Washington Jesuit Academy

Math: Core Foundational Elements

• Reinforce core ability to multiply, divide, add and subtract decimals, whole numbers and fractions.
• Master fraction and decimal operations, to include conversion to percent.
• Understand the relationship and equivalencies of fractions with ratio, proportion, percent and probability.
• Expand the study of number theory to include prime and composite numbers, powers, exponents and prime factorization.
• Reinforce geometric concepts through shapes, angles, measurement, estimation, and problem solving.
• Develop an understanding of both metric and customary systems of measurement, including the relationships among units and the ability to convert from one unit to another within the same system.
• Work with data organization, statistics, data analysis and probability.
• Develop an understanding of sentence structure: simple sentences, compound sentences, subject & predicate, compound subject & predicate, four types of Sentences – declarative, imperative, interrogative, exclamatory and capitalization and punctuation.
• Recognize and use parts of speech: nouns (common, plural, proper, possessive), verbs (tenses, subject/verb agreement, action, linking, helping), adjectives (predicate, proper, comparative, demonstrative), pronouns/antecedents (demonstrative, subject, object and possessive), adverbs (types, placement, comparative) and identifying interjections (strong and mild) and conjunctions (coordinate, subordinate and correlative).
• Develop the writing process to include brainstorming, outlining (pre-writing), rough draft, revising, and publishing.
• Identify plot (Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolution) and elements of a narrative.
• Master the parts of a paragraph (topic sentence, support, examples from text and transition) and the ability to write a well defined paragraph with order and transitions.
• Broaden student vocabulary through practice and enhance understanding through the part of speech usage.
• Understand a wide variety of writing genres: folktale, poetry, short story and personal narrative.
• Introduce research skills.

Reading: Developing a Foundational Core

• Develop a sense for the significance of individual daily reading (DEAR) based upon grade level and personal readiness for books.
• Emphasize and refine the skills of summary, clarification, questioning, predicting and inference.
• Understand the variety in writing forms: fiction vs. non-fiction, novels, short stories and poetry.
• Navigate through the library with an understanding of genres and how to search for books.
• Expand vocabulary through regular practice of recording, defining, understanding part of speech and usage in a sentence.
• Daily Read Aloud to the students, using books that relate to themes throughout the curriculum.
• Further advance reading strategies to include: making connections, understanding context clues, awareness of setting and visualizing and evaluating a story.
• Use journal writing to express opinions and responses to readings.
• Use shared inquiry discussions to: present arguments clearly and persuasively, offer reasons for opinions and inferences, support ideas with evidence, analyze character motivation and development, learn to weigh merits of opposing arguments and to modify their initial opinions, gain confidence to shape and express own opinions of what they read and to practice active listening and cooperative learning.

Science: Human Anatomy, Earth Science and the Scientific Method

• Develop and understanding of the scientific method and the importance of formulating questions, making a hypothesis, using observation, to form analysis and forming conclusions based upon experimentation.
• Participate in basic experiments, with a hands-on approach, to support classroom learning.
• Identify and understand the basic systems (skeletal, muscular, circulatory, respiratory, cardiovascular and nervous) of the human body and how they interrelate with one another.
• Develop an awareness of the metric system and the recording and measurement of data.
• Demonstrate an understanding of gravity, matter and the natural forces on the earth.
• A comprehensive study of the Earth to include an understanding of: climate, its causes and the effect on the environment, the oceans and the water cycle, atmospheric layers and the geology of the earth.
• Comprehend the idea of cause and effect as it relates to the study of earth science.

Religion: The Old Testament and Religious Foundations

• Develop an understanding of what is religion.
• Understand the basic tenets of the religions of the world: Hinduism, Buddhism, Catholicism, Judaism, Taoism, Shinto, Islam and Christianity.
• Describe the various teachers of their faith: Mohammed, Buddha, Jesus Christ.
• Study the various stories of the Old Testament, analyzing the scripture stories for meaning in the modern world.
• An overview of the holy books: The Vedas, The Quran, The Bible, and the The Torah, and an understanding of the various religious holidays.
• Develop an awareness of influential religious leaders from the past and present, to include (but not limited to): Martin Luther King Jr., Ghandi, St. Ignatius, Pedro Arrupe and Mother Theresa.
• Introduce the New Testament and develop an understanding of the life and times of Jesus.
• Develop a personal sense of prayer and the importance of reflection in daily life.

History: World History and Geography: Ancient Civilizations

• Develop an understanding of history and the importance of analysis as a historian.
• Demonstrate an understanding of physical/human geographic features of the world to include map reading, environmental awareness and cultural diffusion.
• Describe what is known through archaeological studies of the early physical/cultural development of humankind from the Paleolithic era to the agricultural revolution.
• Analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations to include: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Kush, India, China, Israel, Greece, and Rome.
• Develop an awareness and understanding of Ancient Greece and its contributions to the modern world.
• Introduce note taking strategies and essay writing responses to questions, starting to write compare/ contrast essay.
• Analyze the foundation, expansion and ultimate disintegration of the Roman Empire.