Embedded Files
As a district, we value, embrace, and uplift our amazing multicultural voices located right here in Rochester. We seek to change what is broken, create systems that not only work but in which our children excel. We build upon our students' natural curiosity to reignite their passion for learning. We will continue to vet resources that reflect our community and further our learning of the past, present, and future. Please share the curriculum, events, and resources you would love our students to be a part of. We are always looking for feedback around what is working, what you love, and opportunities for growth and change.
What is Inquiry Journeys?
What is Inquiry Journeys?
Inquiry Journeys is inquirED’s inquiry-based social studies curriculum for elementary school.
What is a module?
What is a module?
Units in Inquiry Journeys are built from instructional modules, each of which contains a connected series of lessons. Modules fall into three main categories.
Launch Modules:
A Launch Module is made up of lessons that hook students into the inquiry, introduce the Inquiry Question, and help students generate questions to guide their exploration. A Launch Module is used only once, at the beginning of each unit.
Investigation Modules:
An Investigation Module is framed by a unique Essential Question. It contains lessons that guide students through the investigation of a specific topic related to the inquiry. Typically, there are four Investigation Modules per unit.
Action Modules:
During an Action Module, students take Informed Action, shifting the focus of their work to planning and implementing an action that impacts their world. As part of this process, they create an Inquiry Product that supports their action, then share their efforts with a public audience.
Black Lives Matter Curriculum
A group of twenty-five Buffalo Public School teachers created a series of lessons for K-12 to incorporate the principals of the Black Lives Matter movement into classrooms.
Culturally and Linguistically Relevant Curriculum FAQ
K-6
7-12
2,4,5,7,8,11,12
Reading Like a Historian
The Reading Like a Historian curriculum engages students in historical inquiry. Each lesson revolves around a central historical question and features a set of primary documents designed for groups of students with a range of reading skills.
This curriculum teaches students how to investigate historical questions by employing reading strategies such as sourcing, contextualizing, corroborating, and close reading. Instead of memorizing historical facts, students evaluate the trustworthiness of multiple perspectives on historical issues and learn to make historical claims backed by documentary evidence. To learn more about how to use Reading Like a Historian lessons, watch these videos about how teachers use these materials in their classrooms.
Click here for a complete list of Reading Like a Historian lessons, and click here for a complete list of materials available in Spanish.
What is it?
For each unit of study across the 7th and 8th grade social studies curriculum, the Rochester City School District Social Studies Department wrote African and African American History Aligned Essential Understandings and a seminal lesson that is incorporated into our curriculum.
Aligned Essential Understandings: Written to be paired with NYS standards in order to provide a more accurate and authentic view of American history. Essential Understandings serve as lenses through which to investigate history and frame units of instruction.
Seminal Lessons: Lessons that focus on lifting the roles, voices, and histories of people of African descent in the story of our country beginning with an examination of West African Kingdoms and explores topics such as "why did freedom seekers come to Rochester" and "how has our community participated in the fight for Civil Rights."
7-8
7-8
New Visions Social Studies
New Visions Social Studies
New Visions for Public Schools has developed full scope and sequence curricular frameworks designed for the Global History and Geography I and II courses and the U.S. History course. The curriculum integrates rich primary and secondary texts, maps, images, videos, and other reputable online sources into materials that meet the New York State K-12 Social Studies Framework’s objectives and provide students an opportunity to improve literacy skills by focusing on thinking critically while reading, writing, and speaking like historians.
The Elementary Version for Rochester is coming soon...
Project Soapbox is Mikva Challenge’s public speaking program that calls young people to speak out on issues that affect them and their communities. These powerful speeches have lasting, transformative impacts on classrooms, schools, and communities.
Along the way, Mikva supports teachers with curriculum, connects community leaders to listen to speeches and give feedback, and facilitates citywide and regional events. Every year, the program culminates with Soapbox Nation, a showcase of the top speeches from around the country.
Mikva Challenge launched its 14th year of Project Soapbox events on November 17, 2021.
Read more about Project Soapbox 2021-2022
Rochester Students & Their Voices
Elementary curriculum is on it's way... Here are some examples of what it can look like in Rochester.
Issues to Action
Issues to Action
Mikva’s Issues to Action (ITA) curriculum is a comprehensive step-by-step guide that puts youth at the helm of leading the change they hope to see, and gaining critical skills along the way:
Examine Identity and Community: Youth reflect on their own identity and asset map their communities
Identify Issues and Envision Change: Youth identify an issue they are passionate about and envision a world without that problem.
Conduct Research and Set Goals: Youth learn various strategies for gathering data on their issue and use that information to set goals.
Analyze Power: Youth map out power around an issue and identify where they can have impact.
Strategize, Plan and Act: Youth assess strategies for change, identify the most effective one, then create and implement an action plan.
Showcase work and reflect: Youth present their work, reflect, and plan next steps.
Financial Literacy for High School
Financial Literacy for High School
Financial Literacy for High School is a digital education program that teaches students how to make wise financial decisions to promote financial well-being over their lifetime. The interactive lessons in this financial literacy course translate complex financial concepts and help students develop actionable strategies for managing their finances. For select areas, this course also includes an embedded Intuit TurboTax Tax Simulation for students, an interactive taxes activity for students to learn more about how to file taxes.
Immersive digital environments and diverse characters bring modern, relevant financial education objectives to life. Students accelerate their financial understanding through problem-solving, self-reflection and games that provide real-life scenarios for practice.
9-11
8, 12
12th Grade
Economics
Lifting student voice and making change happen...
NYSED
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