K2 Curriculum Guide

K 2




CURRICULUM GUIDE
‘Igniting curiosity the Clarion way’













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CONTENTS




Welcome…………………………………………………………………………………………………….3

Clarion Curriculum…………………………………………………………….………………………..….4

What is Progressive Education? …………………………………………………………………………5

Clarion Student Profile……………………………………………………………………………………..7
Early Years: Pre K, K1, K2 Overview……………………………………………………………………..9

Inclusive Education………………………………………………………………………………….……..10

English Language Learners……………………………………………………………………………….10

Technology……………………………………………………………………………………………….....11

K2 Expectations……………………………………………………………………………………..........…12

Moral Education……………………………………………………………………………………..........…18































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K2
Curriculum Guide
2017-2018



WELCOME to Clarion School Dubai

This is an overview of the Clarion School Curriculum & Instruction Program as it connects to each grade
level following the Bank Street Philosophy and American Common Core Standards. It highlights our mission
to provide a challenging, engaging and supportive educational program, enriched by the innovation of
Dubai, strengthened by collaboration with parents and external partnerships and delivered by the highest
quality of faculty.

Our mission is to cultivate inspirational and creative opportunities to develop each student’s potential. We
will nurture intellectual curiosity, reflection and higher order thinking through experiential and meaningful
learning and innovative applications of understanding and skills.

Our students will be challenged to high expectations and engaging with the world as collaborative,
productive and responsible members of a global community. They will be prepared for acceptance into
competitive universities in the United States and across the world, as well as for future success in work and
life.

To make the learning meaningful and engaging, our curriculum and pedagogy incorporates many aspects
of the local environment and culture, forming a significant part of the learning experiences of our students.

The challenge of getting to know a school is time-consuming and complicated. As we mention throughout
the process and within our materials, it is our goal to provide you with as much information as possible
about our educational program and community so that you can make a well-informed decision based on
the type of school community your family values.

In helping you to better understand Clarion School, we will make every effort to make both you and your
child feel welcome and comfortable at every point along the way. We invite you to review the following
Grade Level Curriculum Guide, research materials and website and to freely ask questions in order to
learn more about what we have to offer. We hope you find this information helpful and respectful of your
commitment to Clarion School.


As important as WHAT we study, is HOW we study and HOW we know we have achieved

















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CLARION CURRICULUM

WHAT we study
As children become more aware of a widening world, they can begin to explore their own past and present
and how history shapes the present. Regardless of age, a “study” is by definition broad so that children
may find areas of special interest, but also because this is how human beings encounter phenomena in the
real world – as complex, entangled dilemmas.

Each grade level has a set of Learning Goals: end points in each core subject area. These learning goals
incorporate goals aligned to emotional growth, social justice, action and advocacy. Tracking student prior
knowledge and experiences and eliciting their questions and wonderings about what they are learning about
through their study and the Common Core Standards forms the platform for teachers to develop
opportunities for students that are meaningful, relevant, significant and challenging.

Foundation Skills: How students apply core skills to everyday tasks: Literacy, Numeracy, Scientific Literacy,
ICT Literacy, Financial Literacy, Cultural and Civil literacy.


HOW we study
Children want to feel like part of the community, and when they feel connected to a community, they are
likely to invest effort in it especially when they are expected to participate in its functioning from day to day.
In order to achieve this type of classroom culture, the first weeks of school are crucial and become the
foundation for routines and expectations throughout the year.
Children will be engaged in learning that provides opportunities for them to:
• Closely observe, experience, analyze, and make sense of the world around them.
• Build intellectual curiosity and develop skills to gain new understandings.
• Build equitable communities in which they participate, learn and advocate for one another and what
they believe.
• Think critically to analyze issues and design solutions to solve problems that are current and
relevant to themselves, their communities and the world.
• See themselves and each other as whole people and active members of society.
• See the interdependent relationships of human created systems and Earth systems.
• Reflect on their learning and draw connections between new ideas and prior experiences.

Enhanced Skills: How students approach complex challenges: Critical thinking/problem solving, creativity,
communication, and collaboration.


HOW we know
Our students will be challenged to high expectations as they engage with the world as collaborative,
productive and responsible members of a global community. By igniting curiosity, they will be willing to
take risks, be active participants in their own learning, demonstrate flexibility of thinking, make connections
in their learning across the core subjects, synthesize and confidently articulate their understanding.

Students will be guided to demonstrate their understanding of the big ideas and questions underlying and
guiding their study by demonstrating the following:
• How to ask questions – thick and thin questions (who, what, when, where, why, how?)
• How to find out answers to questions (use 5 senses, books, experts, visits)
• How to sort the information found (group into categories, lists, Venn diagrams)
• How to analyze the information found (findings and hypotheses for findings)
• How to present the new understandings (poster, skit, block building, painting, book)
• How to work independently and collaborate/work together

Character Skills: How students approach their changing environment: Curiosity, initiative, persistence/grit,
adaptability, leadership, and empathy.






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Social




Student
Centered
Learning
Intellectual Physical
Developmental
Interactive
Approach




Emotional





WHAT IS PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION?

At Clarion, we believe in progressive education. Progressive education is dynamic, student led, and not
easily defined. Progressive education stresses the importance of experience, rather than learning facts.
Students are taught how to think, rather than being told what to think about. Our children learn through
experiencing, asking questions, and exploring.

In a progressive classroom, you will not see students sitting in desks while a teacher stands in front of the
room. Students are the focus of our classroom, and thus drive the classroom experience. This means that
no two classrooms will have the same experience. You will see hand on learning, opportunities for students
to share their ideas with support from adults and peers, so they know their ideas matter. The teacher is a
mediator in the classroom, not the leader. We take our resources from a variety of sources, often selected
by the students, rather than textbooks. Our students are not judged on external timelines, or tests, but are
rather evaluated on the products they create; we allow them to show us what they have learned, rather
than us telling them what they did not learn.

We use an integrated, themed based curriculum, following the New York State Early Learning Guidelines
and State Common Core Standards, which allows our students to see connections between concepts.
Students are encouraged to collaborate and learn from and with each other, their teachers, and parents.
Our classroom is not limited to four walls, but extends into the community, were we learn social
responsibility. By experiencing events beyond our class, we learn important social and emotional skills. We
learn that mistakes happen and ideas fail. We understand these mistakes and failures are essential to
learning; it is through fixing our mistakes that we improve. Our students become active learners, who are
passionate, curious, critical thinkers who evolve, adapt, and contribute to a rapidly changing world.


WHAT DO PROGRESSIVE EDUCATORS DO?

• Respect the child as a capable individual who is a member of a community.
• Respect the child’s work (We do not write or draw on children’s work. Our opinions of their work
are not what is important.)
• We give genuine and specific praise for growth and cooperation by naming the positive and setting
goals. (Rewards come from success and the joy of learning. No stickers, no smiley/frowny faces)
• We know that everyone makes mistakes. When we correct children’s behavior, we help them learn
from their mistakes. (It is the behavior we are correcting, not the child.)
• We guide children toward independence. (We don’t do for them.)



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HOW WILL WE KNOW WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL?
• Assessment by evaluation of the student projects and productions (not testing)
• Student presentation of work for the community at the end of each learning set / Student articulation of
what they know and can do in individual/small group/class group learning celebrations.
• Compliance with Ministry mandates in order to use data to inform curriculum development, review,
teaching and learning.
o MAP to monitor student progress and attainment
o CAT 4 to identify student cognitive abilities

WHAT DOES A PROGRESSIVE CLASSROOM LOOK LIKE?
At Clarion, the children are given the tools, materials, opportunities and guidance to pursue their own
interests within the curriculum in deep ways. Students are taught how to think rather than being told what
to think about. Our students learn through experiencing, asking questions and exploring. Doing this means
it will be ‘theirs forever’.

Furniture Arrangements
Our spaces are often defined by the work we do in each area. We have tables in clusters and a meeting
area in every room. Children learn as individuals, in small groups and as a whole group. Tables are arranges
so that children experience each other as resources and for inspiration – with an emphasis on the fact that
everyone has strengths and skills to work on. Collaborative work is encouraged, but boundaries are
respected so that children can feel ownership over their own work.

Classrooms are rich in resources and materials
Early Years classroom shave many open ended materials, Exploration is encouraged and designed to
support discovery and master in a range of domains. Didactic materials are also used to support skill
development
Elementary classrooms have print rich environments as well as defined areas to support Reading, Writing,
Math, Science and the Arts. Use of technology by children becomes a larger part of the curriculum in Grade
3 and continues to develop into the Middle School.

Rooms are deliberately organized
Areas are clearly defined according to function. Shelves are labeled with words and/or pictures and
schedules are prominently displayed so that children develop familiarity with the routines of school and feel
in control of the space, materials and the flow of time. Everyone in the classroom community contributes to
the appearance and organization of the environment and helps to develop and maintain it.

Our walls and bulletin boards
Pictures, charts, schedules and graphs tell a story for each classroom about the work that children are
engage in, the things they are wondering about, the social relationships they are developing. Art, Literacy
Math and Unit of study work is displayed both inside and outside the room and demonstrates the integration
of curriculum areas as well as the importance of all subjects that children participate in. The work displayed
represents all of the students in the class.

The Language you hear
Teachers use language to affirm, redirect correct, encourage, limit or elicit ideas from children. Adults are
often heard framing their observations and questions to affirm the behavior they would like to reinforce.
Open ended questions, space for the quiet thoughtful child in meeting, limiting an impulsive behavior are
all done from the foundation of respectful trusting relationships among adults and children. We expect that
children will learn from this model and engage with their peers similarly.

Classroom Structure in the Clarion Classroom
Classroom structure and curriculum take into account the developmental stage of students. The younger
children are in a self-contained classroom with a Master Educator and a Teaching Assistant, and often a
support member of staff. Their classroom is the center of all learning activities with Social Studies, Science,
Literacy and the Expressive Arts, Arabic, French and Technology integrated into the daily work and play of
the children. Although they leave their room for outdoor time, and time with specialists in Physical Education
skills and swimming. Their classroom life offers them the emotional security provided by a small stable
community and familiar environment. As students progress through school, informational demands
increase in the various subject areas and children see more specialist teachers. While subject areas are
clearly defined and studied, the concept of the self-contained classroom continue to influence the schedule
and classroom organization.
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Clarion Student Profile

ACQUIRING ACADEMIC WHAT IS WORTH
CLARION STUDENT PROFILE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT FOUNDATION SKILLS TAKING ACTION WITH



KNOWING

ASSIMILATING
LEARNING HOW TO
SOCIAL
CHARACTER SKILLS
CHARACTER
LEARN
APPLYING
CIVIC
ENHANCED SKILLS
SERVICE WHAT YOU KNOW


Our educational goals are best reflected by the Student Profile we seek to develop in support of
successful engagement with the world that our students will inherit.

Academic Goals
Clarion students will:
• Develop higher order thinking skills including critical thinking, creative thinking and problem solving
• Master the subject standards
• Graduate with a proficiency in Arabic (advanced for non-native speakers, superior for native speakers)
• Graduate with an advanced proficiency in technology, information and media literacy


Social Goals
Clarion students will:
• Be responsible for their own learning
• Be resourceful, adaptive and creative as well as willing to take calculated risks to extend themselves
• Have compassion, empathy & tolerance for others driven by an open mindedness and the ability to view
issues
• from multiple perspectives
• Have a respect and appreciation for the diversity of people and cultures
• be able to self-reflect and have a self-awareness to contextualize themselves and their actions within a
larger framework, allowing them to act appropriately and self-regulate
• Have strong social skills including effective communication and collaboration skills
• Have a strong work ethic, proactivity, perseverance and resilience to meet challenges planned or
unplanned
• Have a healthy balance to life including a commitment to staying healthy

Civic Goals
Clarion students will:
• Understand that their actions have consequences
• Have a sense of responsibility to others and the environment
• Participate as active members in the community and the world at large and contribute positively to all











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Our curriculum is crafted into three sections:

The Composed Curriculum: As important as WHAT we know is HOW we know it and, WHY it is worth
knowing
Grade Level Units of Study are based on 9 Meta Concepts of which have the NY Standards woven into
them. These specifically written, developmentally appropriate units of study specifically focused on Dubai
as the laboratory for learning.


The Coached Curriculum: As important as WHAT we learn is Learning HOW to learn
Experiential learning, integrated studies, student centered planned teaching and learning engagements.
Differentiated, authentic, relevant, connected learning opportunities for students to collaboratively problem find
and solve.


The Considered Curriculum – As important as WHAT we do is HOW we do it.
Students demonstrate what they have learned and what they know. With guidance students apply their knowledge
and skills in meaningful investigations and projects. Students reflect, share and celebrate.


Units of Study

K2 WATER
Enduring Understanding
Water is necessary to sustain human, plant and animal life. People are responsible for
sustaining water in our environment.
Information gleaned from the children guide’s decision-making and curriculum planning

Five year olds are a creative and enthusiastic bunch. At this age, their curiosity carries them into deep
investigations and a near-constant wondering of “why” and “how”. Their ideas become more imaginative,
their interest in solving problems grows, and they begin to ask more analytical questions. Five year olds
are highly social, thus activities done in groups are enjoyable and challenging for them. They can begin to
learn from their peers by working together on projects.

The language skills of five year olds are also more developed. They speak clearly using more complex
sentences and ideas. Assessing conceptual understanding by allowing children to share their
explanations is important. These language skills now extend into reading and writing. The cognitive
advances five year olds are making carry over into their mathematical and scientific thinking as well. They
can tackle more abstract concepts and advance in numeracy, addition, subtraction and comparing
quantities. They are also more able to use “tools of science” in their explorations. Finally, five year olds
abound with energy. As their coordination improves, opportunities for them to move and explore with their
bodies are important. All these advances - cognitively, physically, psychologically and emotionally –
provide for powerful learning opportunities especially through a student-directed, inquiry-based thematic
curriculum.

Studying water offers five year olds the opportunity to consider something very familiar through new and
varied lenses. Kindergarteners want to know more about how the world works. They have the capacity to
ask more analytical questions than before. Their thinking is becoming more flexible, taking different
perspectives and seeing multiple solutions for problems are a bit easier. The study of water addresses their
physical tendencies and intellectual processes, learning by doing, touching, and exploring is important at
this age.

Trips involved with studying water allow five-year olds to encounter jobs they might not have thought
about before or might come to understand more deeply. Importantly, while water links comfortably back to
home and family experiences, water also brings children out into the broader world of school, community
and the planet. With their developmental focus on fairness and justice, kindergarteners studying water
can ponder the human connection with a responsibility for water in the environment.


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EARLY YEARS – Pre, K1, K2

Early Years learning will be aligned to the standards of the New York State Pre-Kindergarten Foundation
for the Common Core and will be supported by the New York State Early Learning Guidelines. The
foundations of the Clarion Learner Profile are important developmental goals at this crucial stage. The
curriculum is organized into five broad developmental interrelated domains.

1. Approaches to Learning
2. Physical Development and Health
3. Social & Emotional Development
4. Communication, Language & Literacy
5. Cognition and Knowledge of the world

Learning and development are integrated and occur simultaneously across all domains, which are
interrelated and interactive with one another. Education in the early years is predicated on a deep
knowledge of children’s development. We know that children develop at individual rates across the different
domains and that experiences in the early years play an essential role in their development and future
attitudes toward learning. All parts of the day will be a learning experience for the child including class circle
time, eating together and cleanup transitions throughout the day.

We acknowledge the learning and developmental differences of each child allowing them to develop at their
own pace and in their own way. The decisions the teacher makes about what learning opportunities to offer,
how and when to offer them, will be based on who the children are and where they are headed in terms of
their development.

In the Early Years when children are playing they are learning. Through play they are solving problems,
engaging in conversations, exploring and discovering. The K2 and K2’s begin the year learning classroom
routines and what it means to be a member of a group. Starting at 3, children begin to learn to participate
in meetings, where everyone comes together, throughout the day. There are several types of meetings
including morning meetings, transitions, planning and discussing a project, problem solving and ending the
day together.

We believe children learn through experiences that they recreate and reenact. An integrated curriculum
includes reading, writing, math, drama, languages, movement and art and construction around a core study
of social studies.

Children are given choices to engage in dramatic play, building with blocks, art, woodworking, reading,
writing, drawing, experimenting at the water table or sand table or further exploring with math or science
materials. When children come together as a group they will also engage in reading, movement, music
and exposure to Arabic and French through songs and games.

Beginning in K2 we encourage children to participate in whole group meetings and to work in pairs and
small groups to foster social interaction and working collaboratively. The foundation for all of the grades
that follow. Parents will be critical partners as the children learn within the context of interactions and
relationships with family members, caregivers, teachers, and other children in their immediate environment
and in their community. Because parents are the primary relationship, they will be actively engaged in
learning about their child, assessing their child and having continual dialogue with the teachers about how
best to support their child. Learning and developmental guidelines will be shared with parents and workshop
sessions for parents will be held. The importance of parent engagement is also discussed during the
admissions process.

In the Early Years children are assessed by authentic assessment in which observations of children are
made as they participate in daily play, activities, routines and interactions.










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INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Clarion School is dedicated to positive growth of its students in all areas of life. The aim is to provide a
well-rounded program appropriate to the diverse intellectual, social, emotional and physical needs of
students at both ends of the spectrum of ability, the Determined Ones as well as those who are Gifted
and Talented

Currently, Clarion follows a mixed model of support. Students with additional needs will be classified as
needing support at either Wave 1, 2 or 3.avigation

● Wave 1 provision: In class teaching through differentiation with the application of any accommodations
and modifications that have been identified as necessary.
o The classroom teacher will provide this support
o Students may be on a reduced timetable with the agreement of the student and
parents/guardians.

● Wave 2 provision: Small Group withdrawal for literacy and numeracy
o The LSA will provide this support and the parents will be asked to pay a nominal fee per
session
o Students may be on a reduced timetable with the agreement of the student and
parents/guardians.

● Wave 3 provision: Students needing long term or intensive support
o intensive support will be provided by the ILSA

o Students may be on a reduced timetable with the agreement of the student and
parents/guardians.

For more detailed information please view the school’s ‘The Determined Ones Policy’


ENGLISH LANGUGE LEARNERS

Our mission is to help students acquire proficiency in the English language, to ensure academic success,
and to help them confidently participate and integrate as an active member of the Clarion School
community. We believe that all students should have equal access to the curriculum and should be
immersed into the mainstream classrooms whenever possible.

Students are strongly encouraged to maintain their mother tongue, enhancing both cognitive development
and English language acquisition.

We believe and practice the following:
• English is the primary medium of instruction, and teachers work collaboratively to provide a program of
English language learning for all students to address their academic needs.
• All staff members are language teachers and are responsible for addressing and meeting the needs of
all students of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
• We believe that ELL students are best educated in a sheltered instruction environment.

Our students are instructed in a mainstream classroom setting with learning support push-in and pull-out
support when possible.















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TECHNOLOGY
The goal of the technology program, is that technology is integrated seamlessly into the curriculum, and
used as a tool to enhance creativity, learning, and thinking. This goal is achieved by our innovative
programs, by having technology and resources in the classrooms and in the Exploratorium, and
integrating design thinking into all subjects. We also have a variety of programs aimed at helping students
to find their passions, and become innovators. Programs such as the Clarion Hackathon, robotics teams
(FLL Jr and FLL teams), and Passion Hour.

In the Elementary years, students will continue to develop their computational thinking and design skills,
by being introduced to more tools and technologies. In the Elementary years, students will:
• See technology as a tool that can be used to solve problems
• Invent, design, and build various machines to solve problems
• Begin to use design thinking in a habitual way
• Program different robots to using multiple programming languages
• Utilize computational thinking practices, perspectives, and vocabulary when programming
• Begin using variables and conditionals in coding

Clarion Technology Standards
A Clarion student will be a(n):
Innovative Designer
Students identify problems in the community around them, and utilize the design process to build
solutions.
Students:
• find and identify problems to solve
• know and use the design process to build innovative and creative solutions to the problems

Intuitive Engineer
Students design, build, and use various machines and structures.
Students:
• question and explain how different machines work
• build various machines, structures and products
• problem solve while building and tinkering

Computational Thinker
Students utilize computational thinking practices, perspectives and concepts when coding.
Students:
• give various kinds of technology step-by-step instructions
• understand and identify common computational thinking concepts of sequence, loops,
parallelism, events, conditionals, operators, and data, that are found in every coding language
• use computational thinking practices of experimenting and iterating, testing and debugging,
reusing and remixing, and abstracting and modularizing while coding
• utilize computational thinking perspectives of expressing, connecting, and questioning while
coding

Robotics Creator and Programmer
Students successfully design, build, and use robots.
Students:
• design and build a variety of robots
• program robots to perform various tasks
• explain how different robots work

Collaborative and Creative Technology User
Students can safely use various kinds of technology and formats to share ideas, locate information, and
collaborate effectively with others.
Students:
• find, evaluate, and use information in a variety of formats
• collaborate with others both locally and globally using technology
• communicate clearly and express ideas creatively using various platforms, tools, styles, and
formats
• use technology safely and responsibly to accomplish desired goals
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K2
OVERVIEW & EXPECTATIONS


Language
New York State Common Core Standards
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/common_core_standards/pdfdocs/p12_common_core_learning_standards

Literacy Continuum: http://www.fountasandpinnell.com/continuum

Literacy is integrated across the curricula in conjunction with social studies, art, music, movement, science
and math. Picture books feature prominently in various areas of the classroom and embody children's
interests and ongoing investigations. Books also reflect the many cultures represented in the classroom,
school and Dubai. Every week, children enjoy time in the library/classroom library, during which the
teachers read to them and help them choose books to bring home.

The difference between the beginning and end of the year is significant. At the beginning of the year,
most writing consists of shared or interactive writing and their own approximated attempts. Quickly, they
learn to use everything they know – their names, a few known words, and known letters. They use
drawing extensively to express their ideas and support their thinking. By the end of the year, they are
using space to define words, writing left to right and top to bottom on pages, matching print with drawings
in a meaningful way, spelling many words conventionally, and composing messages and stories.
Conversations with teachers and peers support the process.

At the completion of the academic year, students in K2 should:
Listening
• Gain meaning by listening
• Follow directions that involve a series of actions

Speaking
• Speak clearly and convey ideas effectively
• Use rules for conversation and discussion
• Use expanded vocabulary and language for a variety of purposes
• Begin to present knowledge and ideas

Reading
• Show some understanding of concepts or print
• Demonstrate phonological awareness
• Show understanding of the structure of text
• Recount key ideas and details from text
• Begin to analyze and integrate knowledge and ideas from text
• Begin to read for varied purposes.

Writing
• Begin to use writing strategies to convey ideas.
• Represent ideas and stories through pictures, dictation, and play
• Use letter like shapes, symbols, and letters to convey meaning
• Understand purposes of writing
• Begin to used feedback to add detail to writing
• Begin to gather and use information for research purposes





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Math

New York State Common Core Standards
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/common_core_standards/pdfdocs/nysp12cclsmath.pdf
Bridges Math: https://www.mathlearningcenter.org/bridges

Through the use of the Bridges math program, children will be provided with concrete and active
experiences gaining a solid foundation from which, at an older age, they can build an understanding of
abstract mathematical ideas and the application of this knowledge. From the earliest years, we strive
to ensure that children continue to develop and enjoy mathematical experiences connected to their daily
lives.

The program provides a balance between the development of a strong number sense and problem solving
skills on the one hand, and practicing computational skills on the other. Math instruction involves a variety
of experiences, including investigations with materials, class discussions, games, projects, and paper and
pencil work.

At each age level, students review, consolidate, and build on prior knowledge. Teachers encourage
students to develop their own intuitive mathematical sense and to trust their hypotheses. There is as much
emphasis on the strategy, process, and mental exercise used to solve a problem as on getting the right
answer. Valuing the process as well as the product is an essential part of the school's philosophy regarding
learning; we believe learners internalize new concepts through a thorough grasp of the process involved.
Mathematics is taught by the classroom teacher.

At the completion of the academic year, students in K2 should:

Processes and Practices
• Make sense of problems and uses simple strategies to solve them
• Reason quantitatively and begins to use some tools
• Use words and representations to describe mathematical ideas
• Identify patterns and makes simple generalizations

Number
• Count with understanding
• Show understanding of number quantity and begins to understand relationships between quantities.
• Begin to estimate quantity

Operations and Algebraic Thinking
• Understand and begin to apply addition and subtraction to problems
• Demonstrate basic number combination and computational fluency
• Begin to understand the base ten system (place value)

Measurement
• Order, compare and describe objects by size, length, capacity, and weight
• Begin to understanding measuring processes and tools

Data Analysis
• Begin to collect, classify, and represent data

Geometry
• Show understanding of and uses direction, location, and position words
• Recognize and describe some attributes of shapes
• Compose and decompose shapes






13

Science

Next Generation Science Standards: https://www.nextgenscience.org/

Early Years teachers encourage children to develop an attitude of inquiry and respect for their natural
and physical environment. Science is integrated into the daily classroom life. Children investigate,
manipulate, discuss, record and predict based on their observations on trips or classroom work. They
explore how organisms change over time, cause-and-effect relationships and relationships between form
and function.

At the completion of the academic year, students in K2 should:

Inquiry Skills and Practices
• Identify questions and problems and suggests solutions during investigations
• Carry out simple investigations and collects and records data
• Formulate ideas, solutions, and explanations based on evidence from their own experiences and
observations and those of others
• Communicate science information and ideas in a variety of ways and engages in argument from
evidence.

Physical Science
• Observe, describe, and compare properties of matter and how they change
• Observe, investigate and describe force, motion and stability
• Investigate, observe and describe the properties of light, heat, and sound.

Life Science
• Observe, describe and compare the characteristics of living things and how they grow change and
survive
• Investigate how living things depend on and interact with the environment
• Explore variation and diversity of living things

Earth Science
• Observe and describe phenomena related to the sun, moon, and stars
• Observe and describe the environment and demonstrate beginning understanding of conservation of
resources.
• Begin to observe and describe weather and seasonal changes, and look for patterns.


Social Studies

The philosophy and practice at Clarion School begins with the idea that children are makers of meaning
through their interactions in the human world. As such, social studies serves as the core interdisciplinary
curriculum. Teachers integrate concepts and skills from the other academic areas within children's daily
experiential work. The program addresses two major themes: (1) the study of human life as it presents itself
from moment to moment, e.g., sharing, working together cooperatively, resolving conflicts; and (2) the study
of the connections and relationships necessary for physical and psychological survival in the world around
us.

At the completion of the academic year, students in K2 should through their unit of study on
WATER should:

People, Past and Present
• Identify similarities and differences in people’s characteristics, habits, and living patterns
• Demonstrate beginning awareness of community, city, state, and country
• Show beginning understanding of past and present.

Human Interdependence
• Begin to understand how people rely on others to meet their needs
• Describe some people’s jobs and what is required to perform them
14

• Show awareness of how technology affects everyday life

Citizenship and Government
• Demonstrate awareness of the reasons for rules
• Show beginning understanding of what it means to be a leader

People and Where they live
• Express beginning geographic thinking
• Show beginning awareness of the ways the environment affects how people live
• Begin to recognize ways people affect their environment.


The Arts - VISUAL
NSAE - Kennedy Center for Art Edge Standards https://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/standards

Beginning in K2, young children investigate and explore the sensory nature of these materials. Soon they
learn to control these explorations and make distinct shapes, patches of color and lines. Subsequently,
children are able to integrate shapes, lines, and colors into a whole design, an expressive arrangement of
visual-graphic elements. In the K2 children discover that this artistic vocabulary can be used to create
representational symbols of importance to them, such as themselves, people, animals, houses, vehicles,
and plants. Through these planned and repeated experiences, children gain skills in the control of the
material and in the use of tools

At the completion of the academic year, students in K2 should:

Expression and Representation
• Use a variety of art materials for tactile experience and exploration

Understanding and Appreciation
• Respond to artistic creations or events

The Arts – MUSIC
https://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/standards

The Early Years music program builds on the spontaneous musical instincts of young children. Musical
experiences happen in three forms: singing, dancing and playing instruments. Each class, either in a whole
group or a half group, move to music, learn songs and singing games, and play percussion instruments.
Once a week, there is a singing assembly to which parents are welcome. World Language teachers work
closely with the music teacher in planning and sharing the song curriculum either in classrooms or during
assembly. In late spring, children participate in an Early Years field day, where they dance and sing with
their families.

At the completion of the academic year, students in K2 should:

Expression and Representation
• Participate in group music experiences
• Participate in creative movement, dance, and drama

Understanding and Appreciation
• Respond to artistic creations or events

Personal, Social and Physical Education
SHAPE America’s National Standards https://www.shapeamerica.org/standards/pe

Young children experience the world physically as they begin to explore with their senses and get to know
what their bodies can do. In movement, gym class, on the playground or in the park, children utilize many
opportunities to explore and expand their physical capacities. Curriculum for the youngest children involves
experiences that orient them in space as they learn the art of letting go, reigning in, and controlling their
bodies. In physical education classes, the introduction of games provides a foundation for later, more
elaborate team-oriented games. There are many games with simple rules that are aimed especially at the
younger students in this age range. Gymnastics and tumbling provide excellent contexts for individual
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development. All of these activities emphasize both repetition and variations of basic movements in order
to give children the practice they need to refine and sharpen skills.

At the completion of the academic year, students in K2 should:

Gross Motor Development
• Move with balance and control
• Coordinate combined movement patters to perform simple tasks

Fine Motor Development
• Use increased strength and control to perform tasks
• Use eye-hand coordination to perform tasks effectively
• Use writing, drawing, and art tools with some control

Self-Care, Health and Safety
• Perform some self-care tasks independently
• Follow basis safety rules with reminders


World Languages: Arabic and French

In the Early Years, the children are exposed to meaningful interaction in World Languages from native
Arabic and French speakers. Learning the language happens organically as the teacher motivates the
students to communicate, without worrying about the form of their utterances. The World Language
teachers work with children in different centers of the classroom, read stories to the whole group, work with
children in small groups, and work together with the music teacher to sing songs in Arabic and French.
Teachers in the Early Years integrate Arabic and French into the ongoing classroom program. This
necessitates a high degree of collaboration between the World Language teachers and the classroom
teachers. World Language teachers will connect themes that students are learning about in their respective
classrooms to Arabic and French whenever possible. When young children learn Arabic and French in a
playful and integrated way, they easily acquire vocabulary and simple phrases.

At the completion of the academic year, students in K2 should:

Listening for English/Arabic/French Language Learners
• Gain meaning by listening
• Follows directions

Phonological Awareness for English/Arabic/French Language Learners
• Develop an awareness of the sounds of English/Arabic/French

Speaking for English/Arabic/French Language Learners
• Speak in social situations

Library

Early Years students build their listening, discussion, and book selection skills during their scheduled and
voluntary visits to the library with their teachers. They learn how to ask for help, about library etiquette, how
to take care of shared resources, safety rules, and which books are true or imaginary. By the time they are
in the K2, students feel confident in their ability to find information about those topics that interest them or
support their inquiry and work in their classrooms.












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Moral Education

Moral Education is an innovative, engaging curriculum designed to develop young people of all nationalities
and ages in the UAE with universal principles and values, that reflect the shared experiences of humanity.
At Clarion School, Moral Education is embedded in the very ethos, vision and values of who we are
as a school.

Moral Education 20/20 Vision Clarion School Vision
‘A journey to preparing a generation of young ‘Our students will be challenged to high
people who are responsible, resilient and expectations and engaging with the world as
knowledgeable who can contribute to their collaborative, productive and responsible members
community locally and globally.’ of a global community’.


At Clarion the Moral Education Curriculum is best illustrated and evidenced in Social Studies.
Social Studies is made up of several components that provide opportunities for teachers and
children to:
• Learn in an interdisciplinary way—using literacy, mathematics, science, and art for example, as
means for exploration and expression.
• Examine the interaction between people and their environments and analyze how human life
is shaped by the environment and how people have reshaped it;
• Study human technologies from the simple to the complex, and how technology serves the
basic human needs of food, clothing, and shelter and communication;
• Explore the social systems—family, community, work, laws, taboos, customs, and beliefs—
that determine a people’s way of life and structure individual and group behavior;
• Study cultures through myths, religion, science, and art to gain an understanding of how a
people arrive at a sense of meaning;
• Recognize that we live in an ever-changing world and examine the competencies needed to
meet and challenge that world
• Prepare to live as citizens by being part of a classroom where children have the opportunity to
participate in making decisions, learning to work collaboratively, listening to each other’s ideas, and
coming to respect different points of view.
Social Studies includes the social fabric of classroom life. EVERYTHING is Social Studies.
EVERYTHING is Moral Education.

At Clarion, the implicit curriculum refers to —how children interact with each other, how they speak
to the adults in the room, what happens when playing outside or in the lunchroom. This is why the
routines and setting of expectations for classroom living are so important in the beginning of the
year. The organization and the management of the classroom reflect the kind of values we share
as a community.
As important as WHAT we Study, is HOW we Study.

The Moral Education program is designed using the following 4 pillars. These pillars are reflected in our
Clarion Student Profile:
• Character and Morality
• The Individual and the community
• Cultural Studies
• Civic Studies















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Links to Curriculum Standards:

Subject Link
Arabic https://sigeducation-
for my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/cs_parents_clarionschool_com/EZZNqgLYdOVJkwyqi

Natives _ShDIYB7ER-jbGe89lWq8beyZNLtw?e=0X8EEs
Arabic https://sigeducation-
for Non my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/cs_parents_clarionschool_com/EWWQ-

Natives pSNvc5LgEyRlrUbKy8BDoEJrRR5j8dFebZ3sYURVw?e=WBHVpg
https://sigeducation-
French my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/cs_parents_clarionschool_com/EWYcNqLtvidOg6Z9m
ATCFL
EZEvdcB6owrOni63VCuFerwRT6GBg?e=RtsNAE
Islamic https://sigeducation-
Studies my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/cs_parents_clarionschool_com/EdxDCfcMKs9Ku8KM
for
Natives 6lejvEcBJqciwGDoGWls1LOotNzXaA?e=s7YLGO
Islamic https://sigeducation-
Studies my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/cs_parents_clarionschool_com/EZedsJ2nNFlNg-
Non-
natives dsPRPqUagBEXSp3lBrss8sWWI3_2YUkw?e=ecR21l
ISTE
Educati https://sigeducation-
onal my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/cs_parents_clarionschool_com/EXhnN0xAudhLieke_a
Techno
hiRPsBD2nao0K74_I8lbRJjJeR-w?e=LebcH6
logy
NGSS
Crossc https://sigeducation-
utting my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/cs_parents_clarionschool_com/EUqnOrAvsERPgY8m
Conce
pts vqwUaCUBRW0hV0yPIAmFh_8gTQWhsQ?e=mMSO3L
NGSS
Discipli https://sigeducation-
nary my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/cs_parents_clarionschool_com/EQGq9ovWgVdJmItKx
Core
JkQhXgBak3v68VIznkdnDMx8qf87w?e=u7ikXg
Idea
NGSS https://sigeducation-
Scienc my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/cs_parents_clarionschool_com/EcR7cHZ3WixAlBaGO
e
Afu_8EB8nG7WNiD_Nj6qpMZUK3ZRg?e=xjf3Z0
NGSS
Scienc https://sigeducation-
e and my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/cs_parents_clarionschool_com/ESbpEJQzR1FGqp42
Engine
ering GTi1jKwBtULJ8JnkPZS02iKSmG7cBQ?e=pzVnzQ
https://sigeducation-
NYS my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/cs_parents_clarionschool_com/Edw4jf-
Lang

tvGlLpyROtDEK51sB_cHCOTxpIqf8v7YyxEyZrw?e=dekV0w
https://sigeducation-
NYS my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/cs_parents_clarionschool_com/EYqLbpvhTs9NrPekw
Math
6XWziABiTUIH3INfkpeFYObCLBYhw?e=OJj8YX
https://sigeducation-
NYS my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/cs_parents_clarionschool_com/EfoC8q1XRLJBpS2bN
Music
VxEv7UBCLE3K114oDRjvc97QoLv1Q?e=Ww17p6
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NYS https://sigeducation-
the my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/cs_parents_clarionschool_com/Ebs1_y92hxFIkNkw3U
Arts
MWPboBS15D7jSQsV9q4DPvLrDcog?e=K5d87A
https://sigeducation-
SHAPE my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/cs_parents_clarionschool_com/EZqG_8BtHOJBurLeE
PE

aB_oEEB9lJOC3SdSodEAooQoC-hJA?e=tOXaVb
Social https://sigeducation-
Studies my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/cs_parents_clarionschool_com/EdSsbXDcwwlAmXyK
Non
natives OaoK4NoBzJ3WgThwvdOGmYs2H_0yXg?e=ol1l29




































































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