Curriculum

Reading skills focus on phonics, sight vocabulary, and writing skills. Comprehension is through storytelling and retelling, which incorporate children's literature. The reading program incorporates Language Arts and Spelling to make the connection between reading and writing. Proper capitalization and punctuation is stressed. Students learn the writing process in order to edit and revise their work. We encourage creative writing and guided writing in journals.

Math is learned through hands-on experiences, discussion, and exploration reinforced through carefully considered practice. Concepts and skills include computation, problem-solving strategies using addition and subtraction facts, measurement, geometry, money, time, pattern identification, fractions, place value, graphs and charts.

Science units include life science, physical science, earth science, and the human body. Life science includes the study of plants and animals. Physical science includes the study of sound, light, heat, and ways that objects move and work. In earth science we discuss the earth, weather and sky. The human body unit covers the five senses, growing and changing, and taking care of your health.

Social Studies units include the Homework Without Tears program. This program teaches children how to do homework responsibly. Students study and celebrate cultures of other countries and learn how they contribute to our American culture. They explore customs through language, art, music and food. First graders learn map skills including direction and location. Other units include the importance of safety, cooperative learning, and the election process.

*Field trips include the Saenger Theater, Historic Pensacola Village, the Post Office, Planetarium, and the dentist office.

Language Arts: The Scott Foresman Reading series is a comprehensive and challenging program, including spelling, phonics, English composition and grammar. The Zaner-Bloser handwriting program is utilized. An achievement-based presentation with ability grouping is utilized in reading, providing for individualization through leveled readers and leveled trade books. The series Internet website provides opportunities to utilize computer technology. Individual needs are met through small reading groups, leveled spelling, trade books, and classroom independent reading libraries.

Math: Math implements NCTM standards using the Scott Foresman/Addison Wesley text. Students practice addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts Students become proficient with basic operations and develop problem solving and critical thinking skills. The math curriculum provides quality content and math strategy methods. Individual needs are met through small group lessons, challenge activities, computer programs, and reinforcement.

Science: The Scott Foresman text includes: Life Science, Physical Science, Earth Science, and the Human Body. Students are taught to use the scientific method for scientific inquiry. These process skills include: observation, classification, inference, prediction, communication, collecting and interpreting data. Scott Foresman science ensures student success by hands-on activities and additional resources. A thematic unit on the Rainforest is linked to research in the Media Center and Computer Lab. Field trips are planned to develop our science study outside the classroom.

Social Studies: Themes and units are based on holidays and special events throughout the year and include: Florida, United States, Johnny Appleseed, Continents, Pilgrims/Native Americans, Multi-cultural holiday celebrations, Famous Americans, U.S. Presidents, Women's History Inventors, and Countries.

*Weekly learning centers are implemented to extend and enrich the current concepts, skills, and units of study within the curriculum.

Language Arts: The Scott Foresman Reading series is a comprehensive and challenging program. Included in the program are: spelling, phonics, English composition, and grammar. The Zaner-Bloser Handwriting program is utilized as well. An achievement-based presentation with ability grouping is used in third grade reading. The Scott Foresman series provides individualization through leveled readers and leveled trade books. The series Internet website provides opportunities to utilize computer technology. Individual needs are met through small reading groups, leveled spelling, trade books, SRA reading, classroom independent reading libraries, and Book-It power reading family homework and projects. Students entering third grade should be able to compose a topic sentence and paragraph using grade level spelling and grammar. They need to be able to read and recognize cursive writing.

Math: The Math curriculum is the Scott Foresman/Addison Wesley series. Students practice addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts. They become proficient with basic operations, develop problem solving and critical thinking skills. The math curriculum provides quality content (including algebra at all grade levels), and math strategy methods. The third grade program is enriched by the use of SRA Individualized math, Mad Minutes (speed drills in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division), and Superstar Math. An Internet website provides enrichment. Family Math projects help develop critical thinking skills. SRA Math, Superstar Math, Mad Minutes, computer programs, reinforcement and challenge lessons are provided to meet individual needs. Students entering third grade should be proficient with basic addition and subtraction facts, able to solve 2- and 3-digit addition/subtraction with regrouping.

Science: The Scott Foresman program is used. Units include Life Science, Physical Science, Earth Science, and the Human Body. Students are taught to use scientific methods for scientific inquiry. These process skills include observing, classifying, inferring, predicting, communicating, collecting, and interpreting data. Scott Foresman science ensures student success by giving access to science content and hands-on activities. Family homework projects and class activities enrich this program. The thematic unit on Space is linked to research in the Media Center and Powerpoint presentations in the Computer Lab. Field trips are planned to develop our science study outside the classroom.

Social Studies: The Silver Burdett and Ginn text involves the students in communities at home and around the world. Units of study include Citizenship and Values, Map and Globe Skills, Rural and Urban Communities, New York City and Washington, D.C. Our National Government and American Symbols, Wampanoags of the Past, Whole-Hearted Heroes, The Inuits of Alaska, and Passports to Capital Cities Around the World. Family homework projects and class activities enrich the social studies curriculum. The Weekly Reader is read in class. Many field trips are linked to this area of learning. Our community caring project involves helping the Wildlife Sanctuary throughout the year.

The fourth grade curriculum is a program designed for the inquisitive child who is looking for an adventure in learning! Students use notebooks as an organizational tool. Fourth graders keep their work in their notebooks to check and review daily.

One of the major goals in fourth grade is to help students learn the interaction between the words of an author and the schemata of the reader. Prior knowledge helps make inferences about what is between the lines. Science and social studies rely heavily upon this skill. Directed reading is utilized to practice this skill. Directed reading is a method of discussion used before, during, and after reading a selection. This method helps students predict, read, question, and make interpretations.

The Science curriculum covers four areas of study. Life Science includes plant structure and function, animal structure and function, energy and ecosystems, and surviving in the environment. Physical Science includes measuring matter, force and motion, electricity and magnetism, and light and sound. Earth Science includes measuring weather, the make-up of the Earth, exploring the oceans, and the solar system. Human Body includes the digestive system, the circulatory system, the nervous system and keeping the body healthy. Students will be encouraged to solve problems, think logically, collect and analyze data and complete lab work.

In Social Studies students use Scott Foresman's Regions where the five regions of the United States are studied with a focus on cultures in history, resources, government and map skills. For Florida History students use Scott Foresman's Florida, as well as many other resources to create a Florida History notebook. Explorers, Indians, government, flora and fauna, geography, pirates and Pensacola are covered. Many enrichment activities are provided as students move through the material covered.

Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley Math includes Data and Graphs, Place Value and Time, Adding and Subtracting Whole Numbers and Money, Multiplication and Division, Geometry, Fractions, and Measurement and Decimals. In addition to the use of the text, many opportunities are provided for practice and reinforcement of skills through various avenues.

The Language Arts program consists of reading comprehension, grammar, spelling, writing, listening, speaking, and literature appreciation. As students read they are accomplishing many goals including: questioning, interpretation, literary analysis of styles, semantic (context) clues, sentence structure, communication skills, building background knowledge, and predicting. Fourth graders are exposed to a wide genre of literature through the reading series, trade books, and the CLA Library.

Grammar and spelling lessons help to improve skills in graphophonic cues, as well as vowel patterns, syllabication, and punctuation. These skills lead to better writing! Based on a writing sample from the first week of school, many areas of study are covered in order to make better writers. Students write every day in the classroom and begin a formal paper. Supplemental texts used in the classroom are Silver Burdett and Ginn's English and Writer's Express.

The Upper Division is committed to personal attention. Students take a challenging prescribed curriculum of core academic courses and select from an extensive array of electives. Latin is required, as well as art, music, technology, and research instruction. Interscholastic sports are an important part of middle school and full participation is encouraged.

Science

The sixth grade science curriculum is Environmental Science. Students receive
a general overview of environmental issues, with a focus on land and water
biomes. Students learn such skills as internet research, library research,
graphing, and the metric system, all within the framework of scientific
discovery. In the seventh grade, the focus is Life Science with subjects
ranging from genetics to anatomy. Students have the opportunity to utilize
microscopes and to dissect a variety of species from an earthworm to a shark.
Correct laboratory procedures are taught and utilized throughout the year. A
highlight of the year is the annual trip to Dauphin Island Sea Lab for
intensive study of Marine Biology. Students in the eighth grade study Physical
Science, which introduces aspects of physics and chemistry. Hands-on
activities and labs reinforce scientific concepts taught. Students have the
opportunity to do research and present a Powerpoint presentation on elements in
order to gain greater understanding of the periodic table.

The social studies curriculum is designed to develop students' self-awareness
and critical thinking skills through exploration of culture, history and
government. CLA's program is designed to promote civic competence and to
develop well-educated students who will be better prepared to live as
responsible, effective, and productive citizens within a global society.
During the sixth grade geography course, students learn to appreciate the
multicultural diversity of the world's people. Learning is further reinforced
by participation in the annual National Geography Bee. During the seventh
grade American history course, students learn to understand past events with
relationship to modern events. Learning is reinforced through participation in
the national History Fair. The eighth grade civics course provides the medium
to help students learn to appreciate our nation's government and world's
multicultural diversity. Study of our government instills pride in our nation
and prepares students to become active and informed citizens.

The curriculum for middle school language arts revolves around developing and
enhancing writing skills and reading comprehension, in addition to fostering a
knowledge and appreciation for various types of literature. Writing skills
involve learning correct paragraph organization and structure, grammar,
punctuation and vocabulary. Although the standards are high, a student's
overall effort and achievements are considered along with their individual
ability to master assigned tasks. After their initial introduction to the
curriculum's components in sixth grade, students continue to be challenged with
more complex writing and reading tasks until their completion of the eighth
grade.

Each grade level is grouped to allow for the most individualized instruction in
mathematics. End of the year evaluations, pre-testing, and standardized test
scores are used to help with student placement at the middle school level. As
the year progresses, teachers may reevaluate student needs and make changes in
student placement. Sixth graders are usually divided into two groups, both
using the same text, but proceeding at different rates dictated by student
need. Seventh and eighth graders are divided into groups based on their
abilities and performance of the previous year. Seventh graders will take
advanced Pre-Algebra, eighth graders will take Algebra, with the more advanced
classes moving at a faster pace. Occasionally, truly gifted students with the
necessary resources are able to take Geometry through independent study. All
middle school students participate in the Florida Math League and also have the
opportunity to participate in the MATHCOUNTS program.

Sixth graders take Latin Introduction and Study Skills which includes: word origins, language development, and organizational skills within a framework of Roman culture. Seventh grade students are required to take Latin I, a language course which stresses reading and translation, the mastery and pronunciation of Latin vocabulary, basic grammar structures, and the building of a stronger English vocabulary through the study of word derivation. Also included in the course is the study of Roman life and customs, classical mythology, and Roman history. Computer programs are keyed to the textbook and students use the computer lab on a regular basis. Eighth graders continue with Latin II. Latin II is a continuation of Latin I with the general philosophy remaining unchanged: reading Latin with confidence, providing insight into Roman life and customs, and improving English skills through the study of the Latin language. Greater attention is paid to sustained reading with emphasis on more sophisticated grammatical and syntactical structures, and the content of the stories and cultural materials are used as a basis for discussion which stresses the comparisons and contrasts between elements of ancient Roman society and the society of today. All students take the National Latin Exam.

Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students. Kids apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. They then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and World level.

Odyssey is a different type of competitive, academic program. The competitive element encourages kids to be the best that they can be, but it’s a friendly competition. Kids learn from and even cheer on their competitors. Odyssey of the Mind is not a college bowl or a competition about knowledge. It’s all about creativity, an often overlooked element in the growth and development of many students. Kids are rewarded more for how they apply their knowledge, skills, and talents, and not for coming up with the right answer. In fact, in Odyssey of the Mind problems, there isn’t one right answer...ever.

Schools purchase a membership and form teams of up to seven students. Each team chooses one of five competitive problems to solve. The problems appeal to a wide range of interests; some are technical in nature, while others are artistic or performance-oriented. Under the guidance of a teacher/coach, teams work on their solutions throughout the school year and, if they choose, present them in organized competitions in the spring. The “friendly” competitive aspect encourages students to be the best they can be.

For CLA teams, the first level of competition is regional: Emerald Coast. If a CLA team wins at regionals, the team will be invited to compete at the state level. These championship teams are then invited to participate in the annual Odyssey of the Mind World Finals, where they compete with teams from countries around the world. Teams are scored for their long-term problem solution, how well they solve a “spontaneous” problem on the spot, and “Style” -- the elaboration of their long-term problem solution.

Spanish

Spanish instruction in grades five through eight is 50 minutes every day. Middle school students rely on the writing, reading, speaking and listening skills they have developed in the previous grades. Upon completing the language sequence, students will be able to speak, read and write about a variety of topics in Spanish. They will study several Spanish-speaking countries in the world and their cultures using resources available at CLA including the Internet and resource books. All students at CLA should leave each year of study with a greater understanding of the culture and people who speak Spanish. World language instruction provides our students a broader worldview and a pathway to a more mature and open mind.