The Challenge Curriculum

The Philosophy Behind the Challenge Curriculum

The constant tension I have found in teaching is to set appropriate standards for all students, and at the same time honor individual differences. Our observation is that the greatest difference in students is not so much related to ability, as it is to engagement and motivation. Seen from the standpoint of nine and ten year olds, why wouldn’t they be more invested in play, talking to their friends or physical activity than in sitting for hours in a stuffy classroom, doing assignments? It’s rather amazing that we have as many eager beaver students as we do. The question is how to serve the needs of both the highly resistant learner and the eager beaver. What is developmentally appropriate? What is fair?

While we believe that Salmon Bay has always done well to serve the needs of highly capable students in our regular classrooms, we started thinking about the possibility of offering a two-tier curriculum available to all Room 213 students by choice. Students who want and need a challenge may wish to attempt several elements of the curriculum, and this may be the basis of their homework this year. Other students may attempt little or nothing. None of the curriculum is required.

This is a trial balloon folks. Another episode in our continuing quest for more effective teaching/learning. Give me your feedback and ideas.

Elements of the Challenge Curriculum

Monthly Book Reports: Work with Brian on a selection of books. One or more of your reports will be submitted to amazon.com as a customer review.

Research/Expert: Choose a topic in which you are especially interested. Try to start with a question or questions you would like to answer. Make a detailed study of your topic. Use as many resources as you can to become an expert on your topic. Share what you have learned with the class and a panel of adults (teachers, parents, principal). Be prepared to answer questions!

Service Learning: Find a project in your school, neighborhood or community that will benefit the environment or other people. Work with your parents and Brian to plan your Service Learning Project. Make a specific commitment of time or work that you will accomplish. Give an oral or written report to the class at the end of the year, or when your project is finished.

Be an Author: Do you like to write? Can you imagine being the author of a chapter book, collection of poems, short stories or a play? Set aside a regular time once or twice a week to write. Save everything in a special place, even the stuff you don’t like. You may think of a way to revise it later. By February or March you should have quite a pile! Then you can start planning your revisions, editing and publishing. How will you print and bind your books? Does it need a forward, a dedication, an author’s page? What about illustrations?

Make a Game: Think of a skill that you think could be taught by a board game. Make a “trial game” to try out on your friends and family. Use their comments and ideas to make the game better. Keep making changes until you are really happy with the game. Make a final version that is very attractive and durable. Maybe you can sell your idea to a game company!

Be an Inventor: Invent a new machine that does something useful or fun. Draw detailed plans and then build a model. (It needs to really work.) Present and explain your invention to the class.

Are You an Artist? Do you think that you could put together a show of your work by spring? You probably need a minimum of ten objects. This is a complicated project and you will need to work with adults to help you with the gallery and the reception. Brian can provide assistance and ideas. You will also need to visit some adult artists’ shows to get information and ideas.

Personal Challenge: Think of some subject or skill for which you can set a personal goal. It could be something as simple as learning the times tables or your cursive letters. The main thing is to set a goal and then spend the time to accomplish it. Keep track of how much time you spend “practicing” before you reach your goal.

Do you (parents and students) have a challenge suggestion?

* Fifth Graders: A number of the above challenges would work well as a Fifth Grade Project.