PreShellCurriculumGuide

PRE-SHELL CURRICULUM

INTRODUCTION Pre-Shell at Harrow New York serves as a foundational year within the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP). This phase facilitates students' transition from elementary to middle school while immersing them in an inquiry-based, concept-driven curriculum. Students will explore subjects through the MYP’s interdisciplinary approach, fostering the development of critical thinking, communication, and research skills. Our curriculum is designed to merge the rigorous educational standards of Harrow School with the dynamic framework of the MYP, ensuring a holistic and internationally-minded learning experience.

Matthew E. Sipple Principal

THE ARTS

DESIGN

Students engage in visual and performing arts, including drama, music, drawing, and painting.

Through the MYP Arts framework, they develop creative and reflective thinking, self-expression, and an appreciation for artistic contexts and techniques.

The MYP Design course introduces students to digital literacy and computational thinking. Topics include coding, responsible technology use, problemsolving through design cycles, and the ethical implications of digital technologies. This aligns with the MYP’s emphasis on inquiry-based learning and interdisciplinary connections.

FOUNDATIONS OF LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE This course is designed to develop students' awareness of how knowledge is constructed and evaluated by communities and individuals across academic disciplines in a diverse range of global contexts. The goals for the course are for students to: develop a deeper understanding of learning skills and apply them in meaningful contexts; integrate conceptual learning, ways of knowing, and methods of inquiring from multiple disciplines; experience the excitement of intellectual discovery - including insights into how areas of knowledge complement and challenge each other; experience ambiguity, uncertainty, and questions with multiple plausible answers; effectively navigate and make sense of the world, and help prepare them to encounter novel and complex situations; and experience multiple perspectives, foster open-mindedness, and develop intercultural understanding.

LANGUAGE & LITERATURE Students study English Language Arts through an MYP lens, focusing on reading, writing, speaking, and critical analysis. Literature is explored through global contexts, encouraging students to make connections between texts and the world around them.

LANGUAGE AQUISITION Students continue their journey in a second language, choosing between Mandarin, Spanish or French, with a curriculum that emphasizes the development of communicative competence in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The MYP Language Acquisition framework supports differentiated learning to meet diverse linguistic backgrounds.

MATHEMATICS The MYP Mathematics curriculum emphasizes conceptual understanding, realworld applications, and problemsolving. Topics covered include number theory, algebra, geometry, and data analysis, aligning with the MYP approach to inquiry-based learning and global contexts.

PHYSICAL & HEALTH EDUCATION The PHE program aligns with MYP goals by integrating physical activity with health education. Students explore movement techniques, teamwork, and well-being concepts, fostering lifelong fitness and health literacy.

Physical Fitness Training Cricket Squash Soccer Softball Track & Field Events Cooperative Games Lacrosse Pickleball Basketball Gymnastics Volleyball

SCIENCES Students engage in an integrated MYP Sciences course covering Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.

Inquiry-driven investigations encourage students to develop scientific thinking, explore global issues, and apply the scientific method in hands-on experiments.

INDIVIDUALS & SOCITIES Students explore historical and geographical perspectives through the MYP Individuals and Societies framework. They develop research skills, analyze case studies, and consider multiple perspectives on global and local issues.