Intentional and diverse
Our curriculum is guided by national and state standards, and a commitment to learning that’s grounded in the progressive belief that children learn best when they are actively involved and working side by side with others. That’s why hands-on, student-centered exploration is part of everything we do at Aurora. It’s also why so many of our units of study are integrated across content areas.
Aurora Curriculum is on a two year rotation
Social Studies
Service Learning projects inspired by the year-long theme vary from year to year. For example, students learning about Oakland may engage in a study of the homeless epidemic and then take the lead on creating a project to help people experiencing homelessness. Other students might educate the community on water pollution after they discover for themselves how hard it is to clean polluted water as part of their study of the science of water. When they get outside the classroom and engage with the world beyond our walls, Aurora students learn to see themselves as empowered citizens who know they can step up and make a difference.
What is Family? How are families similar? How are they different?
Year Two
What are Civil Rights? What is Friendship? What are your rights? What are the rights of others? What does it mean to be an ally? What is freedom?
What is Oakland? What is Oakland’s past? What is Oakland today? What will the Oakland of the future be?
Year Two
What is Power? Who has power and who does not? How can we use our power to make a difference? How does using our power affect others?
What is California? What is California’s past? What is California today? What will be the California of the future?
Year Two
What is Civilization? What is North America’s past? What is North America today? What will be the North America of the future?
Science
At Aurora, we use the FOSS (Full Option Science System) science curriculum from the Lawrence Hall of Science to provide our student scientists with hands-on, experiential units of study.
Land: Trees, Weather, Redwood Forest, Land Animals
Year Two
Sea: Tidepools, Water Animals, Ocean, Air
Pebbles, Sand and Silt, Insects and Plants, Motion and Matter
Year Two
Water and Climate, Solids and Liquids, Structures of Life
Soils, Rocks and Landforms, Ecosystems, Energy and Electromagnetism
Year Two
The Solar System, Body Systems/Puberty Education, Living Systems, Mixtures and Solutions
Mathematics
We use the Bridges in Mathematics curriculum which serves to create a strong conceptual understanding of mathematical thinking and builds a solid foundation for future mathematical endeavors.
The concepts to the right represent a sampling of topics explored in a given year. For more information on specific topics covered each year, please visit the Bridges website.
Counting, Geometry, Place Value, Comparison
1st Grade
Grouping, Adding, Subtracting, Numberlines, Shapes, Measuring
Adding, Subtracting, Units of Measure, Geometrical Reasoning, Early Fractions
3rd Grade
Rounding, Estimating, Relationships between Numbers and Operations, Multiplication, Division, Area, Perimeter, Efficient Strategies
Factors, Multiples, Primes, Multiplication, Division with Remainders, Weight, Mass, Standard Algorithms, Multiplication Facts, Angles, Symmetry, Data, Efficient Strategies
5th Grade
Properties of Numbers, Surface Area, Volume, Fractions, Decimals, Converting Units, Long Division, Coordinate Graphing, Classification, Standard Algorithms
Language Arts
Reading
Reading is taught with a combination of meaning and phonics based strategies and students are provided with a lots of opportunities to interact with reading (read aloud, shared reading, guided reading,independent reading and book groups. Students progress from learning to read in grades K/1 and transition to reading to learn by the time they have completed 5th grade.
Writing
As they develop their craft and their voice, Aurora students understand that their words can be powerful agents of change whether they come in the form of a story, a poem, or a speech. Because there are so many ways to inspire and enhance written expression, we include visual, kinesthetic, and auditory experiences in each phase of a students’ writing process from planning to publishing.
Narrative Writing Information Writing Opinion Writing Fiction Writing Letter Writing Class Books Handwriting
Year Two
Small Moment Stories Non-fiction Books, Using words to make change, Poetry, Letter Writing, Class Books, Handwriting
Lessons from the Masters: Narrative Writing, Changing the World: Opinion Writing, People Who Make a Difference: Informational Writing, Poetry. 2nd Grade Handwriting: Print, 3rd Grade Handwriting: Cursive
Year Two
Crafting Personal Narratives, Myth Writing, All About Books. Science Writing: Lab Reports 2nd Grade Handwriting: Print, 3rd Grade Handwriting: Cursive
Narrative Writing, Information Writing, Opinion/Argument Writing, Speechwriting
Year Two
Realistic Fiction, Expository Essays, Persuasive Writing, Speechwriting
Social Emotional
Aurora uses the Open Circle Social Emotional Program developed at the Stone Center at Wellesley College. Open Circle is an evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum. This innovative program proactively develops children’s skills for recognizing and managing emotions, empathy, positive relationships and problem solving. Open Circle helps schools build communities where students feel safe, cared for and engaged in learning.
Elements of Open Circle:
• Managing ourselves
• Strengthening relationships
• How to sort problems
• Problem solving
Other elements of the K/1 SEL curriculum include:
• Morning Meeting (Responsive Classroom): class promise, greetings, games, songs
• Conflict resolution (Talk It Out)
• All-school Community Creators
• Partner Pals
• Ally Week
• Managing ourselves
• Strengthening relationships
• How to sort problems
• Problem solving
Other elements of the 2/3 SEL curriculum include:
• Morning Meeting (Responsive Classroom)
• Class Meetings (Positive Discipline)
• Conflict Resolution (Talk It Out, Positive Discipline)
• All-school Community Creators
• Partner Pals
• Ally Week
• Managing Ourselves
• Strengthening Relationships
• How to Sort Problems
• Problem Solving
Other elements of the 4/5 SEL curriculum include:
• Morning Meeting (Responsive Classroom)
• Conflict Resolution (Talk It Out)
• All-school Community Creators
• Partner Pals
• Ally Week
Integrated Art
Example of a deep dive:
When our 2/3 students study Oakland they consider some of the diverse communities that make our city so special. In one classroom students explore food of the African American, Chinese American, Italian American and Mexican American people who were among the first to settle in Oakland. They cook and eat together and discuss how these diverse cultures influence how all of us in Oakland eat today. In another classroom students study, make and play games that are native to each culture. Finally, in the art room, students study modern day Oakland-based artists from each of these communities and use their art as inspiration to make their own pieces.
Examples of past integrated art units include:
We Love Trees
Animal Families
Year Two
Examples of past integrated art units include:
Splash!
Stand up for Others; Stand up Together
Examples of past integrated art units include:
Rocks Rock
Oakland Communities
Year Two
Examples of past integrated art units include:
Power
Drought
Narrative Writing
Examples of past integrated art units include:
Layers of Time in California
California History
Performance
Year Two
Examples of past integrated art units include:
Unheard Voices
US History Performance