CPM began as a grant-funded mathematics project in 1989 to write textbooks to help students understand mathematics and support teachers who use these materials. CPM Educational Program is now a nonprofit educational consortium of middle and high school teachers and university professors that offers a complete mathematics through problem solving, reasoning, and communication. Informed by research our CCSS-aligned curriculum builds upon 25 years of experience writing problem-based, student-centered curriculum embedding the mathematical practices within lessons focused on big ideas and mathematical pedagogy are research based. To learn more about CPM, visit http:/cpm.org/about-cpm.
Students receive education in reading and ELA for a specified number of minutes each week in grades 6-8 due to the block schedule. Our K-8 classrooms teach Core Knowledge literature and poetry as defined in the Core Knowledge Sequence. Teachers also use leveled readers from a variety of vendors suited for Guided Reading Instruction to tie into the Core Knowledge curriculum. To learn more about the literature taught at each grade level, please review the curriculum maps on this page under helpful links. A comprehensive list is also available in the Core Knowledge Sequence.
NVCS teachers teach writing in a Writer’s Workshop format. In the Writer’s Workshop, mini-lessons are taught on a variety of skills and topics at a variety of levels. The mini-lessons allow teachers to provide support to many different writers. In addition, teachers conduct individual conferences with students on a regular basis. The one-on-one conferencing between the teacher and student is geared toward the concepts that the student needs. The curriculums of “Step Up to Writing” and “Six Traits” are utilized during the Writer’s Workshop. Also, in accordance with the Core Knowledge Sequence and the Colorado State Standards, each grade level of students is required to write specific focused pieces and complete them through publication.
To learn more about the focused writing pieces for each grade level, please review the teacher’s curriculum map under the links tab.
6th Grade Science Units:
Plate Tectonics
Oceans
Astronomy: Gravity, Stars, and Galaxies
Energy, Heat, and Energy Transfer
Energy
Heat
Physical Change: Energy Transfer
The Human Body: Lymphatic and Immune Systems
Science Biographies
7th Grade Science Units:
Atomic Structure
Chemical Bonds and Reactions
Cell Division and Genetics
History of the Earth and Life Forms
Paleontology
Geologic Time
Evolution
Evolution
Natural Selection
Extinction and Seciation
Science Biographies
8th Grade Science Units:
Physics
Motion
Forces
Density and Buoyancy
Work
Energy
Power
Electricity and Magnetism
Electromagnetic Radiation and Light
Sound Waves
Chemistry of Food and Respiration
Science Biographies
Grade 6 Social Studies Units:
7th Grade Social Studies Units:
America Becomes a World Power
World War I: “The Great War,” 1914–1918
Geography of Western and Central Europe
The Russian Revolution
Geography
America from the Twenties to the New Deal
World War II
Geography of the United States
8th Grade Social Studies Units:
The Decline of European Colonialism
The Cold War
The Civil Rights Movement
The Vietnam War and the Rise of Social Activism
The Middle East and Oil Politics
The End of the Cold War: The Expansion of Democracy and Continuing Challenges
Civics: The Constitution—Principles and Structure of American Democracy
Geography of Canada and Mexico