AIS | Prospectus 23-24 | Grade 6-7 Enrichment Program

Ahmedabad International School

Prospectus 2023-24

Grade 6 and 7 Enrichment Program Fall in love with learning

Dear parents,

AIS was started 22 years ago as the second IB school in the country. The school was

founded with the belief that self-learning leads to lifelong learning. We’ve spent each

day of the last 22 years trying to build a school community that inculcates a love for

learning, fosters social and emotional acuity, develops responsible global citizens, and

builds a strong academic foundation. I thank you for being a part of this journey!

The enrichment

For the last 2 years, we’ve been working on reimagining our learning program from the

program is designed

ground up. We’ve looked within and looked beyond to define who we are and who we

to build a strong

want to be. We’ve asked ourselves hard questions about what future-ready learning

academic foundation

means and how we can make our classrooms more engaging and challenging.

through rigorous learning experiences

After spending hundreds of days researching, planning, learning, and organizing, I am

proud to present our Lower Secondary Enrichment Program. .

that are connected to The two fundamental beliefs of the enrichment program are:

the real-world

Students learn best when they make connections between the new knowledge they

are acquiring and their prior understandings

Students understand concepts in a deeper, meaningful manner when they are

connected to the real-world and made hands-on

With these focus areas in mind, we’re taking the first step towards enriching our lower

secondary school program by adding offerings across:

Reading

Applied Math

Foreign languages

Theatre

Hands-on science

Coding, robotics, & design thinking

Dance

Visual arts

Music

Sports

In this prospectus, we introduce you to key highlights of our enrichment program. We

invite you to discover how students will fall in love with learning, discover their talents

and passions, and become future-ready for high school and beyond.

Warm Regards

Gorsi Parekh

Managing Trustee

Overview of the En Enhanced reading Introducing Fountas & Pinnell’s pathbreaking Benchmark Assessment System (BAS) and the Novel Study Program

Applied math Making math hands-on and conceptual with a dedicated math lab equipped with physical manipulatives and digital resources

Coding, robotics, and design thinking Kickstarting our new state-of-the-art Maker Space with a rigorous focus on coding skills, robotics, and design thinking

Hands-on science Encouraging scientific inquiry and helping students visualise science concepts with a dedicated science lab

Foreign languages Introducing French and Spanish to build a strong foundation for success in IGCSE and beyond.

In the following pages, we have elaborated on each asp

nrichment Program Visual arts Launching our Visual Arts Studio where students will focus on art-making techniques and the creative process

Sports Launching a host of new sports and play spaces along with a structured curriculum focused on basketball, volleyball, cricket, and football

Music Establishing a strong music program in collaboration with the Shankar Mahadevan Academy

Theatre Partnering with Rangbhumi, a leading theatre group, to give our students exposure to a wide range of theatre practices

pect of the Enrichment Program in a lot more depth.

Dance Partnering with Shiamak Davar Institute of Performing Arts (SDIPA) to provide our students the opportunity to learn diverse dance styles

Enhanced reading program Why Reading is a foundational skill for acquiring any other skill or knowledge if you’re a proficient and passionate reader then you’re a lifelong learner.

In these times of ChatGPT, we want to make sure our students are critical thinkers and skilful readers, mindfully understanding and questioning the information they come across.

What and how

To develop readers who can expertly navigate different genres and

formats of text, we have designed the enhanced reading program

with four key components:

Fountas & Pinnell’s Benchmark Assessment Systems (BAS)

One-on-one assessment to determine each student’s independent reading level

Novel Study Program

Reading, interpreting, and analysing three critically-acclaimed international

novels from different genre

Building comprehension skills such as visualising, summarising, inferencing,

comparing and contrasting, advanced vocabulary, and self-questionin

Focussing on levelling up on the BAS assessment by reading challenging texts

As part of our enhanced Sustained silent reading blocks to provide periods of

reading program, students

uninterrupted interest-based reading time

will spend around five blocks

every week immersed in

Our new state-of-the-art library with 10,000+ books for

honing their reading skills.

students to curl up with

Enhanced reading program in action

Our enhanced reading program is built on international best practices, with

the goal to raise every student’s independent and instructional reading level.

Before the academic year begins, students will undergo one-on-one

BAS assessment powered by Fountas & Pinnell. This assessment will

determine the student’s reading level which will be used to plan lessons

and which will be communicated to you.

Then, students will begin the novel study program wherein they

will

systematically read critically-acclaimed novels from different genres.

Within novel study, teachers will plan for strategic lessons that target English Language Arts skills. Teachers will weave in grammar concepts, vocabulary building and writing skills within the lessons for

every novel study.

During sustained silent reading blocks, students will independently read with a focus on levelling up on their BAS assessment.

Apart from participating in the novel study program, students will also

spend time every week in our new library and language lab space.

With

10,000+ titles, author events, interactive read-alouds, and parent

!

workshops, our library will be a space that celebrates all things reading

Applied math program Why Math expert and Stanford Professor, Jo Boaler says there is no such thing as a math person or the idea that some people are math people - everyone is a math person. At AIS, we want to give every student the opportunity to become a mathematician and use math as a tool to make sense of the world around them. The focus of our applied math program will be to ensure that students learn math concepts by making real-world connections.

What and how

As part of our applied math

program, students will spend one

block every week at the math lab,

immersed in engaging and

explorative learning.

To develop mathematicians who can meaningfully apply

math concepts in day-to-day life, we have designed our

applied math program with two key components:

A dedicated math lab equipped with age appropriate

physical and digital math learning resources - our math

lab will give students opportunities to engage with

hands-on activities, games, puzzles, simulations,

manipulatives, and challenges and empower them to

forge connections between theory and real-life

A dedicated applied math specialist who makes

learning fun and engaging for every student

Applied math program in action

Our applied math specialist will work closely with the math

teachers to curate learning experiences that will help

students explore the concepts being taught in the class in a

hands-on way.

On some days students will engage in simulations, games,

challenges, and riddles. On other days they might watch

videos or observe demonstrations that will help them visualise

abstract math concepts.

The learning experiences in our applied math program will

be designed to cater to students of varying proficiency and

interest levels

Eventually, students will be expected to apply their math

understanding to solve real world problems through

exciting projects

Hands-on science program Why When students engage with scientific concepts through hands-on, practical learning, they develop a much deeper understanding. Our hands-on science program will give students the opportunity to develop a deeper appreciation of the scientific process - making observations, forming hypotheses, making predictions, conducting experiments, and analyzing results.

What and how

Our hands-on science program is meant to inspire students

to apply scientific thinking. The program is designed with

the following key components:

A dedicated hands-on science lab equipped with digital

aids, models, and scientific equipment

Science projects that promote scientific research,

discovery, and innovation

Field trips and learning expeditions for making

real-world connections and taking scientific

investigations beyond the classroom

Hands-on science program in action

Our science teachers will use the hands-on science lab to

conduct practical activities and experiments that will help

students develop a deeper understanding of the concepts

they are learning in the classroom.

The hands-on science lab will be used by teachers to help

students visualize concepts - teachers will bring alive

scientific phenomena through models, images, videos, and

simulations to help with the visualisation

Students will have access to a variety of materials - tools, DIY

kits, models etc to play and experiment with both by

themselves and in collaboration with their peers

To aid assimilation and scientific thinking practice,

students will start out by posing a question to explore,

move on to gathering information, interpret their findings,

and report their findings - the process will be be fluid and

not linear

Through the year, students will go on fieldtrips and learning

expeditions that are connected to the concepts being

explored in the classroom

As a part of the hands-on science

program, students will spend two

blocks every week at the science

lab, observing, investigating, and

performing science experiments.

Coding, robotics, and design thinking program Why The future belongs to the makers! Coding, robotics, and design thinking are essential skills for success in today's world. When students design, tinker, and create, they build creativity, innovation, and self-expression skills. This maker mindset gives students the confidence to take on any personal, local, or global challenge and approach it with higher-order problem solving skills.

What and how As part of our comprehensive coding, robotics, and design thinking program, students will get the opportunity to learn new skills, explore interests, collaborate with other students, and create personally meaningful projects. We have designed our program with the following key components: A very large, futuristic makerspace equipped with manual and digital creation tools A team of expert engineers and designers to deliver the program Project-based learning curriculum with three key modules: Skill building - learning skills related to STEM, digital fabrication, digital

art and media, automation, electronics, materials, and structure Informations and Communication Technologies (ICT) - using digital devices to organise information and express idea Design thinking - unpacking the design thinking process and applying it through ideation and prototyping solutions to problems

Annual Maker Faire - a showcase and celebration of student projects to the larger school community

Coding, robotics, and design thinking program in action Our coding, robotics, and design thinking program is designed to help students bring their ideas to life by learning new skills and by applying those skills to solve real world problems.

During the beginning of the year, students will spend time learning how to use the tools and equipment in the makerspace in a safe way Once students are familiar with the makerspace and its equipment, our team will start implementing the three-pronged curriculum.

In the skill-building module, students will learn to use maker skills to solve practical problems. They will learn rapid prototyping and build projects related to their units of inquiry In the design thinking module, they will learn to follow the design thinking framework to user research and problem-solving.

In the ICT module, they will learn to use digital devices meaningfully in every aspect of their life in and beyond the classroom.

In the last quarter of the year, students will choose a passion project.At the end of the year, students will showcase their passion projects at our Annual Maker Faire.

As part of the program, students will spend four blocks per week building technical skills in coding, robotics, woodworking, electronics, analytical reasoning, and design thinking.

Foreign languages program Why Ludwig Wittgenstein said, “The limits of my language mean the limits of my world”. By learning new languages, students unlock new ways of interacting with the world. Learning a foreign language is a complex task but its advantages are far reaching - from social and cultural connections to academic and cognitive benefits.

What and how

In our foreign language program, students will get the option

to choose between learning Spanish or French. The

program has been designed in partnership with Skill Live

International with the following tenets:

Curriculum focussed on building practical

knowledge and fluency

B R

uilt in assessments and mastery tracking

egular reports and updates for families

Skill Live International is a

E

leading foreign language

trainers and educators

xpert facilitation by Skill Live International’s

institute with over a decade Immersive language learning experience with of experience serving the cultural celebrations and real-world connections most reputed international

schools in Mumbai, Delhi,

Foreign languages program in action and Bangalore.

The focus of the program is to lay a strong foundation for As part of the enrichment

program, students will

language learning which will help our students achieve

success in high school.

spend two blocks a week At the beginning of the year, students will be assessed

immersed in learning the to gauge their understanding levels. This will help the

language of their choice.

Skill Live International team design their lesson plans.

Instruction in foreign languages program will focus on 4

strands of language learning - listening, speaking,

reading, and writing. There will be additional emphasis

on listening and speaking to ensure that students are

fluent and are able to apply the language learnt in day-

to-day life.

During the course of the year, students will also be

exposed to the language’s culture

through its folklore

and celebration of important festivals.

Visual arts program Why Art serves as a means of communication and self-expression! In today’s world, art takes many forms - an instagram post, an NFT, an AI generated illustration, or a beautiful authentic piece of oil painting. Art is a way to understand life through multiple perspectives while learning technical skills. Understanding and creating visual art builds students’ critical thinking and lateral thinking skills enabling them to communicate in a powerful way.

What and how To give our students the ability to develop their own unique style of expression, we have designed our visual arts program with the following key components: A dedicated Visual Arts Studio - a space that celebrates art and serves as a gallery for student masterpieces and hosting renowned artists!

A team of experienced artists and teachers to lead the program Comprehensive visual arts curriculum which focuses on: Diverse 2D and 3D art techniques - painting, printmaking, origami, sculpting, pottery, textile designing, weaving, and mor Wide range of media and materials - exploring paper, clay, wood, sand, inks, paints, plaster, watercolour, tempera, pastels, and mor Art history - discovering the origins of different art forms, knowing popular artists, and reading and critiquing art literature

As part of our visual arts

Art gallery visits and outdoor walks - our art focused field-

program, students will spend

trips will provide students with the opportunity to draw

two blocks every week

inspiration from real-life artists and their work

immersed in building their visual art skills.

Visual arts program in action Our visual arts program is designed to make art more immersive. The focus is to help every student discover a unique style of expression and foster a lifelong love for art.

Students will learn the fundamental art skills of painting with a brush, mixing colours, manipulating clay, and creating two and three dimensional works.

Gradually, they will progress to constructing increasingly intricate works while experimenting with a variety of mediums such as paint, pastels, pencil, clay, paper, glass, and other multimedia art tools Students will build connections with what they are learning in their core subjects and extend their understanding through art. ach term they will be introduced to renowned artists and artworks from

E

around the world and learn to observe, reflect, respect and appreciate the diverse traditions, histories and cultures.

The yearly program will culminate with an Annual Art Exhibition which will give our students the opportunity to showcase their projects to the larger Ahmedabad community.

Dance program

Why

Dance gives students the opportunity to be aware of their bodies, understand how they think and feel, and use it to demonstrate their learning. In turn, it develops key 21st century skills of collaboration, creativity, and communication.

What and how

Our dance program is developed in partnership with the iconic

Shiamak Davar Institute For Performing Arts (SDIPA). Our dance

program has three key features:

A fully equipped modern dance studio

Expert dance instructors from SDIPA who will

conduct all classes

The Shiamak Dance Education (SDE) curriculum

that focuses on

exposure to diverse dance forms

skill-based progression

Founded by the National Award

instilling confidence to perform on stage

Winner Shiamak Davar, SDIPA

has over 25 years of experience

Dance program in action

in the dance and entertainment Our dance program is designed to provide a comprehensive industry. Their Shiamak Dance performing arts experience to our students. Students will explore Education (SDE) program runs various dance styles including Bollywood Jazz, Theatre Jazz, Hip in some of the best schools Hop, Contemporary, and more. across India.

Students will begin the year with movement games and

Students will spend an average of

one block per week immersed in

improvisational activities that will help them warm up their

movements to music.

G

radually, they will be introduced to

vocabularies of different dance forms.

learning different dance forms.

As the year progresses, they will develop foundational dancing

traits like posture and lyrical expressions. To further enrich the

dance experience, students will also explore the roots and history

of dance as a cultural practice and art form.

Students will showcase their dance skills and stage performances

’

during the school s cultural celebrations and the end of year

annual performance

Theatre program Why As one of the oldest artforms known to mankind, theatre provides students with multiple ways of expressing themselves and helps them become confident communicators. Theatre gives students a platform to refine their language, connect with their bodies, and tell stories that have the potential to engage an audience.

What and how To give our students a rigorous performing arts foundation, we have partnered with Rangbhumi for our theatre program. Our theatre program has the following key components: A fully equipped modern theatre studio where students get the opportunity to create and host performances Highly trained drama teachers facilitators from Rangbhumi who will conduct all the classes Rangbhumi’s Applied Theatre curriculum that focuses on social emotional learning and on providing students with exposure to a wide range of theatre practices

Rangbhumi is one of Mumbai’s

Focus on staging student-led theatre performances that are

leading theatre groups and has

linked to school-wide activities

several years of experience working with schools in and

Theatre program in action

around Mumbai.

Theatre taps into the four learning styles - visual, aural, verbal and

As a part of the theatre

physical - aiding in students’ personal growth. All these learning styles

program, students will spend an

will be explored through dramatic play, story enactment, imagination

average of one block per week

journeys, and drama games.

honing their drama skills.

Initial sessions will focus on developing students’ imaginative capacities Gradually, students will engage in specific drama skills that focus on facial expressions, gestures, movement, language, posture and vocal techniques With each progressing session and grade, students will get exposure to diverse scripts and stories from different times, cultures, and places Students will showcase their theatre skills and stage performances during the school’s cultural celebrations and the end of year annual performance

Music program

Why

Music is a universal language that transcends cultures and generations and brings people together in moments of shared joy. Music education has been proven to have a profound impact on student development - it stimulates the brain, improves language skills, helps socialise, lowers stress levels, and enhances memorization skills. We want our students to develop a broad appreciation of music and develop a lifelong love for it!

What and how

To implement a high-quality music program, we have partnered

with the renowned Shankar Mahadevan Academy (SMA). Our

music program has the following key components:

SMA’s Grow With Music™ Program to pique student

interest in Indian music

Certified teachers trained by SMA who will conduct all music classes across grade levels

Focus on vocal music instruction through range, rhythm,

Founded by the award-winning

diction, and performance

composer and singer Shankar

Mahadevan, SMA has over a

Music program in action

decade of experience providing The SMA music program is designed to make students fall in high quality music education love with Indian music while building singing proficiency. to people around the world.

At the start of the year, students will engage in musical games

As a part of our music

and singalongs that will help demystify musical elements such as

program, students will spend

rhythm, pitch, form, texture, and timbre

one block every week growing

Throughout the year, students will learn to appreciate the

with music.

versatility of music by exploring music from various regions

and genres

As they progress, students will be able to compose their own

musical pieces. Few years into the music program, all

students will have developed a refined taste for music.

Students will present their musical skills throughout the year - at

the school’s cultural celebrations, grade assemblies, and during

the end of year annual performance

Students with exceptional music abilities will get the opportunity

to perform at SMA’s special musical events and SANGAM.

SANGAM is SMA’s global music meet where students will

showcase their singing in the presence of renowned global

musicians including Shankar Mahadevan.

Sports program Why Sports give students a platform like no other to build both - the mind and the body. A structured sports program offers students an opportunity to build a wide range of skills. We want to ensure our students are team players who are equipped with critical life skills of performing under pressure and being perseverant.

What and how

To support individual growth and team success, we have partnered

with Sportz Village to build our sports offering. A few highlights of our

program:

Sportz Village’s well-researched sports curriculum

Skill-building in various team sports including basketball, football, cricket,

and volleybal

Emphasis on participation and fu

Options of competitive pathways for students who excel at specific sport

A range of options to cater to the different interests of students

Well-qualified and experienced Sportz Village coaches

to conduct all classes and ensure effective delivery of

the program

Dedicated facilities for sports training and hosting games

Sportz Village is India’s

leading sports education Round the year sports events including sports days and organisation. With over 20 inter- and intra-school competitions years of experience, Sportz

Village has partnered with

Sports program in action

corporates, government

The focus of our sports program is to give students the opportunity to

organisations, and some of the

enhance their skills through specialised training. The Sportz Village

best schools across India.

program offers a skill-based progression across different team-sports.

F

rom

G

rade

As part of our sports program,

6

, students will have the option to choose one

sport to excel in. They can pick from

F

ootball,

students will spend two blocks

C

ricket,

every week on physical

B

asketball, and Volleyball.

education and sports skills They will begin the year by honing the foundational skills of

development. the chosen sport

G

radually they will move on to building more advanced skills

and gameplay

Students will practise and prepare for elimination rounds and

inter-school

/

inter-house sports competitions across the year.

For any queries related to the enrichment program, please write to enrichment@aischool.net Alternatively, you can also call 06353431076 between 9 am and 2 pm from Mon to Fri.