lcds k-5 curriculum guide

The faculty of Lehrman Community Day School is dedicated to our mission of sparking our children’s natural curiosity and engaging their creativity each day as the students explore our challenging curriculum.LCDS looked to the Core Knowledge Foundation and its sequence as a guideline for the structure of its specific curricular content. That content, in turn, gives further structure to the skills taught at each level, reviewed and then built upon as your child grows in our school.

Core Knowledge is a demanding, scoped and sequenced curriculum which is history-based. History, literature, visual arts and music content areas are integrated. The mathematics and science curricula are spiral. This curricular coherence educates children who have the basic building blocks of content and skills necessary for middle school and beyond.

Our Hebrew and Jewish Studies curricula reflect a similar scope and sequence, and a similar challenge. Our Hebrew language curricula, Chalav u’D’vash in Kindergarten and TaL AM, an internationally recognized curriculum implemented in first grade and above, are both immersion programs. Current research supports the effectiveness of immersion programs in second language acquisition.

TaL AM combines language learning with Jewish studies content, including prayer, the Torah portion of the week (parashat ha-shavua) and holidays and customs. The MaToK Bible curriculum, implemented in third grade, emphasizes literary analysis and critical thinking skills.

Teachers in all classes differentiate instruction appropriately in each grade level, grouping and re-grouping, or working with students individually when appropriate. Our talented specialists, most of whom are practitioners as well as teachers in their fields, enrich our program.

All our teachers are role models, understanding that their behavior teaches as much about values as the texts they teach; our faculty is, in every sense, our curriculum.

LEHRMAN COMMUNITY DAY SCHOOL

ELEMENTARY Second grade scientists at work.

K–5

lcds core Knowledge curriculum • kindergarten /Kindergarten

First Grade

■ Language ArtsI. Reading and Writing:

Phonemic Awareness/Decoding/Encoding (Houghton Mifflin Series)

II. Poetry: Nursey Rhymes/Traditional PoetryIII. Fiction: Folk TalesIV. Sayings and Phrases

■ World History/GeographyI. Spatial sense: Working with maps & globesII. Overview of Seven Continents

■ American History/GeographyI. GeographyII. Native American Peoples,

Past & PresentIII. Early Exploration &

Settlement (Columbus, Pilgrims, Independence Day)

IV. Presidents, Past and Present

■ Visual ArtsI. Elements of Art: Color & LineII. SculptureIII. Looking at and talking

about works of Art

■ Language Arts/EnglishI. Reading and Writing

A. Phonemic AwarenessB. Decoding, Word Recognition,

Oral ReadingC. Reading comprehension and

responseD. WritingE. Spelling, Grammar, and Usage

II. PoetryA. American (Langston Hughes,

Robert Frost, Lois Lenski)B. British (Robert Louis

Stevenson, Edward Lear)III. Fiction

A. Stories: Folktales & Fairy TalesB. Aesop’s FablesC. Folktales from other Lands

IV. Literary TermsA. Characters, heroes & heroinesB. Drama: actors, costumes,

scenery, props, theater, stage, audience

V. Sayings and phrases

■ World History/GeographyI. Geography

A. Spatial sense1. My continent, country,

state and community

2. Maps have keys3. North, South, East & West4. 7 Continents and special

spotsB. Geographical Terms:

peninsula, bay, harbor, island

II. Early CivilizationsA. Mesopotamia: “The Cradle

of Civilization.”B. Ancient EgyptC. History of World Religions:

Judaism, Christianity, IslamIII. Modern Civilization and Culture: Mexico

A. GeographyB. Culture

■ American History/GeographyI. Early People and Civilizations

A. Hunters and NomadsB. Maya, Inca & Aztec

CivilizationsII. Early Exploration and

SettlementA. ColumbusB. The ConquistadorsC. English Settlers

III. From Colonies to Independence: The American Revolution

IV. Early Exploration of the American West

■ Visual ArtsI. Art from Long Ago

A. Cave PaintingsB. Art of Ancient Egypt

II. Elements of ArtA. Color (primary colors)

(Monet, Whistler, Rivera)B. Line (Jacob Lawrence,

Matisse, O’Keefe)C. Shape (Jacob Lawrence,

Grant Wood)D. Texture (American

Indian masks, Degas, Dürer)

E. Portrait, Self-Portrait, Still-Life and Mural

Second Grade ■ Language Arts/EnglishI. Reading and Writing

A. Decoding, Word Recognition, and Oral Reading

B. Reading Comprehension and Response

C. WritingD. Spelling, Grammar, and

UsageII. Poetry

A. American (Dickinson, Sandburg, Clement Clarke Moore, Shel Silverstein)

B. British and others (Robert Louis Stevenson, Federico Garcia Lorca)

III. FictionA. StoriesB. Greek MythologyC. American Folk Heroes and

Tall TalesD. Literary Terms

IV. Sayings and Phrases

■ World History/GeographyI. Geography

A. Spatial SenseB. Geographical Terms and

Features (coast, valley, prairie, desert, oasis)

II. Early Civilizations: AsiaA. Geography of AsiaB. IndiaC. China

III. Modern Civilization and Culture: Japan

A. GeographyB. Culture

IV. Ancient Greece

■ American History/GeographyI. American Government:

The ConstitutionII. The War of 1812III. Westward Expansion

A. Pioneers Head WestB. Native Americans

IV. The Civil WarV. Immigration and CitizenshipVI. Civil RightsVII. Geography of the Americas

A. North AmericaB. South America

■ Visual ArtsI. Elements of Art

A. Lines: horizontal, vertical, or diagonal

B. Picasso’s Mother and ChildII. Sculpture

A. Shape, mass and lineB. Discus Thrower, Flying Horse

(Wu-Wei, China), Rodin’s The Thinker

III. Kinds of PicturesA. LandscapesB. Cole, El Greco, Rousseau, van

GoghIV. Abstract Art

A. Compare lifelike & abstract animals

B. Dürer vs. KleeV. Architecture

A. Design of buildingsB. Symmetry & a line of

symmetry

lcds core Knowledge curriculum • kindergarten /■ MusicI. Elements of Music: rhythm,

harmony, etc.II. Listening and UnderstandingIII. Songs: Americana

■ MathematicsI. Patterns and ClassificationII. Numbers and Number senseIII. MoneyIV. ComputationV. MeasurementVI. Geometry

■ ScienceI. Plants & Plant GrowthII. Animals and their NeedsIII. Human Body (5 Senses)IV. Introduction to MagnetismV. Seasons and WeatherVI. Taking Care of the EarthVII. Science Biographies

■ Jewish StudiesI. Portion of the WeekII. Holidays and FestivalsIII. The Jewish World

A. Shabbat ProjectB. The Shema and the

MezuzahC. Blessings We SayD. Israel

■ HebrewChalav U’Dvash, Israeli Curriculum

I. Immersion language program

A. Mascot Bentzi, a stuffed turtle, goes home every Shabbat for journal writing

B. School-based vocabularyC. Multi-media

II. Language of prayer, song & holidays

■ MusicI. Elements of Music: rhythm,

harmony, notes.II. Musical Terms & ConceptsIII. American Musical Traditions

■ MathematicsI. Patterns and ClassificationII. Numbers and Number senseIII. MoneyIV. Computation:

Addition & SubtractionV. MeasurementVI. Geometry

■ ScienceI. Living Things & their Environments

A. HabitatsB. Oceans & Undersea Life

II. The Human BodyA. Body SystemsB. Germs, Diseases,

Preventing IllnessIII. MatterIV. Properties of Matter: MeasurementV. Introduction to ElectricityVI. Astronomy:

The Solar SystemVII. The Earth

A. The SurfaceB. What’s Inside

the EarthVIII. Science Biographies:

Carson, Edison, Jenner, Pasteur

■ MusicI. Elements of MusicII. Listening and Understanding

A. The OrchestraB. Keyboard InstrumentsC. Composers and their

Music: Vivaldi, Bach, Beethoven

III. Songs

■ MathematicsI. Numbers and Number senseII. FractionsIII. MoneyIV. Computation

A. Addition – timed mastery, three digit, etc.

B. SubtractionC. Introduction to

MultiplicationD. Solving Problems and

EquationsV. Measurement

A. Linear MeasureB. Weight (Mass)C. Capacity (Volume)D. TemperatureE. Time

VI. Geometry

■ ScienceI. Cycles in Nature

A. Seasonal CyclesB. Life CyclesC. The Water Cycle

II. InsectsIII. The Human Body

A. CellsB. The Digestive and

Excretory SystemsC. A Healthy Diet

IV. MagnetismV. Simple MachinesVI. Science Biographies

Leeuwenhoeck, McCoy,Nightingale, Daniel HaleWilliams

■ Hebrew Language/ Jewish Studies

TaL AM AlefI. Immersion language programII. Reading and writing skillsIII. Includes Jewish studies

content in HebrewA. Portion of the weekB. Holiday materialC. Jewish values

■ Hebrew Language/Jewish StudiesTaL AM BetI. Immersion language programII. Reading and writing skillsIII. Jewish studies content in Hebrew

A. Portion of the weekB. Holiday materialC. Jewish valuesD. Prayer

?okugc ah vn Mah yesh ba-olam? What’s in the world?

For additional information on the Core Knowledge Curriculum, visit coreknowledge.org

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first grade / second grade

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Third Grade

Fourth Grade

Language ArtsI. Reading and Writing

A. Reading Comprehension and ResponseB. WritingC. Spelling, Grammar, and UsageD. Vocabulary: Prefixes, Suffixes and Homophones

II. PoetryA. American (Ogden Nash,

Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni, Shel Silverstein)

B. British (Lewis Carroll)III. Fiction

A. Stories (including Alice in Wonderland)

B. Myths and Mythical Characters (Norse Mythology, More Greek and Roman Myths)

C. Literary TermsIV. Sayings and Phrases

World History/GeographyI. World Geography

A. Spatial SenseB. Geographical Terms and Features (boundary, channel, delta, isthmus, plateau, reservoir, strait)C. CanadaD. Important Rivers of the World

II. Ancient RomeA. Geography of the Mediterranean

RegionB. BackgroundC. The EmpireD. The “Decline and Fall” of RomeE. The Eastern Roman Empire:

Byzantine CivilizationIII. The Vikings

American History/GeographyI. The Earliest Americans

A. Crossing the Land BridgeB. Native Americans

1. Southwest tribes2. Eastern Woodland Indians

II. Early Exploration of North AmericaA. Early Spanish Exploration and

Settlement 1. Florida2. Geography: Caribbean, W. Indies,

Puerto Rico, Cuba, Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi River

B. The American SouthwestC. Search for the Northwest

PassageIII. The 13 Colonies: Before the Revolution

A. Southern ColoniesB. New England ColoniesC. Middle Atlantic Colonies

Visual ArtsI. Elements of Art

A. Light: Chapin, VermeerB. Space: two-dimensional, three-dimensionalC. Design: Figure and Ground;

Pattern; Balance & Symmetry (Matisse, Munch, Cassatt)

II. American Indian Art: Kachina dolls; Navajo blankets and rugs, sand paintings; Masks

III. Art of Ancient Rome and Byzantine Civilization: Le Pont du Gard; The Pantheon; Byzantine mosaics; Hagia Sophia.

Language Arts/EnglishI. Writing, Grammar and Usage

A. Writing and ResearchB. Grammar and Usage

II. PoetryIII. Fiction

A. Stories (including Treasure Island and excerpts from Gulliver’s Travels)

B. Myths and Mythical Characters (Legends of King Arthur and Knights of the Round Table)

C. Literary TermsIV. SpeechesV. Sayings and Phrases


A. Spatial SenseB. Mountains and mountain ranges

II. Europe in the Middle AgesA. 200CE-450CE: The Invasion of warring tribesB. Geography of Medieval Western EuropeC. Early Development of the Christian ChurchD. FeudalismE. The Norman ConquestF. Growth of TownsG. England in the Middle Ages

III. The Spread of Islam & the “Holy Wars”A. Development of Islamic CivilizationB. Wars between Muslims and Christians

IV. Early & Medieval African KingdomsV. China: Dynasties & Conquerors

American History/GeographyI. The American Revolution

A. The French and Indian WarB. Causes and ProvocationsC. The Revolution

II. Making a Constitutional Government

A. The Declaration of IndependenceB. The Constitution of the United StatesC. National, State, Local Government

III. Early Presidents and PoliticsIV. Reformers: Abolitionists, Public

Schools, Social Welfare; Women’s Rights.

Visual ArtsI. Art of the Middle Ages in Europe

A. Religious nature of European Art in Middle Ages (Madonna and Child)

B. Gothic Cathedrals - Notre Dame, Paris

II. Islamic Art and ArchitectureIII. Art of AfricaIV. Art of ChinaV. Art and Architecture of Colonial

America (Copely, Stuart, Jefferson’s Monticello)

Fifth Grade Language Arts/EnglishI. Writing, Grammar and Usage

A. Writing and ResearchB. Grammar and UsageC. Vocabulary (Latin prefixes and suffixes)

II. PoetryA. British: Tennyson, Blake, Lewis

Carroll.B. American: 19th Century: Emily

Dickinson, Walt Whitman, Emerson, Whittier, Longfellow

C. American: 20th Century: Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen.

III. Fiction and DramaA. Stories (The Adventures of Tom

Sawyer, Don Quixote, Little Women, The Secret Garden, Sherlock Holmes.)

B. Myths and Legends C. Drama (A Midsummer Night’s

Dream)D. Literary Terms

IV. Speeches: Gettysburg Address; Chief Joseph, “I will fight no more forever.”

V. Sayings and Phrases


A. Spatial SenseB. Great Lakes of the World

II. Meso-American CivilizationsA. GeographyB. Maya, Inca and Aztec CivilizationsC. Spanish Conquerors

III. European Exploration, Trade, Colonization and the Clash of CulturesA. PortugalB. SpainC. England and FranceD. HollandE. Trade and Slavery

IV. The Renaissance and the ReformationV. England from the Golden Age to the Glorious RevolutionVI. Russia: Early Growth and ExpansionVII. Feudal Japan

American History/GeographyI. Westward Expansion : Pre- and Post-Civil War

A. PioneersB. Indian resistanceC. “Manifest Destiny”D. The Mexican WarE. 1862 Homestead ActF. Transcontinental RailroadG. 1890: The closing of the American Frontier

II. The Civil War: Causes, Conflicts, Consequences

A. Toward the Civil WarB. The Civil WarC. Reconstruction

III. Native Americans: Cultures and Conflicts

A. Culture and lifeB. American Government PoliciesC. Conflicts

IV. US Geography

Visual ArtsI. Art of the Renaissance

A. Shift in World ViewB. Influence of Classical Art on

Renaissance Artists (Botticelli, daVinci, Michaelangelo, Bruegel)

II. American Art: 19th Century USA III. Art of Japan

Navajo history blankets

lcds core Knowledge curriculum • third grade / fourth grade / fifth grade

MusicI. Elements of MusicII. Listening and Understanding

A. The Orchestra: add brass to strings, woodwinds and percussion.

B. Composers and Their Music: Tchaikovsky, Sousa, Copland

C. Musical Connections: Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, part one: “The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship.”

III. Songs

MathematicsI. Numbers & Number senseII. Fractions & DecimalsIII. MoneyIV. Computation

A. Addition – timed mastery, three digit, etc.

B. SubtractionC. MultiplicationD. DivisionE. Solving Problems & Equations

V. MeasurementVI. Geometry

ScienceI. Introduction to Classification of

AnimalsII. The Human Body

A. The Muscular SystemB. The Skeletal SystemC. The Nervous SystemD. Vision: How the Eye WorksE. Hearing: How the Ear Works

III. Light & OpticsIV. SoundV. EcologyVI. AstronomyVII. Science Biographies: Bell;

Copernicus; Jemison; Muir

Jewish StudiesBible: Students study portions of Breishit (Genesis) using the MaToK curriculum, reading the text in the original Hebrew. Goals include: development of literary skills to study Torah independently, critical thinking, sensitivity to shades of meaning in the text, reading the text in an inquiring way and exploration of traditional commentaries. MaTok will bring student to: view Torah as kadosh (sacred text); see themselves as links in the chain of Torah interpretation; and connect Torah with their Jewish lives while they search for personal meaning, and grapple with moral issues that arise from the text.

Jewish Tradition & Prayer: Study of the prayer service and blessings; Jewish Holidays and customs.

HebrewTaL AM Bet(cont’d from grade 2)IV. Immersion language programV. Reading and writing skillsVI. Jewish studies content in

HebrewA. Holiday materialB. Jewish valuesC. Prayer


A. The Orchestra: Benjamin Britten: The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra

B. Vocal RangesC. Composers and their Music:

Handel, Haydn, MozartD. Musical Connections:

Gregorian Chants.III. Songs

MathematicsI. Numbers & Number senseII. Fractions & Decimals

A. Fractions – to 1/12B. Decimals – to the nearest one

thousandthIII. MoneyIV. Computation

A. MultiplicationB. DivisionC. Solving Problems & Equations

V. MeasurementVI. Geometry

ScienceI. The Human Body

A. The Circulatory SystemB. The Respiratory System

II. Chemistry: Atoms; Properties of Matter; Elements; Solutions

III. ElectricityIV. Geology

A. The Earth’s LayersB. How Mountains are FormedC. RocksD. Weathering & Erosion

V. MeteorologyVI. Science Biographies: Banneker;

Blackwell; Drew; Faraday

Jewish StudiesBible: Portions of Breishit (Genesis) using MaToK curriculum, reading the text in the original Hebrew. (See grade 3 for more on MaToK.)

Jewish History:Jewish Life in Ashkenaz & Sepharad in the Middle Ages. The Enlightenment & EmancipationAmerican Jewish HistoryJourney Through Jewish History by Seymour Rossel


HebrewThe four skills of language (speaking, reading, writing and listening) are taught; vocabulary is introduced as Hebrew grammatical constructs are practiced and applied.

Text: Alef-Bet by Irit Talmud, Part I


A. Composers and their Music: Beethoven, Mussorgsky

B. Musical Connections: Renaissance, Mendelssohn.

III. American Musical TraditionsIV. Songs

MathematicsI. Numbers & Number SenseII. Ratios & PercentIII. Fractions & Decimals

A. Fractions: LCDB. Decimals: estimate by

roundingIV. Computation

A. Addition: commutative & associative properties

B. Multiplication: by 2 factorsC. DivisionD. Solving Problems & Equations

V. MeasurementVI. GeometryVII. Probability & StatisticsVIII. Pre-Algebra

ScienceI. Classifying Living ThingsII. Cells: Structures & ProcessesIII. Plant Structures & Processes

A. Structure: Non-Vascular & Vascular Plants

B. PhotosynthesisC. Reproduction

IV. Life Cycles & ReproductionV. The Human Body

A. Changes in Human Adolescence

B. The Endocrine SystemC. The Reproductive System

VI. Chemistry: Matter & ChangeA. Atoms, Molecules, &

CompoundsB. ElementsC. Chemical & Physical

ChangeVII. Science Biographies:

Galileo; Percy Lavon Julian; Just; Linnaeus

Jewish StudiesBible: Portions of Breishit (Genesis) using MaToK (See grade 3 for more on MaToK.) 2009-2010 5th grade will study Shemot (Exodus).

RabbinicsPirkei Avot, Ethics of the Fathers. Rabbinical text focussed primarily on ethics and values. Text: Ichpat Lanu (We Care) Published by The TALI Education Fund, Israel


HebrewBy the fifth grade, as skills are solidified, the pace and intensity of Hebrew instruction increases. Students speak in full Hebrew sentences in classes conducted entirely in Hebrew, and write Hebrew stories.

The second volume of the Alef-Bet series is completed in preparation for Middle School and the introduction of the NETA curriculum, the internationally acclaimed program developed for day high schools, now being used in a number of middle schools nationwide.

Text: Alef-Bet by Irit Talmud, Parts I & II

For additional information on the Core Knowledge Curriculum, visit coreknowledge.org

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lcds core Knowledge curriculum • third grade / fourth grade / fifth grade

Please call or e-mail the Admissions Office with any questions about the admissions process or this Curriculum Guide.

Linda K. SchaffzinDirector of Admissions

Lehrman Community Day School727 Lehrman Drive / 77th Street

Miami Beach FL 33141Tel 305.866.2771x21

Fax [email protected]

Visit us online at www.lehrmanschool.org

Lehrman Community Day School is a pluralistic, covenantal, academic community. Within a family ambiance, we celebrate each child’s whole uniqueness. It is our mission to prepare

motivated young men and women to live heroically, as reflective Jews and responsible American citizens in a global economy. Our ideal graduate lives a life of purpose and heartfelt dreams, animated by

moral character and intellectual discovery.

LCDS admits mission appropriate students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities made available to students at the school. LCDS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and

ethnic origin in the administration of its educational and admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs.

Elemcg_MYP_v1_1108Copyright © 2008 by Lehrman Community Day School.

lcds k-5 curriculum guide

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