Curriculum

Domain Summary: Curriculum

The Kokomo High School STEM Academy is open to all KHS students, regardless of ability. There are courses at a variety of levels, and special education students are main streamed into many core classes. Both of our academy principals began their careers as special education teachers, and are a strong resource to provide ideas and support. Within the STEM Academy, teachers use a variety of assessment tools, including NWEA testing, formal and informal assessments, projects, speeches, and hands-on activities to evaluate students and provide appropriate instruction. The state's employability skills are integrates into classroom activities on a regular bases, and lessons specifically designed to teach students skills, such as communication or resume writing, are a regular part of our daily instruction.

2.1 Curriculum Integration

At least 50 percent of planned, integrated STEM curriculum is evidence-based

More than half of the curriculum utilized throughout the Kokomo STEM Academy incorporates evidence-based practices within. Please see the variety of curriculum maps below that tie into Hattie's research as well as proven STEM practices.

Honors English 9 Course Curriculum Map

The Honors English 9 STEM Course integrates STEM practices into each unit along with success criteria for students which, evidence has proven that it has a high effect on student learning. The image just below was taken from the Visible Learning website. The information demonstrates John Hattie's research indicating that highlighting learning intentions through success criteria has an effect size of 1.29 on student achievement.

2020 Honors 9 curriculum - JOY DEWING.docx

Tuberculosis Treatment

Students conduct a research investigation where they seek out areas of the world in which TB is still prevalent. The document below demonstrates the students' task.

Attached also, please see the prepared slidedeck outlining the research carried out from the SLED (Science Learning Through Engineering Design) program from Purdue University in which they work to incorporate the Engineering Design Process to engage students with scientific phenomena. This research was the basis of incorporating this framework within the Tuberculosis Unit.

Brenda Capobianco; Todd Richard Kelley; Chell Nyquist; James Daniel Lehman (2015), "Science and Engineering Practices PowerPoint," https://stemedhub.org/resources/2986.

Science_and_Eng_Practices_06-13-2015 (1).pptx

Poe and the Red Death - JOY DEWING.docx

PLTW AP Computer Science

This PLTW syllabus is used in our AP Computer Science course and is on the approved vetted curriculum list from the Indiana Department of Education.

APCSSyllabusEdwards.docx

English 10 STEM Course Curriculum Map

The English 10 STEM Course integrates STEM practices into each unit along with success criteria for students which, evidence has proven that it has a high effect on student learning.

2019 English 10 STEM Curriculum - JOY DEWING.docx

Spanish 1 and 2 Curriculum Map

The Spanish Courses offered at the KHS STEM Academy have worked over the past year to incorporate STEM practices into their curriculum as evidenced in the curriculum map below.

Attached below is a dissertation written by Jennifer Jones Burk of Utah State University entitled Language Learning for Real-World Context. Within the research, she stresses the importance of incorporating real-world context within the teaching of a new or foreign language. This research informed our Spanish 1 and 2 Curriculums as we have worked to imbed real-world and STEM practices into to each unit of study.

Language Learning for Real-World Context.pdf

Spanish 1 and 2 Curriculum Map- KHS Stem

The Invention of Hugo Cabaret

The unit attached below, was created from a template from the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). It ties in to the story, the Invention of Hugo Caberet, in which a boy works to design and create automatons. The research supporting this geospatial inquiry unit is taken from the attached periodical with the following citation:

National Research Council (NRC). 2006. Learning to think spatially. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

Front Matter _ Learning to Think Spatially _ The National Academies Press.pdf

Dewing 3.4B.docx

2.2 Computer Science

Multiple computer science courses are available to all students

Digital Applications and Responsibility

Kokomo High School offers multiple courses that focus on computer science skills and standards. The first course listed is the Digital Applications and Responsibility course which helps students to understand components of computers, technology and networking included software, hardware, and other digital devices. It also helps students to understand what their digital footprint is and helps them reflect on what it means to be a good digital citizen.

2.2 Rinker - Digital Applications and Responsibility.pdf

Computer Programming Syllabus

The third course Kokomo offers its students is Computer Programming IA. This is available to students at all grade levels and is provided to students through the online curriculum provider Plato and is made available through the Indiana Course Access Portal from the IDOE.

syllabus_computer_programming_i_a.pdf

AP Computer Science

The second course we offer students is an advanced computer science course that is based on content established by the College Board.

APCSSyllabusEdwards.docx

A Push for CS

Recognizing the need to promote our CS Program, Mrs. Edwards has been actively recruiting more students for both our AP Computer Science and Computer Programming IA.

Computer Science Poster.pptx

2.3 Employability Skills

Employability Skills Standards, based upon the appropriate grade band, are integrated into the school curriculum for 100 percent of students

English 10 STEM Curriculum Map

Employability Skills Standards are taught to all students and embedded in all curriculum at the Kokomo STEM Academy. The attached curriculum map highlights how they are embedded into the curriculum school-wide.

2019 English 10 STEM Curriculum - JOY DEWING.docx

Email Etiquette

Students are provided employability skills in other courses as well such as through this email etiquette lesson that will impact students as they begin to prepare for college, or the workforce.

Email Etiquette - JOY DEWING.pptx

US History Curriculum Map

The attached US History Curriculum map demonstrates how the Indiana Employability Skills Standards are embedded within each unit.

Curriculum Map US History.docx

2.4 Equity

General education teachers are connected with appropriate special education teachers and support services teachers (ENL, Interpreters, etc...) for necessary material development and refinement for diverse learners based upon their understanding of students' academic needs

Tiny Houses

Last year, all educators in the Kokomo STEM Academy collaborated with one another to create a Tiny Homes STEM unit that would be carried out in collaboration with all staff and students general education, special needs, and life skills. The Unit Plan below was created during common planning time, but was developed specifically for the life skills class.

1.8 Transition - Tiny Home Rubric 2019.docx

Educator Workgroups

The attached image documents our collaborative workgroups for the COVID 19-One Year Later Projects. Our Special Education and Transitions teachers, Rinker, Lovegrove, Saban, and Gabriel, Keith and Coram and Turner are all working alongside the general education teachers. This type of collaborative planning occurs all the time, but this is one example of how it's been carried out to produce an excellent STEM learning opportunity for our students.

Educator Aide

Kokomo high school has partnered with Educator Aide to train our teachers on Equity and Inclusion.

This is a two-year partnership that started in the summer of 2020 with our leaders and will move into teacher groups in the fall of 2021. The professional development was created from the attached survey Cultural Pulse. This survey is allowing our teacher leaders to use this data to create our monthly learning sessions.

Kokomo HS Culture Pulse Report.pdf

2.5 Assessments

At least 75 percent of teachers use a variety of assessment methods for students to demonstrate STEM learning

Earth Science Curriculum Assessments

This Earth Science Curriculum map highlights a variety of assessment methods used within this course that helps determine how effectively students are engaging with their STEM Learning.

Puliyanda 2.1 ES Curriculum Map Aug 2019.doc

AP Literature and Composition Assessment

All instructors at the Kokomo STEM Academy utilize a variety of assessment methods for their students. The attached curriculum map for AP Literature and Composition highlights examples of this.

Scott 2.1 Syllabus.doc

Resume Rubric

In order to help develop students employability skills, they were expected to take part in the creation of a working resume. Attached is the assessment rubric that was utilized to provide them feedback on their resume.

Dewing 2.3A.docx

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