The Allen-Stevenson School UPPER DIVISION CURRICULUM Advisory/Homeroom Upper Division boys begin each day in homeroom (5th Grade) or advisory (6th - 8th Grades). This program is designed to ensure that every student is known well - academically, emotionally, and socially - by at least one faculty member, though all Upper Division teachers recognize the importance of the social/emotional development of the boys. Advisory/Homeroom is a place where teachers foster a sense of community and belonging, create routines, provide a space for boys to be seen and heard. These morning periods are also a time for boys to continue to develop their academic skills and prepare for the day ahead of them. Finally, Advisory/Homeroom is a place for boys to have fun.
English Language Arts Reading & Writing in the Upper Division Learning how to read and write is an iterative process: Students need to read complex texts, discuss difficult questions, and write about thought-provoking topics again and again, year after year. Although this process becomes more sophisticated as students grow older, the basic operation -- read, write, discuss, and write some more -- is consistent throughout our English Language Arts (ELA) program. People often ask how we teach writing. This question is born out of a decades-old concern that kids these days don’t know how to write. This concern is understandable, but misguided. The reality is that our boys are already experts in many genres of writing: texting, Redditing, Tweeting, Snapchatting, and Meme-ing, to name a few. They’ve mastered these forms of writing the same way people master anything: by practicing, receiving feedback (formally and informally), looking at examples, adjusting their approach, and then practicing some more. As English teachers, our job is to use this same process to acclimate our students to the types of writing that will allow them to engage with the adult world, explore sophisticated ideas, and unlock the creative potential of their inner lives. To do this, we ask our students to write frequently. We give them specific, detailed feedback. We provide them with mentor texts to analyze and emulate; and we equip them with skills, structures, and strategies (yes, including grammar) so that they feel confident and supported as they struggle and grow. People also ask how we choose the texts we teach. There are two answers to this question, one pedagogical and the other ethical. Pedagogically, we select novels, short stories, plays, and creative non-fiction that fall within what scholars of education call “The Zone of Proximal Development.” This is the area of knowledge too difficult for a person to access on their own, but not so impossibly challenging that they can’t understand it with guidance from their teacher and classmates. This process -- understanding with help from others -- has been called “heterodidactism,” and it is arguably why we go to school in the first place. Ethically, we have an imperative to expose our students to a diverse range of ideas, genres, authors, and experiences. This marketplace of ideas, increasingly in peril in our public life, is alive and well in our classrooms. Students read texts considered classics. They read contemporary works. They read novels written by a diverse group of authors. And in making connections between these different texts, they come to recognize that diversity is both a
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source of strength and a pathway to understanding. For example, in 8th Grade, students learn that although the political circumstances surrounding Romeo and Juliet’s tortured love affair are very different from those plaguing Starr and Chris in The Hate U Give, the pain the characters feel is in many ways the same. Thus, our hope is that by feeling the diverse texture of different stories, students can learn to empathize with our common humanity.
Fifth Grade: Becoming a Writer In Fifth Grade, students learn to cultivate a lifelong commitment to reading and writing. This commitment is grounded in an introduction to The Writing Process: the idea that a piece of writing is never finished, merely due. To that end, students learn that writing can always be improved through revising, editing, and applying feedback. As students learn the fundamentals of improving drafts of their writing and providing thoughtful feedback, they also pick up important foundational skills, including grammar instruction and outlining, that help to structure their writing. Students also learn that writing is not confined to school; writers write for a variety of purposes and audiences. To cultivate this idea, the fifth-grade program deliberately fosters “writing across the curriculum.” This interdisciplinary approach teaches students that the fundamentals of good writing are transferable and that their lives as writers don’t begin and end in English class. The reading students do in Fifth Grade reinforces their writing and literacy skills. Reading assignments promote collaboration, critical thinking, and the principles of academic discourse. Students learn to decode and apply new vocabulary as they analyze the way that characters, setting, plot, tone, and theme contribute to meaning in literature. Students’ understanding of the diverse texts they read is deepened by both project-based and individual learning experiences -- like an argumentative writing unit that culminates in a school-wide speech competition. Representative Texts ● ● ● ● ●
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli The Freedom Riders by Ann Bausum The Watsons go to Birmingham - 1964 by Christopher Paul Curtis Blood on the River : JamesTown 1607 by Elisa Carbone Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
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Sixth Grade: Analyzing How Words Create Change In Sixth Grade ELA, students learn how words create change. A yearlong exploration of the bonds that connect (and sometimes divide) people provides students with the perfect opportunity to analyze the power and impact of language. Students apply their burgeoning ability to think abstractly to the sophisticated task of literary analysis and creative writing. They begin to closely inspect how a particular word choice or sentence structure affects the reader and the meaning of a piece of writing. And they apply this understanding to their own writing, first by writing excellent paragraphs, and then by producing short essays and a range of creative pieces, including poems, newspaper articles, and graphic novels. By grasping the impact of language on the reader, students develop a strong understanding of how to effectively structure their own writing, which provides them with the foundational skills they need to write more sophisticated arguments in Seventh and Eighth Grade. The reading students do in Sixth Grade reinforces these critical writing skills by providing mentor texts and a diverse range of perspectives for students to explore. As they study the representation of human relationships across a variety of texts, students deepen their understanding of character, setting, imagery, theme, and the world around them. They also continue to foster a lifelong love of reading, nurtured by independent reading and library time. At the end of the sixth-grade year, students engage in a multi-grade level interdisciplinary exploration of a Shakespeare text with their peers in Grades Seven and Eight. Representative Texts ● When the Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed ● Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson ● Becoming Muhammad Ali by Kwame Alexander and James Patterson ● The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt ● The Brave by James Bird ● Romeo and Juliet
Seventh Grade: Using the Essay to Explore the Individual and Society In Seventh Grade, students learn how to write essays as they explore the often bewildering relationship between the individual and society. Writing in Seventh Grade builds upon the work that students do in Grades Five and Six. Students begin by reviewing the principles of paragraph writing, particularly as they apply to literary analysis and the use of text evidence. Then, students utilize the writing process to explore various forms of essay writing, including
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the five-paragraph essay, the literary analysis essay, the personal essay, think pieces, op-eds, and more. As in Grades Five and Six, the teaching of writing is grounded in the study of exemplary writing (“mentor texts”), consistent, targeted feedback, and scaffolds in the form of outlines and grammar instruction. Students are also encouraged to think and write creatively as they produce a number of interdisciplinary projects, including a satirical propaganda campaign -- down with the pigs of Animal Farm! -- and a Civil Rights Movement “Hall of Upstanders.” The reading in Seventh Grade centers around the relationship between the individual and society. Grounded in themes of identity and civic responsibility, each of the readings encourages students to think critically about what sociologist Pierre Bourdieu calls “reflexivity,” the degree to which society shapes individuals and individuals shape society. Units are often closely aligned with the work students are doing in history class, an interdisciplinary approach that strengthens students’ background knowledge and encourages deeper learning. At the end of the seventh-grade year, students engage in a multigrade level interdisciplinary exploration of a Shakespeare text with their peers in Grades Six and Eight. Representative Texts ● Dear America, Notes from an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas ● The Lord of the Flies by William Golding ● Night by Elie Weisel ● When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka ● Animal Farm by George Orwell ● A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry ● Romeo and Juliet
Eighth Grade: Writing and Justice In Fifth Grade, students learn to become writers; in Sixth Grade they learn to think critically about language; in Seventh Grade they learn the foundations of essay writing; and in Eighth Grade, students apply their writing skills to think critically about what justice looks like in a complicated world. Throughout the eighth-grade year, students write about a diverse range of texts that grow increasingly sophisticated as the year progresses. In many ways, they build upon the foundations of essay writing introduced in Sixth and Seventh Grade, as they learn to craft complex literary thesis statements in preparation for the rigors of high school English. Eighth graders are also given the opportunity to explore the writing process with more
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freedom and creativity than their younger peers. They write traditional essays, but also complex creative works, including poems, monologues, speeches, and, most notably, the script for a mock trial based on Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. The reading in Eighth Grade centers around the question of what justice looks like in a diverse world. Students work closely with the Teacher Librarian for Grades 6-8 to foster an understanding of contemporary social justice issues, which they then explore in both contemporary and “classic” texts. In this way, they learn to be readers of fiction and the world around them. Students spend a lot of time mastering the art of Socratic discussion, in which they use an inquiry-based approach to explore complex questions, like: “What does racial justice look like in a diverse society?” “How do differently abled people understand the world?” “Can murder be forgiven if it’s an act of mercy?” There are no easy answers to these questions, but by discussing and writing about them, students are able to sharpen their critical thinking skills as they learn to make sense of the world around them. At the end of the eighth-grade year, students engage in a multi-grade level interdisciplinary exploration of a Shakespeare text with their peers in Grades Six and Seven. Representative Texts ● The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas ● “Salvador Late or Early” by Sandra Cisneros ● Witness by Karen Hesse ● A Separate Peace by John Knowles ● The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon ● Romeo and Juliet
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Math Fifth Grade In Fifth Grade Math, the boys begin the year with a comprehensive unit on measurement, including length, perimeter, area, volume, and weight, using both “customary” and metric units. The measurement abilities are put to use not only in math but also in STEAM. The boys review whole number operations and estimation before beginning work on the most critical topics in Fifth Grade, fractions and decimals. Fifth graders study all operations with both decimals and fractions and treat the two areas of study as just two alternative ways to accomplish the same goal. As with all math topics, they use their capability to calculate with fractions and decimals to solve real-world problems.
Sixth Grade The Sixth Grade Math program focuses on extending number sense through problem-solving. There is a writing component that requires students to reflect on the solution process and explain their strategy. Mastery of operations with fractions and decimals is expected, as rational numbers are applied to the concepts studied throughout the course, including measures of central tendency, ratio, proportion, percent, exponents, and probability. Integer operations are introduced. There is an emphasis on the skill required to read a word problem and write an equation by assigning a single variable and solving algebraically. Plane geometry concepts of area and perimeter are expanded and applied.
Seventh Grade The Pre-Algebra course focuses on the study of rational numbers, order of operations, laws of exponents, variables, expressions, and equations. Students solve and graph equations and inequalities, write and solve proportions, and explore geometry, statistics, and probability. Many problem-solving strategies are emphasized throughout the course. Topics in problemsolving are extended from Grade Six through increasingly complex applications that require students to describe problems mathematically by assigning a singular variable and solving algebraically. By the end of the course, students have the foundation for success in Algebra I.
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Eighth Grade The Algebra I curriculum includes the study of linear equations and inequalities, exponents and exponential functions, polynomials and factoring, quadratic functions, irrational numbers, and radical expressions and equations. The behavior of different functions and their rate of change is highlighted and analyzed. Problem-solving applications for both one and two variable equations are explored. Plane geometry concepts are applied and extended. Through graphing and graphing software, students describe data, write equations, and make predictions.
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Social Studies/ History Fifth Grade In Fifth Grade History, students explore the ancient civilizations of the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, and Inca while focusing on the theme of migration. Push and pull factors for migration are discussed and are the basis of the fifth-grade curriculum for the school year. The boys begin their study of the population of North America by learning about various migration theories. A thorough study of Mesoamerica explains diverse civilizations and reshapes students thinking of past and present. As the year progresses, history studies are supported by the Pollyanna Curriculum. Students study migration patterns of the First Americans/Native Tribes and the effects of European Exploration. Reasons for European Migration are discussed, and questions such as “Whose voice is heard and whose voice has been silenced?” are discussed. The school year culminates in a study of the origination of 13 English Colonies. Through the integration of technology, research, writing, and collaboration, students develop a deeper understanding of how geography affects societies, the purpose and function of government and develop an appreciation for a civilization's cultural aspects and social structures. While fifth-grade history is experiential and engaging, students are expected to develop self-advocacy skills. More independence is encouraged as expectations of projects, homework assignments, and inquiry-based research are part of the curriculum. As fifth-grade students move from concrete understandings to more abstract thinking, they work to develop independently. The boys move from “learning to read” to “reading to learn,” and non-fiction reading is an integral part of this process. Skills covered include: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Reading non-fiction text for meaning Introduction to note-taking Understanding primary and secondary source documents Learning to qualify sources of information in research Providing qualified, researched evidence to support written information in a clearly understandable format Learning to summarize Using historical fiction to learn about a specific time period Introduction to research writing and supporting a thesis statement Defending a thesis statement through debate and public speaking. Writing persuasively
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Sixth Grade Sixth Grade History begins a two-year journey through American history. The title of the course is American History: Beginnings to Reconstruction. The first question the students wrestle with is, “When does American history begin?" 1776? 1492? The year begins with a study of America’s foundational texts, examining where the ideas of freedom, liberty, and equality came from and discussing how those documents shape life today. With this understanding of the country’s roots, boys study the colonization of America by the European powers with a focus on the creation of the 13 British colonies. Boys study the Road to Revolution, the War of Independence, the creation of the U.S. Constitution, westward expansion, sectionalism, and the debates over the growth of slavery, which leads to the Civil War and Reconstruction. The concept of “The Danger of the Single Story” is repeatedly investigated throughout the year to give boys the opportunity to see who had (and who did not have) power at different points in American history and how that affected different groups. Developing strong reading, writing, and historical & independent thinking skills is an integral part of the curriculum. Skills covered include: ● Reading non-fiction text and learning to pull out significant information ● Introductions to and practice with many forms of note-taking ● Analyzing historical facts for importance and significance ● Develop the ability to summarize ● Using historical fiction to learn about a specific time period ● Stating an opinion clearly and backing it up with factual details in a clear paragraph ● Inquiry-based research is a fundamental part of the curriculum.
Seventh Grade Seventh Grade American History begins after the Civil War and extends well into the twentieth century. There is an attempt to balance the teaching of content with that of skills and there is a heavy emphasis on reading for meaning, note-taking, outlining, researching skills, analyzing primary sources, writing paragraphs, writing to persuade, preparation for assessments, analyzing maps, charts and the like, and using technology. The approach to content is thematic and during the fall term, students take up post-Civil War industrialization, urbanization, and immigration, and end the term with 19th and early 20thcentury reform movements. In the winter the study is American foreign involvement –
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expansion into Latin America and Asia, World War I, and World War II. The spring term is devoted to a study of African American history, starting with Reconstruction, moving on to segregation and "Jim Crow" laws, and ending with the Civil Rights Movement. Continue to develop the reading, writing and independent thinking skills that are necessary to becoming a strong student of history. Skills covered include: ● Continue to build upon the skills used to read non-fiction text and recognize the most significant information ● Use the terms who, what, where, when and why to help analyze historical events and information to determine significance ● Continue to practice using many forms of note-taking ● Develop persuasive writing techniques that include speeches, or op-ed pieces ● Stating an opinion clearly and backing it up with factual details in a clear paragraph ● Inquiry based research continues to be a fundamental part of the curriculum
Eighth Grade Eighth Grade Ancient World History examines the story of the civilizations that emerged in China, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. Each unit is used to explore the histories of each region, the culture, and the belief systems that developed early in time. Historical fiction is used to highlight many of the important concepts of study. Each unit culminates in a research assignment that encourages the boys to look at the regions and make connections between their histories and modern times, and current issues. There is a continued emphasis placed on the balance between teaching content with that of skills. Skills covered include: ● Continue to learn to read nonfiction and fiction with the purpose of making their own meaning ● Think analytically ○ learn to move from retelling the story to explaining why something happened or the implications of what happened ○ develop the ability to deconstruct information in order to draw conclusions ● Continue to use a variety of note-taking skills with the goal of establishing a toolkit that will continue to serve them as individuals
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● Argue persuasively in both written and oral form ○ Use statistics to help support a position ○ Use quotes to help develop a stronger stance ○ Acknowledge other points of view while reinforcing their own position ● Learn how to review on a daily basis by creating questions that highlight the biggest takeaways from class ● How to prepare for a unit assessment and develop individual review guides ● Continue to acquire the research skills needed to construct a thesis paper
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Spanish Fifth Grade By Grade Five, boys begin to focus more on interpersonal speaking. Skills such as active listening and responding are rehearsed in the target language as students become stronger at reading body language, gestures, posture, and tone. These are critical relational skills both in the language classroom and beyond. In a cross-curricular unit between Spanish, History, Art, and Library, boys research and discover life in Mesoamerica. As a culminating project, boys are put into groups to be Incas, Aztecs, or Mayas, and they write, direct, and act in a Spanish skit, demonstrating a day in their life. From set design to costumes, boys take charge of their learning. During the writing process, boys are encouraged to write several drafts, peer edit, and edit with their teacher. At this level, boys are constantly asked to reflect on their own growth. They often hear the question, “Are you reaching your Current Personal Best?” Then they are challenged to level up.
Sixth Grade In Sixth Grade, grammar becomes a more integral part of the curriculum, whereas, before, it was folded in through comprehensible input. Now, boys are taught a variety of grammar concepts explicitly. Often the boys are heard saying, “Oh, so that’s why we say it that way!” By doing this, it allows them to move towards the next level of proficiency. They use their Spanish skills in project-based units that require research, collaboration with peers, discussions, and oral presentations. One such unit allows boys to consider different approaches to education around the world. Finland’s educational approach serves as the case study. The boys first create a taxonomy of how they learn best, then using what they know about their individual learning styles and preferences, they create their ideal versions of what school could and should be. From classroom layouts and furniture to the schedule and methods of instruction, boys develop and present their ideal school. We have a lot to learn from them! Along with speaking and oral proficiency, listening and reading comprehension are stressed in Sixth Grade. Boys develop a deeper understanding that culture and language coexist. Through the book Escape Cubano, the boys go on a perilous journey of a family escaping Cuba. They begin to appreciate other ways of life and practice taking perspectives through skits.
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Seventh Grade By Seventh Grade, boys integrate foundational language skills daily, applying them not only to novel studies but also to the creation and extension of original stories with spontaneity. Themes of identity and perception, where we fit in the world around us, and how to be global citizens become the core of their studies. At this stage, boys are comparing and contrasting approaches to problem-solving and applying out-of-the-box thinking to large-scale problems. In a culminating unit entitled “Design For Change”, students identify problems in their local community that they want to solve. After studying the work of other child/teenage changemakers around the Spanish-speaking world, boys set off on their own. First, they engage in empathy interviews to see the needs of the entire community. Then they define their problem, ideate through various methods, prototype, present to a small and larger audience, and evaluate their solutions.
Eighth Grade In Eighth Grade, the main focus of the year is empathy through storytelling, with a much greater emphasis on grammar as we prepare the boys for high school Spanish. The year begins with a unit on identity and self-confidence. Starting by looking outward, boys are able to analyze the ways in which other humans treat one another. They are challenged to acknowledge their own biases and learn to stay out of judgment. Once they are comfortable expressing this in Spanish, they are encouraged to go more inward, articulating who they are and what makes them unique, acknowledging their strengths and areas of improvement. Once trust as a group is established, more vulnerable topics such as bullying, racism, and ableism become core topics of discussion. Boys continue to explore who they are in the world and develop their own personal narratives as they view the world from different lenses.
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Science Fifth Grade The Fifth Grade Science curriculum braids together life, physical, and earth sciences with an emphasis on the interdependent interactions and energy dynamics of systems with a focus on the Hudson River ecosystem. Yearlong participation in the Billion Oyster Project facilitates hands-on, real-life investigations and explorations, in which the boys utilize what they learn in class to conduct water quality tests and oyster measurements at the East 90th Street Ferry Landing. From discovering the oyster’s immense potential to help clean the water and reduce storm surge impacts to analyzing the chemical and physical properties of water samples taken from the East River, the Hudson River Estuary is an ideal model to explore the interactions between the Earth’s systems - the geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere. Looking upwards into the atmosphere, the boys will learn about the relationship between distance and a star’s apparent brightness in the night sky. Reflecting on Earth’s orbit and rotation, students uncover the impact of our position in space on the seasons as well as how the moon impacts our tides. Scaling down to the chemical level, students examine the chemical and physical properties of different substances found in the Hudson River, including the role that salinity plays in the Hudson Estuary. All along the way, the boys analyze the human impact on our planet as they continue to develop their engineering and designing solutions skillset.
Sixth Grade Our Sixth Grade Science curriculum has a broad but thematically related suite of Earth, environmental, life, and physical sciences. Students look out to the coasts at Fort Tilden Beach and inward to our own Central Park outcrop to explore the surficial and bedrock geology of New York City. The boys learn about the many ways that waves are seen in our natural world and how scientists can use waves to learn about the world around us. Students consider Earth’s dynamic climate, the impact of fossil fuels, as well as potential solutions to very real climate problems, such as carbon sequestration in the Earth’s soils. Students then look to the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn to consider the history of the region as well as the realities of maintaining sustainable, clean waterways within our city. The boys learn about the physical world using field geology techniques, scientific thinking, and Vernier probeware to provide authentic, hands-on learning opportunities. Students are pushed to consider the impact that individuals and groups have on environmental processes, as well as the broader impact that corporations and nations have as stewards of the Earth by focusing on the problem-solving and collaborative nature of science.
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Seventh Grade Seventh Grade Science is focused on exploring the incredible diversity of living things. Boys begin the year with a study of the functions of living things and then move forward by examining cells, diffusion, classification, bacteria, and viruses. One of the main tools during this portion of the course is the digital microscope. The year continues with a unit about the human body in which students study several systems in depth, such as the muscular and skeletal systems. The boys then study evolution and genetics, with an experiment using Wisconsin Fast Plants as a segue into the study of heredity. Using the School’s greenhouse, the boys learn plant structure and function and analyze the Fast Plants data to discover the basic laws of genetics. They also use the greenhouse to design and complete experiments on aquaponics and hydroponics. The boys then complete an in-depth study of the intersection of genetics and race and present their case study findings to the school community. Throughout the entire year, the students develop their skills of engineering and design, data collection, measurement, observation, problem-solving, and drawing conclusions through experimentation, design initiatives, and public speaking through opportunities that simulate scientific forums.
Eighth Grade Utilizing an active, inquiry-based approach to guide students’ learning, Eighth Grade Science aims to explore and to explain the physical world around us. From using FLOW monitors to investigate air pollution to utilizing free body diagrams to analyze the forces acting upon a particular object, students explore fundamental scientific concepts in the context of realworld phenomena. Over the course of the year, the boys will learn about chemical reactions, energy transfer, as well as Newton’s Laws of Motion. Identifying patterns, making connections, and aiming to capture the specifics of these observations in writing, students will continue to hone their skills as civic scientists. Throughout the year, students will have many opportunities to apply their knowledge in a variety of engineering design challenges. When discussing forces and motion, for example, students draw upon their knowledge of friction, speed, and Newton’s Second Law to design and build the fastest bobsled. Focusing on the process rather than the final product during these challenges, students learn that failure can be highly enlightening, and that collaboration and persistence are necessary components to a successful redesign.
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STEAM Fifth Grade STEAM V is a transdisciplinary (Science-Technology-Engineering-Arts-Math) class for studentcentered collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. Fifth-grade boys explore a variety of ways to solve real-world problems through the application of the Engineering Design Process (EDP, Boston Museum of Science). In order to deepen their understanding of EDP, boys are given an open-ended challenge to solve. At the beginning of the semester, students learn about the impact of climate change, one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. The boys spend time learning about the effects of climate change through data research, peer presentations, and class discussions. Boys work throughout the semester on several real-world challenges, culminating in the partnerships devoted to selecting a waterside location using GoogleEarth, researching its weather and climate conditions, testing appropriate green building and insulation materials, creating a blueprint through 3-D design (SketchUp) rendering of their waterside dwelling, and “purchasing” materials including solar panels or wind and hydroelectric energy kits within a $100 “budget.” In building the actual model, many problems are solved and features redesigned. Once completed, models are tested under conditions that simulate extreme weather. Boys gather to reflect on improvements and, finally, to present their structures and communicate their results to a team of architects for critique, and to parents, faculty, and staff.
Sixth Grade In STEAM VI, boys continue to practice and expand upon the skills they began to develop in STEAM V. Beginning with a reading of Forge, by Laurie Halse Anderson, the boys begin to investigate the conditions the Continental Army faced while wintering at Valley Forge. Pulling historical facts out of this work of fiction, the boys compile a list of the myriad challenges facing soldiers during this crucial winter. The boys then select one of those challenges, research it in detail, and, working with a faculty facilitator, use the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math to design and build a working prototype that would provide a solution to the researched problem. This independent project-based research assignment puts the boys in control of their learning by giving them a choice in terms of what problem they want to solve and the solution they devise to solve it based on their research. When possible, STEAM VI culminates in an overnight trip to Valley Forge, allowing the boys to make a real-world connection to this turning point in the American Revolution.
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Learning Strategies and Skills Study skills and learning strategies become very important in these years. They are taught in an intentional way so that students can practice and internalize skill sets necessary to become independent learners. In the Upper Division, learning specialists partner with subject teachers to implement skill lessons. These lessons help students navigate class assignments, projects, and tests as they build skills to develop their executive system.
Fifth Grade A broad spectrum of study skills is necessary to transition to more independence and deepen critical thinking skills. Students implement the use of a planner and time management skills. The boys start to learn how to plan for long-term assignments. For reading comprehension, the boys learn about the question/answer relationship (QAR) in order to think more critically about what they read. For writing skills, the focus is on strengthening introductory and concluding paragraphs. Note-taking for tests and quizzes is introduced as well as note-taking from a reading passage. General test prep continues this year with the addition of study strategies and memory skills.
Sixth Grade Sixth Grade continues with an emphasis on the skills necessary to become a more independent student. There is a significant focus on self-advocacy and prioritizing time. Through Canvas, students continue to learn how to plan and use time effectively. Locker management and organization are introduced and reinforced throughout the year. A more structured approach to notetaking across all subjects is emphasized as well as how to use notes effectively for tests. Learning how to make individual study guides is a part of this class as the boys learn more about the most effective ways to study.
Seventh Grade Seventh-grade students continue to build on previously learned skills and expand further to develop organizational and critical thinking skills. The learning specialist works with subject teachers to deepen learning using skills that help students grow toward independence. Some skills and topics include annotating a text, test-taking strategies, developing study guides for different subjects, writing strategies, such as outlining or other graphic organizers, as well as organization and time management skills.
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Eighth Grade Students apply to ongoing schools in their eighth-grade year. The first half of the year is devoted to a test prep course developed to support the boys taking the SSAT and ISEE placement tests. Within the class, the students learn test-taking and time management strategies for the reading comprehension, analogy, synonym, and vocabulary sections of the test. In addition, the students learn how to write a well-organized essay for the written portion of the tests. As well, the students review math concepts and skills. Further, the students continue to learn organization practices using technology in order to stay on top of their schoolwork.
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Library, Technology & Digital Fluency Library Fifth Grade We continue to strengthen our reading community through the sharing of books. Boys use a variety of methods, such as book talks, writing online reviews, developing interactive quizzes, and creating video book trailers. Through the process, boys develop additional technology skills, strengthen their ability to collaborate, and drive their own learning while designing individual projects from beginning to end. Many fifth-grade boys also participate enthusiastically in Adi’s Reading Challenge, which was first introduced in the Fourth Grade. During research projects, boys collaborate, co-designing research questions and executing their research with increasing independence. By Fifth Grade, boys are submitting full bibliographies in MLA format, using an electronic citation tool. They learn to think critically as they evaluate sources and take paraphrased notes prior to creating a product to demonstrate their newfound knowledge. Research topics include Mesoamerica and immigration. Other digital fluency skills such as locating copyright-friendly images and crediting them are also woven through our work together.
Sixth Grade By the time boys enter the Sixth Grade they are enthusiastic, independent users of the library. They have developed fluency and confidence as readers. Proceeding up through Grade Eight, the boys are encouraged to expand their reading horizons, experimenting with new genres and challenging themselves with more complex texts, both fiction and nonfiction. As they become more sophisticated readers, they learn to pinpoint the appeal elements in books and how to use these to connect with other readers. Similarly, fostering intellectually curious and ambitious readers, boys learn to inquire and think critically when pursuing research goals. In the sixth grade the students undertake research related to the concept of “The Danger of the Single Story” (Chimamanda Adichie) taught throughout the year in American history. Research topics vary from year to year. Recently, this has included an examination of Native American civilization and culture prior to the establishment of the American Colonies and a study of African American abolitionists and their arguments to support their assertions that slavery should be ended. In the context of these projects, the boys learn how to locate, evaluate and cite sources, as well as how to ask meaningful questions and draw conclusions with the goal of creating new knowledge and innovative solutions.
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Seventh Grade Seventh-grade boys are encouraged to expand their reading horizons, experimenting with new genres and challenging themselves with more complex fiction and nonfiction texts. As they become more sophisticated readers, they continue to pinpoint the appeal elements in books and how to use these to connect with other readers. Similarly, fostering intellectually curious and ambitious readers, boys learn to inquire and think critically when pursuing research goals. They are taught how to locate, evaluate and cite sources, as well as how to ask meaningful questions and draw conclusions with the goal of creating new knowledge. Further, boys practice how to present effectively and concisely what they have learned using their technology skills. Research topics include immigration, reform, American Imperialism, the Cold War, and World War II. In connection with a study of the Civil Rights Movement, boys end the year with an interdisciplinary examination of what it means to be an upstander.
Eighth Grade Eighth-grade boys are encouraged to keep reading and challenging themselves as readers, despite the many demands on their time. Working closely with the Grade 8 English teacher, the boys seek out more sophisticated texts for independent reading, including those that center around the question of what justice looks like in a diverse world and that foster an understanding of contemporary social justice issues. While fostering intellectually curious and ambitious readers, boys are prepared to inquire and think critically when pursuing research goals. Building on the source location skills taught in earlier grades using databases and primary sources, boys continue to ask meaningful questions and draw conclusions with the goal of creating new knowledge and innovative solutions. At this grade level, boys are expected to generate thesis questions and to use parenthetical citations to support arguments and avoid plagiarism. Research studies include Mao Zedong, South Africa, and Iran-Iraq.
Technology Fifth Grade Fifth Grade technology is presented in an integrated manner within the subject classes. Skills are taught in conjunction with subject teachers so that they help students accomplish goals in their subject classes. Club offerings, ranging from coding and robotics to graphic design and digital tinkering, allow students of all skill and interest levels to explore the areas of technology that fit their interests.
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Sixth Grade Sixth Grade Technology is presented in an integrated manner within the subject classes. Skills are taught in conjunction with subject teachers so that they help students accomplish goals in their subject classes. Club offerings, ranging from coding and robotics to graphic design and digital tinkering, allow students of all skill and interest levels to explore the areas of technology that fit their interests.
Seventh Grade Tech Lab, a semester-long course, is an opportunity for students to grow their understanding of programming, robotics, STEAM, and physical computing. Using circuit boards and minicomputers such as MicroBits and Makey Makeys, students build and program tools like step counters and musical instruments. They work both individually and in small groups to solve real-world problems using the iterative design process and their tech skills. Further, Seventh Grade Technology is presented in an integrated manner within the subject classes. Skills are taught in conjunction with subject teachers so that they help students accomplish goals in their subject classes. Club offerings, ranging from coding and robotics to graphic design and digital tinkering, allow students of all skill and interest levels to explore the areas of technology that fit their interests.
Eighth Grade Eighth Grade Technology is presented in an integrated manner within the subject classes. Skills are taught in conjunction with subject teachers so that they help students accomplish goals in their subject classes. Club offerings, ranging from coding and robotics to graphic design and digital tinkering, allow students of all skill and interest levels to explore the areas of technology that fit their interests.
Digital Fluency Fifth Grade Fifth Grade also includes a year-long Digital Fluency course that continues to strengthen the technology skills and digital citizenship skills that the boys began working on in the Lower Division. The course goes more in-depth on the topics of finding and evaluating information and the ethical use of images created by others. Additionally, boys strengthen their coding skills by designing video games.
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Sixth Grade In Sixth Grade, boys participate in a stand-alone trimester-long digital fluency course. The nature of this course is to discuss and encourage healthy habits on the Internet, including social media use, online behavior, and personal safety. The boys examine issues related to online privacy and look at how advertising works and how gender is represented in advertisements. Students also learn some basic news literacy, including an examination of journalistic standards, bias, and misinformation. Digital fluency and technology topics are also covered at point-of-need in conjunction with other academic classes.
Seventh Grade In Seventh Grade, the Digital Fluency curriculum continues, focusing on positive aspects of developing and participating in digital communities and establishing a positive digital footprint. As members of a highly networked society, boys go beyond the basic news literacy skills taught in the Sixth Grade, with greater emphasis on digital citizenship, understanding news and media messages, and the importance of learning to use the Internet to foster selflearning and connect with the world. Digital fluency topics are covered at point-of-need in conjunction with other academic classes.
Eighth Grade Boys continue to develop digital fluency skills through a formal curriculum and crosscurricular teaching in history and English. Digital citizenship continues to be discussed, and media bias and misinformation examined, but special emphasis is placed on understanding media messages, including the societal impact of misrepresentation and underrepresentation.
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Visual Arts Art Fifth Grade - Art Fifth-grade students develop their skills with realistic portraiture. Boys begin by looking at the work of contemporary portrait artists, including Chuck Close, Cayce Zavaglia, Lucian Freud, Yue Minjun, and Kehinde Wiley. The history of portraiture is discussed from a global perspective. Students explore proportion and shading techniques and talk about underlying bone and tissue structure to better understand how hard lights and soft shadows are created on the face. The unit ends with flair—creating large-scale cardboard heads after looking at the work of contemporary sculptors Ron Mueck, Nina Levy, and Wayne White. Learning about pattern, design, composition, and color is an integral part of the project. Collaboration, independent thinking, inventiveness, and imagination are emphasized.
Fifth Grade - Shop In Fifth Grade Woodshop, boys focus on integrating aspects of science, technology, engineering, art, and math in the process of building a catapult. They begin by researching examples of catapults that were created in history and examining their design and function. Boys create a plan which depicts a side elevation and a top view of a catapult of their own design. They build with an emphasis on scale, proportion, and within parameters that require rulers, protractors, and a compass. The boys are encouraged to collaborate and do most of the work with a partner in constructing their catapult. No nails are allowed, and the different components have to be joined with dowel sticks only. Emphasis is placed on problemsolving, innovation, collaboration, and flexibility.
Sixth Grade Computer Art In Computer Art, students are introduced to programs such as Tinkercad and SketchUp, where they learn to design, engineer, manipulate, alter, and transform their projects and ideas. Projects require the use of different tools in the programs to create original work illustrating specific art concepts and processes. For example, one project focuses on contemporary genre artworks. Students use a range of techniques and technologies to create a series of three artworks (a Triptych) to illustrate contemporary scenes of current day-to-day
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life. Students also use Tinkercad to design a personalized Avatar and learn to transfer these files to a 3D Printer. They finish out the course by creating a digitized animation.
Studio Art In Studio Art, the focus is on developing students' drawing skills, working both from observation and imagination. The semester begins with creating contour drawings, and then students use their skills to create surrealist drawings. Next, the boys study shading, drawing simple still lifes that include the basic forms of cones, spheres, cubes, and cylinders. The class then studies one-point perspective, drawing both cityscapes and interior scenes. Students look at work from the Renaissance as well as contemporary art for inspiration. The semester culminates with stop-motion animation drawings in which they incorporate the technical skills they've learned while combining their own ideas about social issues. The class examines several stop motion videos and focuses on the video work of an Argentinian graffiti artist named Blue. In addition to focusing on social issues, the drawing animation assignment emphasizes themes of transformation, movement, and point of view. Understanding how to tell a story through the sequencing of images is key in the stop motion project. Teamwork, independent thinking, originality, and problem-solving are all emphasized.
Seventh Grade – Shop Woodshop in Seventh Grade focuses on the use of wood and other materials within contemporary art and design. Students are introduced to the work of sculptors and artists that work three-dimensionally, and they use this artwork as inspiration. They work both independently and in small groups to strengthen collaboration and problem-solving skills. Students in the Upper Division are given more responsibility with tools, including safely using handheld power tools.
Eighth Grade – Film and Media In Film and Media class, students learn about the importance of filmmaking as both an artistic and communication tool. Students are introduced to the history of film and filmmaking techniques. They watch and analyze excerpts from early silent films, including those by Charlie Chaplin and sections of the famous film "Man with a Movie Camera" by Dziga Vertov. Students are then given several filmmaking assignments, such as creating an Object Profile in under 60 seconds, Defining a Space using 5 - 6 shots, and a project of three shots that hold personal meaning after studying the history of montage in filmmaking. Because
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students are responsible for making several very short films, they are able to focus on camera work, framing, lighting, timing, and concept. In addition, classes provide a forum for lively critique, feedback, and discussion.
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Performing Arts Music is an integral part of every boy's education at Allen-Stevenson. All boys have the opportunity to sing, play a musical instrument, and perform in musical ensembles. Musical activities include private study of orchestral instruments, Chorus, Orchestra, and Upper Division Electives. Through classwork, field trips, and performances, Allen-Stevenson boys acquire practical training in music and develop a well-rounded appreciation and understanding of music. Various technologies are incorporated to support and enhance student learning.
Music Although fifth and sixth-grade students no longer have weekly music classes, they have the opportunity to continue their music studies through private instrumental lessons and may also choose to participate in Chorus, Orchestra, and our annual Gilbert & Sullivan production. Though not mandatory, boys can choose to join one, two, or all three of these wonderful performing groups. Boys who do not join any of these groups are exposed to music through a rotation of musically themed classes as they make their way through the Upper Division.
Orchestra and Private Instrumental Instruction Allen-Stevenson hosts three Ensembles for Grades Five through Eight, a string and a wind Ensemble in Grades 5 and 6, and an Orchestra in Grades 7 and 8. There are also two preparatory Ensembles in Grades 3 and 4. Instruments are introduced in the classroom, ageappropriately, with contextual storytelling, music-listening, and fundamental theory and history. A group of performing professionals, who are instructors at the School, teach private lessons during the day, rotating some 200 students through the academic day. The instructors work with students towards studio recitals, instrumental assemblies, and orchestral performances. Membership in the Orchestras is determined by both social and technical levels of advancement, leaning currently toward preserving the grade-level social dynamic. The highest-level group, known as the senior Ensembles, tours on alternate years and goes on city outings to Broadway, off-Broadway shows, or other cultural events. Past trips out of town have included Yale, Princeton, Philadelphia, Mystic Seaport, Providence, and Six Flags, usually integrating recreation, sport, and history with community service and the mission of music. Currently, more than 120 boys are involved in Ensembles.
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Chorus Allen-Stevenson hosts two Choruses in Grades Five through Eight. Vocal technique is begun in the classroom, age-appropriately, with songs from many cultures. Basic work on pitch matching as well as sight-singing is also part of the choral experience. Chorus rehearsals take place during the body of the school day. Since 1990, the Allen-Stevenson School Choruses have established themselves as first-rate choral ensembles, performing at the White House, the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and for many organizations throughout New York City. Professional engagements have included performances of the St. Nicolas Cantata by Benjamin Britten and Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, both with the Musica Viva Chorus of New York City.
Theatre Arts The Theatre program at Allen-Stevenson harbors a unique artistic environment where students can thrive in the classroom, onstage, and behind the scenes. In the School’s theaters, boys are provided a safe haven in which they are free to experiment and critically examine the results of their own work and that of their peers. The School now proudly offers a wide range of theater classes and performances in both divisions. Theater is a fundamental part of a well-rounded education; by fostering artistic and intellectual curiosity, boys are able to explore exactly what they are interested in and nurture passions that go well beyond their time at Allen-Stevenson.
Fifth Grade Upon their entrance into the Upper Division, fifth-grade boys are eligible to participate in their first main stage production, which means they perform for a large audience both during the school day and in the evening. The largest production of the year, the annual Gilbert & Sullivan production for Grades 5 – 8, is where boys get fully immersed in the theatrical process. Led by the Performing Arts faculty, this production gives the boys the chance to explore their “triple threat” qualities - they get to sing, dance, and act in this fully orchestrated musical. Students in Fifth Grade may audition for a leading role or opt to participate in the chorus. Students work with several professional theatre, music, and dance faculty members/guest artists and participate in this show's professionally run rehearsal process.
Sixth Grade In the Sixth Grade, students have an additional opportunity to expand their theatrical repertoire. In the autumn, before Gilbert & Sullivan, boys may audition for and participate in a
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musical at The Nightingale-Bamford School. Working at Nightingale-Bamford not only allows the boys to work with new castmates (the girls at NBS), but it helps them to adapt to different directors, teachers, choreographers, and environments, which is fundamental to the theatrical process.
Seventh Grade Seventh-grade boys also have an additional theatrical opportunity aside from Gilbert & Sullivan. In the spring, students may audition for and perform in a non-musical play with girls from The Nightingale-Bamford School. This production is led by the Theatre Department faculty and takes place at Allen-Stevenson and is the students' first introduction to a traditional non-musical published play.
Eighth Grade Improv Course Eighth graders begin their final year studying improvisational theater. Understanding and developing a technique in this art can be extremely helpful in their placement tests and interviews which also take place in the fall. Improv, at its core, is the art of “spontaneity and intuition coming together.” Through fundamental exercises and learning the ways of “pattern” and “game” in improv, students will explore concepts surrounding group agreement, scene work, character relationships, and of course, the power of “yes, and.” Above all else, students will learn how to celebrate each other and themselves. This class is meant to achieve collaboration, not competition. In addition to Gilbert & Sullivan, our oldest students are given another theatrical opportunity. In the autumn, Eighth graders perform a traditional non-musical play produced along with students from The Nightingale-Bamford School. Further, students in the Seventh and Eighth Grade are eligible to participate in the school’s technical theatre program, where students learn to design the lighting, sets, costumes, sound, props, and they can become top-notch stage managers. Students in the technical theatre program run all technical aspects of the production during all performances, giving them true authority to their art. This opportunity is truly unique for middle school-age students, not found in very many middle schools.
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Health & Wellness The Health and Wellness curriculum in the Upper Division supports the social and emotional challenges faced by adolescent boys and focuses on developing essential skills needed for AllenStevenson boys to live healthy lives.
Fifth Grade The Fifth Grade Health and Wellness program focuses on the boys’ growth and development, encompassing early sexual health and puberty (pre-sex ed). The boys learn about physical, emotional, mental, and social health, the differences between female and male changes during puberty, and identifying healthy habits and coping strategies throughout this time.
Sixth Grade In the Sixth Grade Health and Wellness program, students learn to develop healthy habits. Students will learn how to identify healthy coping mechanisms and handle the pressures around them. This curriculum includes nutrition, internet and technology safety, peer pressure, smoking, alcohol, and drugs. The nutrition unit encompasses how to develop healthy habits and goals and develop moderation and awareness. Students learn how to read and use food labels, understand calories and nutrients, and make healthy choices. Students also cover the intensities of technology’s pressures and learn how to be aware and cope. The class seamlessly transitions to discuss peer pressure, and the boys learn to identify negative and positive pressures and how to cope with them healthily. This conversation opens up to the topic of addiction. Students learn what addiction is, how it can affect an individual and those around them before moving into the topic of smoking, drugs, and alcohol. The smoking, drugs, and alcohol unit will focus on what these substances are, how they affect a person’s body, the pressures that come with them, and legal and illegal substances.
Seventh Grade In Seventh Grade, Health and Wellness is a trimester-long course that covers a range of topics designed to give students the tools to be safe, aware, and healthy teenagers. Lessons include female and male reproductive systems, birth control, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, as well as giving and
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getting consent. Lessons provide students a chance to participate and be creative using different modalities, such as creating a Public Service Announcement (PSA) project on sexually transmitted infections and engaging in lively class discussions.
Eighth Grade In a low-stress, cooperative and safe environment, Eighth Grade Health and Wellness instruction continues and expands the conversation around topics such as the role of communication in healthy relationships, giving and getting consent, sexual assault, eating disorders, addiction, and sexually transmitted infections. Additionally, students learn the warning signs and coping mechanisms associated with the challenges that many students encounter in their teen years.
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Physical Education and Interscholastic Athletics Fifth and Sixth Grades The boys participate in weekly physical education classes in the gymnasium. These classes are designed to build sport-specific motor and cognitive skills and establish a strong base of strength, speed, and agility. Throughout the course of each season, students are placed on intramural teams so that they can gain valuable lessons in sportsmanship, teamwork, and hard work. Teammates learn how their participation on a team affects the team’s ability to be successful, thus building the skills our boys need to be successful on an interscholastic team starting in Seventh Grade.
Seventh and Eighth Grades The boys may participate in either weekly physical education classes or on an interscholastic team. Our Athletics program, rich in tradition and success (42 League Championships), provides an opportunity for every boy to participate. The School offers a junior varsity program with no cuts and a varsity program for the more advanced and competitive studentathlete. Eight interscholastic sports – cross country, soccer, flag football, basketball, wrestling, track, lacrosse, and baseball – provide ample choices for the A-S athlete.
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