Middle School Curriculum
"Only a well-rounded, knowledge-specific curriculum can impart needed knowledge to all children and overcome inequality of opportunity."
- E. D. Hirsch, Jr., Core Knowledge Foundation Chairman and Founder
Why Knowledge Matters (2016)
Core Knowledge
What is Core Knowledge?
The founding parents of Platte River Academy selected the Core Knowledge curriculum because international research shows that the highest achieving students receive a rigorous, content-based education.
Students learn new knowledge by building upon what they already know. The Core Knowledge Sequence clearly defines the knowledge and skills students will master at each grade level and raises the bar for student accomplishment. Core Knowledge gives students the foundation they need for success in school and beyond.
There are several good resources to help you discover more about the Core Knowledge curriculum and philosophy. E.D. Hirsch’s series of books ( Cultural Literacy, What your __-grader needs to know , etc.) can be found at most bookstores and libraries. These books offer a comprehensive lo ok into the content taught each school year in any Core Knowledge school.
The specific subjects of study within Core Knowledge include:
- Reading/Language Arts
- History and Geography
- Visual Arts
- Music
- Mathematics
- Science
Core Knowledge Year Plan and Sequence for Middle School
Click on the buttons below to explore Core Knowledge curriculum for each middle school grade level.
Also included are the teachers' curriculum plans for the school year.
Supporting Curriculum
The Core Knowledge Sequence is not meant to outline Platte River Academy’s entire curriculum; approximately 50% of our instruction is based on subject-specific published resources.
Curriculum supports used in addition to Core Knowledge:
Writing :
Step Up To Writing provides research-based, multisensory strategies proven to help students master informational/explanatory, narrative, and opinion/argument writing.
Social Studies : The Core Knowledge foundation now produces a unit-based textbook series that aligns to the topics listed in the sequence for each grade level (K-6). Primary sources and research are emphasized at the middle school level.
Science : Teachers use a variety of instructional resources and hands on experiences to introduce students to the CK science topics. Topics from all fields of science (physical, life, and earth) are studied at all grade levels.
Mathematics: PRA uses a curriculum called Big Ideas: Modeling Real Life to teach Math in 6th-8th grades. Big Ideas is an innovative and rigorous math curriculum that takes a fresh approach to teaching mathematical concepts. By focusing on modeling real-life scenarios, students will be able to better grasp the practical applications of the concepts they learn. We firmly believe that this approach will enhance their understanding of math and foster a deeper appreciation for the subject.
One of the main reasons we chose
Big Ideas is its holistic approach to rigor. The program strikes a perfect balance between three crucial aspects of rigor:
By embracing the
Big Ideas
curriculum, we are confident that our students will thrive academically and develop essential skills for their future academic pursuits. Based on their specific needs and strengths, students will be placed in either the traditional grade-level course, or the accelerated course, in which students will complete current grade level standards and move into the next year’s course within one school year. Students on the accelerated path will complete Algebra by the end of their 8th grade year.
Additional Information
