their relationships in problem situations. Students bring two complementary abilities to bear on problems involving quantitative relationships: the ability to decontextualize—to abstract a given situation and represent it symbolically, and manipulate the representing symbols as if they have a life of their own, without necessarily attending to their referents—and the ability to contextualize, to pause as needed during the manipulation process in order to probe into the referents for the symbols involved. Quantitative reasoning entails habits of creating a coherent representation of the problem at hand; considering the units involved; attending to the meanings of quantities, not just how to compute them; and knowing and flexibly using different properties of operations and objects.

Practice 3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
Mathematically proficient students understand and use stated assumptions, definitions, and previously established results in constructing arguments. They make conjectures and build a logical progression of statements to explore the truth of their conjectures. They are able to analyze situations by breaking them into cases, and can recognize and use counterexamples. They justify their conclusions, communicate them to others, and respond to the arguments of others. They reason inductively about data, making plausible arguments that take into account the context from which the data arose. Mathematically proficient students are also able to compare the effectiveness of two plausible arguments, distinguish correct logic or reasoning from that which is flawed, and—if there is a flaw in an argument—explain what it is. Elementary students can construct arguments using concrete referents such as objects, drawings, diagrams, and actions. Such arguments can make sense and be correct, even though they are not generalized or made formal until later grades. Later, students learn to determine domains to which an argument applies. Students at all grades can listen or read the arguments of others, decide whether they make sense, and ask useful questions to clarify or improve the arguments.

Practice 4. Model with mathematics.
Mathematically proficient students can apply the mathematics they know to solve problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace. In early grades, this might be as simple as writing an addition equation to describe a situation. In middle grades, a student might apply proportional reasoning to plan a school event or analyze a problem in the community. By high school, a student might use geometry to solve a design problem or use a function to describe how one quantity of interest depends on another. Mathematically proficient students who can apply what they know are comfortable making assumptions and approximations to simplify a complicated situation, realizing that these may need revision later. They are able to identify important quantities in a practical situation and map their relationships using such tools as diagrams, two-way tables, graphs, flowcharts and formulas. They can analyze those relationships mathematically to draw conclusions. They routinely interpret their mathematical results in the context of the situation and reflect on whether the results make sense, possibly improving the model if it has not served its purpose.

Practice 5. Use appropriate tools strategically.
Mathematically proficient students consider the available tools when solving a mathematical problem. These tools might include pencil and paper, concrete models, a ruler, a protractor, a calculator, a spreadsheet, a computer algebra system, a statistical package, or dynamic geometry software. Proficient students are sufficiently familiar with tools appropriate for their grade or course to make sound decisions about when each of these tools might be helpful, recognizing both the insight to be gained and their limitations. For example, mathematically proficient high school students analyze graphs of functions and solutions generated using a graphing calculator. They detect possible errors by strategically using estimation and other mathematical knowledge. When making mathematical models, they know that technology can enable them to visualize the results of varying assumptions, explore consequences, and compare predictions with data. Mathematically proficient students at various grade levels are able to identify relevant external mathematical resources, such as digital content located on a website, and use them to pose or solve problems. They are able to use technological tools to explore and deepen their understanding of concepts.

Practice 6. Attend to precision.
Mathematically proficient students try to communicate precisely to others. They try to use clear definitions in discussion with others and in communicating their own reasoning verbally and/or in writing. In problem solving they state the meaning of the symbols they choose, including using the equal sign consistently and appropriately. They are careful about specifying units of measure and labeling axes to clarify the correspondence with quantities in a problem. They calculate accurately and efficiently, expressing numerical answers with a degree of precision appropriate for the problem context. In the elementary grades, students give carefully formulated explanations to each other. By the time they reach high school, they have learned to examine claims and make explicit use of definitions.

Practice 7. Look for and make use of structure.
Mathematically proficient students look closely to discern a pattern or structure. Young students, for example, might notice that three and seven more is the same amount as seven and three more, or they may sort a collection of shapes according to how many sides the shapes have. Later, students will see 7  8 equals the well-remembered 7  5 + 7  3, in preparation for learning about the distributive property. In the expression x2 + 9x + 14, older students can see the 14 as 2  7 and the 9 as 2 + 7. They recognize the significance of an existing line in a geometric figure and can use the strategy of drawing an auxiliary line for solving problems. They also can step back for an overview and shift perspective. They can see complicated things, such as some algebraic expressions, as single objects or as being composed of several objects. For example, they can see 5 – 3(x – y)2 as 5 minus a positive number times a square, and use that to realize that its value cannot be more than 5 for any real numbers x and y.

Practice 8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
Mathematically proficient students notice if calculations are repeated, and look both for general methods and for shortcuts. Upper elementary students might notice when dividing 25 by 11 that they are repeating the same calculations over and over again, and conclude they have a repeating decimal. By paying attention to the calculation of slope as they repeatedly check whether points are on the line through (1, 2) with slope 3, middle school students might abstract the equation (y – 2)∕(x – 1) = 3. Noticing the regularity in the way terms cancel when expanding (x – 1)(x + 1), (x – 1)(x2 + x + 1), and (x – 1)(x3 + x2 + x + 1) might lead them to the general formula for the sum of a geometric series. As they work to solve a problem, mathematically proficient students maintain oversight of the process, while attending to the details. They continually evaluate the reasonableness of their intermediate results.
 

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The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) first released standards for Science and Technology/Engineering (STE) in 1996. These standards were updated in 2001 and have shaped STE curriculum and instruction across the Commonwealth since that time. In 2016 DESE released the Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Framework for implementation in districts across the state.

The MA Framework standards are an adaptation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) based on the Framework for K–12 Science Education (NRC, 2012). They maintain much of the same content with updates to reflect changes identified by the field, changes in science and engineering over the years since the previous release (2001), and some realignment within gradespans. A major shift is found in the integration of science and engineering practices with the disciplinary core ideas within the 2016 STE standards. These practices include the skills necessary to engage in scientific inquiry and engineering design.

Students need to develop these skills to understand the natural and designed world and to be prepared for success in college, career, and civic life.

 

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Purpose : Develop Scientifically and Technologically Literate Citizens.

The goal of STE education is to develop scientifically and technologically literate citizens who can solve complex, multidisciplinary problems and apply analytical reasoning and innovative thinking to real-world applications needed for civic participation, college preparation, and career readiness.

Civic Participation

High-quality science and technology/engineering education relates student interests and experiences to real-world problems and decisions. Research demonstrates the importance of embracing diversity as a means of enhancing learning about science and the world, especially as society becomes progressively more diverse (NRC, 2012, p. 29). Leveraging multiple relevant societal contexts from STE including nature, the history of science, cultural and technological perspectives, and community issues, promotes equity, deepens understanding through application, and builds student identity as members of active civic and STE communities.

College Preparation

A quality STE education that integrates concepts and practices is critical to college preparation. The College Board has highlighted the value of science and engineering practices in its work to define college readiness: “In order for a student to be college-ready in science, he or she must…have knowledge of the overarching ideas in the science disciplines (i.e., earth and space science, life science, physical science, and engineering) and how the practices of science are situated within this content…” (College Board, 2010, p. 3). The Standards for College Success (College Board, 2009) and redesigned Advanced Placement (AP) science courses (e.g., AP Biology Exam [College Board, 2015]) reflect the need to integrate science practices. College Board expectations focus on understanding, rather than memorization, and on the use of that understanding in the context of practices.

ACT has shown that postsecondary instructors greatly value the use of process or inquiry skills (science and engineering practices)—in fact, that they value these skills equally to fundamental content. ACT notes [sic]: “Postsecondary expectations clearly state the process and inquiry skill in science are critical as well as rigorous understanding of fundamental (not advanced) science topics” (ACT, 2011, p. 9). The critical role of practices in preparing students for success in college-level science is further echoed by David Conley in College Knowledge (2005). Conley’s surveys of higher education faculty identified students’ ability to conduct meaningful research and use practices that lead toward quality research as a key college- and career-ready indicator.

The Admissions Standards for the Massachusetts University System and the University of Massachusetts also emphasize the need to include both concepts and practices. They state that three science courses, incorporating laboratory work, must be completed in order to fulfill the minimum science requirement for admission to the Commonwealth’s four-year public institutions. All high school courses based on the standards presented in this document should include substantive laboratory and/or fieldwork (see Appendix VII) to allow all students the opportunity to meet or exceed this requirement.

Career Readiness

Most jobs and postsecondary opportunities that provide a living wage now require an increased amount of scientific and technical proficiency. The skills and background that students learn through their STE education serve as the foundation for solving problems and understanding issues they will encounter in their careers and will provide the intellectual tools needed to develop strategies for dealing with these issues. The use of various forms of modeling and problem solving, both learned through STE practices, applies to an infinite number of career paths, including those that are not typically characterized as STE.
For those considering STEM careers, science and engineering practices are also receiving increased attention in the context of STEM career preparation. A strong foundation in K–12 engagement and learning will keep these opportunities open for students to pursue. The redesigned AP science curricula, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) publication Vision and Change (2011), and the Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians (AAMC and HHMI, 2009) identify overlapping science practices as key to postsecondary opportunities.

Students’ pre-K–12 STE experience should encourage and facilitate active engagement, relevant contexts, rigorous expectations, and coherence to prepare them for the range of careers that now require some scientific and technical preparation, and to increase students’ interest in and consideration of STEM-specific careers.
 

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Science and Technology/Engineering Guiding Principles

Each unit of study in the Dedham Public Schools is built around a set of guiding principles for effective Science and Technology/Engineering. These principles influence the materials chosen for each lesson as well as the instructional delivery. They are as follows: 

• Guiding Principle 1 (Relevance): An effective science and technology/engineering program develops students’ ability to apply their knowledge and skills to analyze and explain the world around them.
• Guiding Principle 2 (Relevance): An effective science and technology/engineering program addresses students’ prior knowledge and preconceptions.
• Guiding Principle 3 (Rigor): Investigation, experimentation, design, and analytical problem solving are central to an effective science and technology/engineering program.
• Guiding Principle 4 (Rigor): An effective science and technology/engineering program provides opportunities for students to collaborate in scientific and technological endeavors and communicate their ideas.
• Guiding Principle 5 (Rigor): An effective science and technology/engineering program conveys high academic expectations for all students.
• Guiding Principle 6 (Coherence): An effective science and technology/engineering program integrates STE learning with mathematics and disciplinary literacy.
• Guiding Principle 7 (Coherence): An effective science and technology/engineering program uses regular assessment to inform student learning, guide instruction, and evaluate student progress.
• Guiding Principle 8 (Coherence): An effective science and technology/engineering program engages all students, pre-K through grade 12.
• Guiding Principle 9 (Coherence): An effective science and technology/engineering program requires coherent districtwide planning and ongoing support for implementation.
   

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Science and Technology/Engineering Practices

Science and engineering practices include the skills necessary to engage in scientific inquiry and engineering design. It is necessary to teach these so students develop an understanding and facility with the practices in appropriate contexts. The term “practices” is also used in standards instead of “inquiry” or “skills” to emphasize that the practices are outcomes to be learned, not a method of instruction.

The Framework for K-12 Science Education (NRC, 2012) identifies eight essential science and engineering practices:

Practice 1. Asking Questions and Defining Problems

Scientific questions arise in a variety of ways. They can be driven by curiosity about the world; inspired by the predictions of a model, a theory, or findings from previous investigations; or stimulated by the need to solve a problem. Scientific questions are distinguished from other types of questions in that the answers lie in explanations supported by empirical evidence, including evidence gathered by others or through investigation.
    
While science begins with questions, engineering begins with defining a problem to solve. However, engineering may also involve asking questions to define a problem, such as: What is the need or desire that underlies the problem? What are the criteria for a successful solution? Other questions arise when generating ideas, or testing possible solutions, such as: What are possible trade-offs? What evidence is necessary to determine which solution is best?

Asking questions and defining problems also involves asking questions about data, claims that are made, and proposed designs. It is important to realize that asking a question also leads to involvement in another practice. A student can ask a question about data that will lead to further analysis and interpretation. Or a student might ask a question that leads to planning and design, an investigation, or the refinement of a design.

Practice 2. Developing and Using Models

Models include diagrams, physical replicas, mathematical representations, analogies, and computer simulations. Although models do not correspond exactly to the real world, they bring certain features into focus while obscuring others. All models contain approximations and assumptions that limit the range of validity and predictive power, so it is important for students to recognize their limitations.

In science, models are used to represent a system (or parts of a system) under study, to aid in the development of questions and explanations, to generate data that can be used to make predictions, and to communicate ideas to others. Students can be expected to evaluate and refine models through an iterative cycle of comparing their predictions with the real world and then adjusting them to gain insights into the phenomenon being modeled. As such, models are based on evidence. When new evidence is uncovered that they cannot explain, models are modified.

In engineering, models may be used to analyze a system to see where or under what conditions flaws might develop, or to test possible solutions to a problem. They can also be used to visualize and refine a design or to communicate a design’s features. Prototypes are physical or simulated instantiations of a model that can be manipulated and tested for specified variables, design features, or functions.

Practice 3. Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

Scientific investigations may be undertaken to describe a phenomenon, or to test a theory or model for how the world works. The purpose of engineering investigations might be to find out how to fix or improve the functioning of a technological system or to compare different solutions to see which best solves a problem. Whether students are doing science or engineering, it is always important for them to state the goal of an investigation, predict outcomes, and plan a course of action that will provide the best evidence to support their conclusions. Students should design investigations that generate data to provide evidence to support claims they make about phenomena. Data are not evidence until used in the process of supporting a claim. Students should use reasoning and scientific ideas, principles, and theories to show why data can be considered evidence.

Over time, students should become more systematic and careful in their methods. In laboratory experiments, students are expected to decide which variables should be treated as dependent or independent; which should be treated as inputs and intentionally varied from trial to trial; and which should be controlled, or kept the same across trials. In the case of field observations, planning involves deciding how to collect different samples of data under different conditions, even though not all conditions are under the direct control of the investigator. Planning and carrying out investigations may include elements of all of the other practices.

Practice 4. Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Once collected, data must be presented in a form that can reveal any patterns and relationships and that allows results to be communicated to others. Because raw data as such have little meaning, a major practice of scientists is to organize and interpret data through tabulating, graphing, or statistical analysis. Such analysis can bring out the meaning of data—and their relevance—so that they may be used as evidence.

Engineers, too, make decisions based on evidence that a given design will work; they rarely rely on trial and error. Engineers often analyze a design by creating a model or prototype and collecting extensive data on how it performs, including under extreme conditions. Analysis of this kind of data not only informs design decisions and enables the prediction or assessment of performance but also helps define or clarify problems, determine economic feasibility, evaluate alternatives, and investigate failures.

As students mature, they expand their capabilities to use a range of tools for tabulation, graphical representation, visualization, and statistical analysis. Students also improve their ability to interpret data by identifying significant features and patterns, using mathematics to represent relationships between variables, and taking into account sources of error. When possible and feasible, students should use digital tools to analyze and interpret data. Students’ analysis and interpretation of data result in evidence to support their conclusions.

Practice 5. Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

Students are expected to use mathematics to represent physical variables and their relationships, and to make quantitative predictions. Other applications of mathematics in science and engineering include logic, geometry, and, at the highest levels, calculus. Computers and digital tools can enhance the power of mathematics by automating calculations, approximating solutions to problems that cannot be calculated precisely, and analyzing large data sets available to identify meaningful patterns. Students are expected to use laboratory tools connected to computers for observing, measuring, recording, visualizing, and processing data. Students are also expected to engage in computational thinking, which involves strategies for organizing and searching data, creating sequences of steps called algorithms, and using and developing new simulations of natural and designed systems. Mathematics is a tool that is key to understanding science.

Practice 6. Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

The goal of science is to construct explanations for the causes of phenomena. Students construct their own explanations, as well as apply standard explanations they learn about through instruction. The NRC Framework states the following about explanation:

The goal of science is the construction of theories that provide explanatory accounts of the world. A theory becomes accepted when it has multiple lines of empirical evidence and greater explanatory power of phenomena than previous theories.An explanation includes a claim that relates how a variable or variables relate to another variable or set of variables. A claim is often made in response to a question and in the process of answering the question, scientists often design investigations to generate data.

The goal of engineering is to systematically solve problems. Engineering design involves defining the problem, then generating, testing, and improving solutions. The NRC Framework describes this practice as follows.

The process of developing a design is iterative and systematic, as is the process of developing an explanation or a theory in science. Engineers’ activities, however, have elements that are distinct from those of scientists. These elements include specifying constraints and criteria for desired qualities of the solution, developing a design plan, producing and testing models or prototypes, selecting among alternative design features to optimize the achievement of design criteria, and refining design ideas based on the performance of a prototype or simulation.

Practice 7. Engaging in Argument from Evidence

Argumentation is a process for reaching agreements about explanations and design solutions. In science, reasoning and argument based on evidence are essential in identifying the best explanation for a natural phenomenon. In engineering, reasoning and argument are needed to identify the best solution to a design problem. Student engagement in argumentation is critical if students are to understand the culture in which scientists and engineers live, and how to apply science and engineering for the benefit of society. As such, argument is a process based on evidence and reasoning that leads to explanations acceptable by the scientific community and design solutions acceptable by the engineering community.

Argument in science goes beyond reaching agreements in explanations and design solutions. Scientists and engineers engage in argumentation when investigating a phenomenon, testing a design solution, resolving questions about measurements, building data models, and using evidence to evaluate claims. Whether investigating a phenomenon, testing a design, or constructing a model to provide a mechanism for an explanation, students are expected to use argumentation to listen to, compare, and evaluate competing ideas and methods based on their merits.

Practice 8. Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

Being able to read, interpret, and produce scientific and technical text is a fundamental practice of science and engineering, as is the ability to communicate clearly and persuasively. Being a critical consumer of information about science and engineering requires the ability to read or view reports of scientific or technological advances or applications (whether found in the press, on the Internet, or at a town meeting) and to recognize the salient ideas, identify sources of error and methodological flaws, distinguish observations from inferences, arguments from explanations, and claims from evidence. Scientists and engineers use multiple sources of information to evaluate the merit and validity of claims, methods, and designs. Communicating information, evidence, and ideas can be done in multiple ways: using tables, diagrams, graphs, models, interactive displays, and equations, as well as orally and in writing.
 

The 2016 STE standards are outcomes, or goals, that reflect what a student should know and be able to do. They do not dictate a manner or methods of teaching. The standards are written in a way that expresses the concept and skills to be achieved and demonstrated by students, but leaves curricular and instructional decisions to districts, schools, and teachers. 

Since release of the MA 2016 STE Framework the district has regularly engaged in the evaluation of curricula purportedly developed or redesigned to align with MA standards as they became available. With this work we consistently learned that the curriculum either did not provide authentic engagement with the science and technology/engineering practices or was not aligned, or coherent with MA 6-8 progression. In 2017 we began the work of developing new, and revising existing units of study, to integrate the science and engineering practices and align our disciplinary core ideas with the progression laid out in 2016 MA standards.

In 2019 OpenSciEd (OSE), a research-based middle school science curriculum was released. It was reviewed by Achieve’s NextGenScience Peer Review Panel and earned their highest rating, the NGSS Badge for High Quality Design. Massachusetts was a participating state in the 3 year OSE field study, and in 2020 DESE endorsed a MA coherent version of the OSE curriculum; OpenSciEd Massachusetts. In 2021 DESE partnered with One8 Foundation, offering grants to support districts in implementation of OSE Massachusetts. In the spring of 2021 District Curriculum Leadership, Building Leadership, STE Leadership, and STE Teachers carefully reviewed the curriculum and grant, and moved to adopt OSE Massachusetts and apply for the grant. 

Beginning in the 2021-22 school year, with support from our One8 Foundation grant, two OSE Massachusetts units are being launched at each grade level, 6-8. Two additional units will be added in each following school year with full implementation (6 units per grade level) expected to be complete in 2023-2024. As the new units are implemented, there may need to be adjustments made to the pacing of this scope and sequence over the course of the school year.
 

Each grade level is broken up into units. Units define the content and skills that students will focus on during a given period of time during the school year. Each unit overview is articulated in a table as follows: 

Unit #
Unit Name

Essential Questions:
Have been created in previous work and will be available for review.

[Content Area] Content Standards
The content standards state specifically what students will learn about in any given course or unit of study. 
The content standards provide the context for developing and practicing the Health and Physical Education skills that students practice throughout the entirety of the 6-12 Wellness program. 

Student Learning Objectives:  
The student objectives state specific and detailed descriptions of what students will be able to do by the end of a learning activity.  The student objectives provide specific information for collecting data on student success in achieving the Health and Physical Education skills addressed in the curriculum.
The student objectives are related to intended outcomes, rather than the process for achieving those outcomes and are specific and measurable, rather than broad and intangible.

Student Assessments:  
The student assessments are specific and measurable means used to gather evidence and assess student growth.  
 The student assessments identified should be directly linked to the content standards and student objectives addressed in the curriculum.  

Health and Wellness Guiding Principles

• Comprehensive Health education teaches students fundamental health concepts and skills that foster healthy habits and behaviors for the individual and others through sequential and coordinated teaching of health education, physical education, and family and consumer sciences education at each grade level, prekindergarten through grade 12. 
• Comprehensive Health education teaches students to use fundamental health concepts to assess risks, to consider potential consequences, and to make health enhancing decisions. 
• Comprehensive Health education teaches skills that assist students to understand and communicate health information clearly for self-management and health promotion. 
• Comprehensive Health education contributes to the capacity of students to work in a positive manner with families, school staff, peers, and community members to enhance personal health and create a safe and supportive environment where individual similarities and differences are acknowledged. 
• Comprehensive Health education is strengthened through collaboration and partnerships among all components of the coordinated school health program and other subjects.

Massachusetts Comprehensive Health Education Guiding Principles

I. Sequential, PreK–12, Coordinated Teaching of Health, Physical Education, and Family and Consumer Sciences 
II. Assessment of Risks, Consideration of Consequences, and Making Healthy Decisions 
III. Communication of Health Information 
IV. Acknowledgment of Similarities and Differences to Create a Safe and Supportive Environment 
V. Collaboration Among Components to Strengthen the Coordinated School Health Program 

The goal of physical education is to develop physically literate individuals who have the knowledge, skills and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity.

• To pursue a lifetime of healthful physical activity, a physically literate individual*:
• Has learned the skills necessary to participate in a variety of physical activities.
• Knows the implications and the benefits of involvement in various types of physical activities.
• Participates regularly in physical activity.
• Is physically fit.
• Values physical activity and its contributions to a healthful lifestyle.

 

 

National Health Education Standards

• Standard 1: Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.
• Standard 2: Students will analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors on health behaviors.
• Standard 3: Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid information and products and services to enhance health.
• Standard 4: Students will demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal  communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks.
• Standard 5: Students will demonstrate the ability to use decision-making skills to enhance health.
• Standard 6: Students will demonstrate the ability to use goal-setting skills to enhance health.
• Standard 7: Students will demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks.
• Standard 8: Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health.

National Physical Education Standards

• Standard 1: The physically literate individual demonstrates competency in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns.
• Standard 2: The physically literate individual applies knowledge of concepts, principles, strategies and tactics related to movement and performance.
• Standard 3: The physically literate individual demonstrates the knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness.
• Standard 4: The physically literate individual exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others.
• Standard 5: The physically literate individual recognizes the value of physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression and/or social interaction.

Curriculum Links:

Comprehensive Health Curriculum Frameworks

2023 Massachusetts Comprehensive Health and PE Framework

National Health Education Standards

National Physical Education Standards

Grade-Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education

Dedham Public Schools has used a combination of frameworks and standards to inform the wellness curriculum used to educate students in grades 6-12.  The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) first released standards for the Comprehensive Health Curriculum Frameworks (CHCF) in 1999. These standards have been revievisited by DESE to guide curriculum and instruction across the Commonwealth to best prepare all students for success in life and are updated in the 2023 Massachusetts Comprehensive Health and PE Framework.  The skills based National Health Education Standards and National Physical Education Standards & Grade-Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education originally published in 1995, were last revised in January 2007 and 2014 respectively.  The update acknowledged the impact and strength of the original documents in order to reinforce the positive growth of one's overall health and wellbeing.  The combination of frameworks, standards, data collected by the district, most recently in the form of the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey have all played significant roles in establishing a comprehensive curriculum to best meet the needs of our students in the Dedham Public Schools.

To quote author Dr. David Perlmutter, “For many, health may not be the most important thing in life, but without it, nothing else matters.” As health educators, it is our responsibility to instil the significance one's health has on an individual's future.  

The Dedham Public Schools comprehensive health education courses address concepts every student needs to ensure they have the fundamental knowledge necessary to promote a healthy lifestyle.  Through health literacy, healthy self-management skills, and health promotion, a comprehensive health education curriculum teaches fundamental health concepts, promotes habits and conduct that enhance health and wellness, and guides efforts to build healthy families, relationships, schools, and communities. 

Fundamental health knowledge and skills need to be taught starting in pre-kindergarten and early elementary years, and reinforced and expanded regularly in subsequent grades. A planned, sequential curriculum addresses a variety of topics with increasing degrees of complexity appropriate to students’ developmental levels as they move from early to middle childhood and then into adolescence. Such a program ensures thorough, balanced coverage of health content areas, and its success relies on skilled teachers who readily adapt to incorporate emerging health topics.